Clothing Storage Guide

Clothes spend far more of their lives in storage than on your back, and quiet damage accumulates there: shoulders stretched by the wrong hanger, wool eaten in the dark, colors faded by a shaft of sunlight, mildew blooming in a box packed slightly damp. This page of the Garment Care, Repair & Alterations Guide covers everyday storage decisions, moth prevention, and the seasonal changeover — the twice-a-year ritual that decides whether last year's wardrobe comes back ready to wear.

Fold or Hang? The Working Rules

The decision is about gravity and structure. Fold anything knitted or stretchy — sweaters, cardigans, t-shirts, jersey dresses — and anything heavy with beading or embellishment, because a garment's own weight hanging from two shoulder points slowly pulls it out of shape. Hang garments whose structure a hanger supports: tailored jackets and coats, button-up shirts, blouses, dresses with proper hanger loops, and trousers clipped by the waistband or folded over a wide bar. Choose hangers that respect the garment — wide, shaped hangers for jackets and coats; padded or flocked hangers for slippery fabrics; never the thin wire hangers from the dry cleaner, which crease shoulders and rust. Give everything breathing room: a closet packed tight wrinkles clothes, traps moisture and hides moth activity. And empty pockets before hanging or folding — a stored garment carrying weight in one pocket stretches unevenly.

Moth Prevention: Clean Clothes, Sealed Storage, Vigilance

Clothes moth larvae feed on keratin — wool, cashmere, silk, feathers, fur, hair and down — and they seek out the traces of food, sweat and skin oil left in worn garments. Prevention therefore starts with laundry, not chemicals: never store animal-fiber clothing unwashed. For seasonal storage, wash or dry-clean woolens, seal them in clean cotton storage bags or lidded boxes with acid-free tissue at the folds, and add cedar blocks or lavender sachets as a deterrent — pleasant and somewhat discouraging to moths, though no substitute for cleanliness and sealing. Pheromone traps in the closet catch adult male moths and, just as usefully, warn you an infestation exists. Vacuum closet corners, shelf edges and under-baseboard gaps where larvae pupate. If you find webbing, casings or holes, isolate the affected garments: a week in a home freezer, sealed in a bag, kills all life stages of the moth, and the rest of the wardrobe should be checked piece by piece. Special fibers have special storage needs — leather, for example, must breathe and should never be sealed in plastic; see the storage notes in the leather care guide.

Packing a Season Away, Step by Step

1. Sort and decide. Pull everything out. Set aside what needs repair — and actually mend it now, using the basic mending repairs, so the new season starts with a working wardrobe.
2. Clean everything. Wash or dry-clean each piece and let it dry completely. Check pockets, shake out cuffs and turn garments over as you work, looking for early moth damage.
3. Choose breathable containers. Cotton storage bags and lidded boxes with tissue suit natural fibers; sturdy plastic bins are fine for hard-wearing synthetics and cottons in dry spaces. Keep containers out of damp basements and hot attics — a cool, dry, dark spot under a bed or on a closet shelf is better than either extreme.
4. Fold with tissue, hang the tailored pieces. Layer acid-free tissue in folds to soften creases. Coats and tailored jackets store best hanging in breathable garment bags on shaped hangers, even off-season.
5. Add deterrents and label. Cedar or lavender in each container, a label on the outside, and a note of anything that needs attention before wearing — a loose button is easier to remember in writing.
6. Air on return. When the season turns, open containers, air garments for a day, and inspect before hanging away. Most pieces need nothing more; refresh a knit with a gentle steam rather than a wash.