Home and Gardening

There are many things in the home that need to be stored.  Storing things in an organized manner will help you to be able to find what you need when you need it.  There are also longevity concerns for many items.  If you want to make sure that your clothing and other household items are properly stored, use these tips to turn a regular bedroom closet into one suitable for storing items long-term.

1)  There are many reasons to store certain things inside of a bedroom.  There are bugs, humidity, and temperature concerns with storing things in the garage or basement.  If the temperature is hot, you need to think about the fact that dyes in clothing can change color or have a less uniform appearance when they come out.  Certain delicate fibers in rayon and in silk can actually melt.  Moisture in the air gives your clothes a musty smell.  When you smell that, you know that it is mold or mildew growing in the fibers of your clothes.  Keeping your clothing at a reasonable temperature and humidity is your first concern when storing them.

2)  Your clothing represents a big investment in your appearance and helps you to represent your personality and style.  Protecting your clothing from damage is very important.  Even when you store things in an interior home closet there are some things to consider.  Don’t cram things into boxes that you would rather have wrinkle-free.  Using the right hangers in the closet can make a big difference and help you to avoid damaging your clothing.

3)  Use cedar products in closets that are meant for storage.  Don’t use dryer sheets because they leave waxy deposits on clothes and they don’t last.  Cedar hangers are an easy way to incorporate cedar into the closet without taking up extra space.  You can line your closet in cedar, use cedar sachets, or hang cedar blocks from your hangers if you need to.  Cedar absorbs moisture, repels pests, and gives your closet a fresh scent.  Cedar actually deodorizes the air, it doesn’t just cover up bad smells.  By absorbing moisture, it helps you to avoid musty odors that come from mold and mildew in your closet and clothes.

4)  Sometimes clothing will require dry cleaning because fabrics used for lining or stiffening of the shoulders will shrink or disintegrate if immersed in water or exposed to heat.  These clothes should never be boxed up.  Take them off of the dry cleaning hangers to avoid permanent damage to the shoulders.   Wooden clothes hangers that are designed for coats and suits should be used whenever possible on these types of clothes.  If you’re worried about your hanging clothes taking up too much space, don’t.  Find clever ways to store your other household items that aren’t so delicate.  Vacuum sealed bags are great space savers when you’re storing pillows, comforters, towels and other bulky items.  Label everything so you can find it when you need it and your storage closet will stay in order.

Tags: closet, Storage