When there are small closets in your house, it’s important to sort and organize seasonal clothes. Use these tips to protect and store out-of-season outfits.
Any time the seasons drastically change, so does your wardrobe. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a massive closet that can easily accommodate clothing for the four seasons without feeling overstuffed, then you’ll probably have your out-of-season clothes tucked away somewhere.
I’m going to walk you through the best steps to clean your closet when the seasons change and how to organize seasonal clothes. You’re going to tackle the bedroom closet but don’t forget about the hallway closet by the entry, if you have one.
How To Organize Seasonal Clothes
This post contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, there’s absolutely no extra cost to you. Read my full Disclosure Policy here.
Pare Down Your Wardrobe
Now, that you’re going to be swapping out your off-season clothing, it’s a great time to access and pare down your wardrobe. Donate or give away any outfits that you didn’t really wear during the last season or ones that don’t fit well and throw out clothing that’s stained or ripped beyond repair.
Wash and thoroughly dry the clothes that you will be keeping. Sweat and skin oils can damage fabrics over time and make them harder to clean the next time you want to wear them. Plus, insects are less likely to take up residence in clean clothes.
Set aside items that need to be dry cleaned.
Move on to the next steps while your laundry is in the washer and dryer.
Clean the Closet
While your closet is empty, take the time to wipe off the shelves with a damp microfiber cloth. Vacuum up those dust bunnies that accumulated in the back of the closet for the last few months.
This is also a good opportunity to swap out your hangers for coordinating ones. I did this in 2017 and am so happy with my decision. I switched all of my hangers to velvet ones because my clothes were constantly falling to the floor. Velvet hangers are thin and space-saving. And compared to wooden ones, they’re pretty inexpensive. Coordinated hangers will make your closet look much more put-together too.
Replace The Clothes In Your Wardrobe
Grab the clothes for the upcoming season that you’ll be placing in your closet. Be sure to go through those as well and weed out any outfits you don’t want to wear or ones that are damaged. Make sure the clothes all fit well. You may even consider building a capsule wardrobe to make life easier.
Organize the clothes by type so they’re easy to find later. For example, hang short-sleeve shirts together and jackets in another place.
Fold bulky items instead of hanging them. You can place them in bins or baskets to keep them organized. Folding delicate sweaters also protects them as it prevents them from stretching.
Organize Accessories
Sort through your accessories like shoes, purses, scarves and belts. Purge any you no longer like or that are worn.
How To Store Clothes
Grab the freshly laundered clothes. Roll clothing when you can and store similar items together e.g. dresses and T-shirts would be put in separate containers.
Stash your out-of-season outfits and accessories in clearly labelled storage containers. Plastic traps moisture and could ruin your clothes so never store clothing in plastic bags or dry cleaner bags. Alternatively, cardboard attracts pests and allows them to easily chew through. Instead, use clothing storage bags that are water-proof and keep out dust and vermin.
Vacuum-seal bags like these are made from anti-microbial materials so you don’t have to worry about long-term storage in an air-tight bag. Use these to maximize small storage spaces especially when storing bulky off-season clothes.
Place the storage bins or bags on shelves high in your closet or underneath the bed. Wherever you choose to store your clothes, make sure the area is clean, cool, dark and dry.
Keep Pests Away
In addition to storing seasonal clothes in containers that keep bugs out, pack repellents as well.
Moth balls smell terrible and they can endanger young children or pets, if found. Try using cedar chips or lavender sachets that repel moths and freshen fabrics instead.
Check The Stored Clothes
Don’t just store your out-of season clothing and abandon it till next year. Every once in a while, inspect the containers to make sure there are no issues.
These tips will help you organize and protect your seasonal clothes. And, you’ll maximize the space available, even if you have a small walk-in closet.
Did you enjoy this post? If so, don’t forget to share it on Pinterest!