Careful sorting is your first step to success when you're getting ready to store seasonal clothes. Be ruthless. Do you have shirts, shorts or shoes that you haven't worn (and probably won't)? Set them aside for donation. Next, weed out whatever is permanently stained, torn or worn out. Will you really want to wear these items next spring? If not, throw them out. Once you've pared down the pile, you're ready to begin. Here are some simple space-saving ideas.
- Over-the-door organizers. Use the back of your bedroom door or closet doors to hang your shoes. Hanging pockets fit over your doors and are useful for organizing summer items. Best of all, when organizers hang inside your closet doors, no one can see them but you!
- High stacking. Use the top shelves in your closet to stack your out-of-season clothes. This keeps them out of sight and out of mind during the winter months. When these clothes are back in season, they won't be hard to find. You also might want to slip Bounce® dryer sheets in between garments to help them maintain a clean, fresh scent. Make sure you put the dryer sheets in an envelope, though, to keep them away from your clothes.
- Shoe boxes. Use these to store your out-of-season shoes anywhere that is convenient for you. Multiple pairs of sandals and flip-flops easily can fit into one box. If you're storing mules or slingbacks, you might want to insert wooden or plastic shoe trees into them to help them keep their shape. Label each box on the front-facing panel so that in spring, you quickly can find what you want.
- Add-on hangers. If space is tight, you can use these to hang several articles of clothing together. An add-on hanger takes up as much space as a single hanger, but it stores four times the amount of clothing. If there is extra space in your closet, use it to store add-on hangers that hold your summer clothes. This storage method is particularly good for golf shirts (or any shirts with collars) that you don't want to get crushed by folding and stacking.
- Under the bed. Use plastic storage containers with dividers to effectively store your unused items. The containers easily can slide under the bed to keep your out-of-season wardrobe out of your way.
- Under the stairs. If this space in your home is unused anyway, why not use it for storage? You easily can install hooks on the walls to hang your shoes or clothes. If space permits, add a small shelving unit for stacking items.
- Hallway closet. If you have extra space here, install some shelving, and use it to store your shorts and sandals without making a mess.
