How to Store Your Winter Clothes: Tips & Tricks
People who are new to the city are inundated with new experiences. They have to find out about the metro, they have to go to know your neighborhood, and they have to figure out how to put everything in their apartment. The issue of apartment storage is particularly difficult for one major reason: winter clothing. Storing summer clothes is easy. They are generally lighter fabrics and take up less space. Storing winter clothes, however, can be quite difficult, as they are often bloated, long, and people usually need a lot to get through the tough season. So how does a New Yorker store their winter clothes?
Added extra storage space in the apartment
It’s the easiest way to get simple storage for winter clothes. Adding shelves and drawers in the right places can make all the difference in a home. Some of the best storage options include:
bed storage
Bed storage is ideal because it uses space that is usually left empty. There’s a ton of space under the bed, so why not use it to store seasonal items? Most storage beds will look like this Japanese storage bed by Get Laid Beds. This style of bed has storage attached to one or both sides of the frame. These beds are awesome and usually very sturdy and stylish, but there are plenty of other options.
Take this Maynardville Upholstered Bed from Wayfair. This bed literally lifts the mattress off the frame to reveal a huge storage bin, perfect for storing larger, puffy coats, long johns and other winter gear. There might even be room for other items, like winter bed sheets, in this large unit. Beds like these are great for adding more storage to a large apartment, which almost every New Yorker will likely face in their lifetime. Of course, if people already have a bed frame that they like, there are plenty of rolling storage drawers which will go well under most beds.
Cabinets
Many apartments in New York City lack sufficient closet space, and homes that have closets usually have small ones. This is where wardrobes come in. Perfect for hanging up jackets, suits, and even thinking about sweaters and pants, a good wardrobe can be a lifesaver when it comes to winter storage. Many people think their homes are too small for cabinets, but there are plenty on the market that can meet and exceed storage needs.
For example, this Ratta Green Cabinet de Homary is only 70 inches high, 31.5 inches wide and 20 inches thick. This means it can fit comfortably into almost any home and the style will make the rest of the decor in the apartment stand out, especially if there are plants in it. The main wardrobe bedroom is tall, perfect for longer, thicker coats, and the bottom drawers are deep, making them perfect for storing thick sweaters, socks and more. It’s a tasteful design with good storage, but rest assured there are more products like this, each with their own merits. People should just make sure to get one with a large main chamber capable of holding coats of any length.
Rental of storage units
For those short on space, but have cash and winter gear, a storage unit is a great way to store all sorts of things. Most city facilities have storage units in multiple sizes, so people can choose the size that works best for them. There are also many popular storage companies to choose from, such as CubeSmartwhich has numerous locations throughout the city, with at least one in every borough and even New Jersey.
Another very popular company is Manhattan Mini Storage, which, as the name suggests, is a Manhattan-based storage company that’s great for storing seasonal items. These storage lockers work best in Manhattan, where apartments can be especially small compared to locations in Queens and Brooklyn. They also have special offers for new tenants and long-time customers, so the rent will always be affordable.
A similar business in Brooklyn is Storage station, which offers new tenants one month of free storage, regardless of unit size. These businesses will not just store clothes and other items, but they will free up storage space in a home for other items.
How to store winter clothes
Storing winter clothes isn’t just about space. There are other strategies people should use to extend the life of their clothes and maximize the storage space they have access to.
1.) When to put away winter clothes
This can be a difficult thing to know, but it is an important aspect to pay attention to. The weather is extremely tricky in New York and will only get worse as climate change continues to evolve. People might be tempted to put away their winter clothes as soon as the weather is nice. However, it is a fool’s ride. The weather in New York can change in just a few hours, so when should people put away their winter clothes? The answer is simple: pack winter clothes slowly.
When the weather starts to warm up, people should start putting away their winter clothes. However, they should only store multiple items at a time. This way people can have warmer clothes in case the weather gets colder again. In late April or early May, it should be safe to store all winter clothing in extra storage, but even that depends on current and future weather conditions.
2.) Wash winter clothes before storing them
Winter clothing is put to the test during these difficult months. Boots and thick coats, in particular, get soaked and dirty. One of the worst things a person can do is store these items without cleaning them. When clothes reappear the following winter, they may smell, be stained, or even be permanently damaged. Winter clothes are expensive, so it’s important to clean these clothes before putting them away. Those who take care of their clothes will reap these benefits later.
3.) Vacuum Seal/Put Winter Clothes in Plastic Bins
A great way to increase storage and protect clothes is to vacuum seal them. Vacuum sealing is easy to do. All one needs is a kit, which is available on online stores. This will protect the clothes from unwanted damage from moisture and critters. Plastic bins aren’t as effective as vacuum sealing in this regard, but they can still be extremely useful for protecting clothes. Both options will also make it easier to store clothes under beds or in wardrobe drawers.
4.) How to Hang Winter Clothes
Not all winter clothing can be vacuum sealed. Goose down, for example, can be damaged in the process. For more delicate clothes, it is better to hang them in a fancy new wardrobe. Make sure all pockets are properly buttoned or zipped and the front of the jacket is fully buttoned and sealed. If a jacket is stored in a storage unit, another good idea is a garment bag to protect it from critters and the elements. Make sure they have enough space so you don’t crush them, as this could also damage more delicate garments.
5.) Mothballs. Yeah or Nah?
Mothballs work well for getting rid of unwanted critters. However, they do leave an odor. This smell does not bother everyone, which is good. However, there are many alternatives to mothballs that smell much better. cedar balls, for example, are a great alternative to mothballs. They are just as effective, if not more so, than mothballs, and they leave clothes smelling fresh and woody when picked up. There are many other products available, and other odor-killing products if a person prefers mothballs over everything else. Stored clothes should not smell bad.
6.) Know when to throw away your clothes
Winter clothing can be expensive and will usually last a while. However, some clothes just aren’t worth keeping once they’ve passed their prime. In New York, storage is hard to come by, so no one should store trash. Boots that have lost their grip, jackets with holes or damage on the outside, socks with holes or worn-out clothing should all be discarded or donated (if the clothing is still in good condition). It can be hard for some people to part with a particular piece of clothing. However, fixing it may cost more than buying a new item, and storing it doesn’t make sense.
Winter in New York is tough. Finding storage space in New York is difficult. There’s no reason to complicate your life by making it impossible to store winter clothes. There are simple and affordable steps people can take to increase their storage options and extend the life of their clothes. Winter clothing is expensive, so it is important to protect these items as well as possible. People need to be prepared for a New York winter, and storing clothes properly will give everyone an edge in this annual fight. Whether people hang clothes or vacuum seal them, they need to make sure they’re doing it right.
