Organize Your Off-Season Clothing and Accessories

Unless you live in a climate that has similar weather all year long, you undoubtedly have different summer and winter wardrobes. Although some people simply leave all their clothes in the same closet year-round, this method can make it difficult to utilize closet space in the most efficient fashion. Instead of overcrowding your closets, it can be helpful to rotate your clothing and accessories on a seasonal basis. If the arrival of springtime has you thinking about what to do with all your wooly winter clothing, here are some organizational tips and ideas that can help.

Sort First

Before you are able to find an appropriate storage method for your off-season clothing, it's important to assess exactly what you are dealing with. If you have always stored all your clothing in the same closet year-round, this process might be as simple as making three piles of clothing - winter, summer and intermediate-weight clothing items that you wear year-round. However, if you currently have piles of off-season clothing stored in various locations around your home, you'll first want to gather them all together. For the purpose of off-season clothing storage, you'll be primarily focused on clothing items that you wear only in the summer, or only in the winter. Once you have your clothing and accessories sorted, simply return the items you wear year-round to your closets and drawers. You'll now be able to see how much space you have for your current season clothing items. You'll also be able to see how many clothing items you'll need to store in the winter, as well as the summer.

Deciding on a Storage Method

If you have a spare bedroom with a closet that you rarely use, your off-season clothing storage problems could be easily solved. At the beginning of each season, simply rotate your off-season items to the other closet. However, most people aren't fortunate enough to have a spare room or even a spare closet in their home. If this describes your household, you'll have to get a bit more creative. Plastic under-bed storage boxes are a great solution for off-season clothing storage. If you have space in your attic or basement, you could also pack your off-season clothing in large plastic bins, marking them carefully so that you will be able to find them again when needed. Before placing clothing items in the basement or attic, make sure the environment is not too hot or too damp for safe clothing and accessory storage.

Examine Carefully

You'll also want to make sure that your clothing items are perfectly clean before packing them away. If you put a soiled piece of clothing into storage, chances are you will end up with a stain that you will not be able to remove. It's also a good idea to make any necessary clothing repairs before putting your clothes away for the following season. By doing this step now, you'll be all ready to wear your items when the next season arrives. You should also sort through your clothes before storing them, discarding or donating any items that you have outgrown or which are no longer in style.