How to Clean Clothes Before Storing for Winter

Storing cold weather gear in the spring can buy you a lot of closet space for your summer clothes. But before you pack away your sweaters, coats and snow boots, take the time to perform a little clothing maintenance. You'll reap the benefits at the end of summer when you unpack your fresh clean winter clothes in anticipation of the first frost.

Things You'll Need

• Soft cloths
• Shoe brushes
• Stain remover
• Hair spray

Instructions

1. Clean out your closet before you begin your winter wear storage preparations. You should discard any clothing items you do not plan on wearing the following season to make the most of your winter clothing storage area.

2. Take dry clean-only clothing items to the dry cleaners for one final cleaning before packing them away for the summer. You should bring any stains to your dry cleaner's attention so that he can treat them effectively.

3. Talk to your dry cleaner about freshening up your rain gear with a water-repellent coating before you pack them away for the dry summer months.

4. Hand wash delicate items such as silk-blend sweaters and allow them to dry completely before packing them away. Damp clothing may introduce mold and mildew into your clothing storage, creating a bad odor and causing discoloration.

5. Use a soft, damp cloth to wipe down the surfaces of winter gear made from nylon and other synthetic fabrics. Ski jackets and pants can be spot cleaned using this method, which will remove any dirt or rock salt that may have accumulated during the ski season.

6. Select a soft bristle shoe brush to clean your winter shoes before placing them in shoeboxes for summer storage. Be sure to remove any mud, gum or other debris that may have gathered on the soles and heels.

7. Wash knitted gloves and scarves in the gentle cycle of your washer or clean them by hand before packing them up in a plastic bin or other clothing storage box.

8. Examine your washable winter clothing for stains before you pack them away for summer. Many times, ink and other stains of this kind can be removed if treated with a stain remover or hair spray in a timely manner.

9. Consider storing your hanging clothes in cloth garment bags to help keep them clean and dust and wrinkle free while they are in storage.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't forget to take your clothes out of the plastic bags after dry cleaning. You risk discoloring and permanently damaging your clothes by storing them in these bags.