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How to Store Clothes for Future Use

How to store clothes

clothing storage for seasonal clothes and baby clothes

If you’re curious about how to store clothes long-term, you probably have garments with monetary or sentimental value—or both! Whether you want to save your wedding dress so you can hand it down to your daughter when she grows up, or you’re traveling the world indefinitely and need to put your clothes into storage until you get back, these tips will help you.

Don’t make the mistake of tossing your textiles into a cardboard box and shoving it into the wardrobe. It’s all about preparation. Properly cleaning, packaging, and storing your clothing will dramatically increase the lifespan of your closet. And yes, where you store your clothing matters.

Below, we’ll cover expert clothing storage tips that will help whether you’re putting clothes in a garage, storage unit, or under the bed. Even if you can’t follow all of the tips, try to incorporate as many as you can. Read on to learn how to preserve clothes for years. Some of this advice might surprise you!

How do you preserve clothes for a long time? 

The key to preserving clothes for a long time is protecting them from the following:

To achieve this:

Is it OK to store clothes in plastic containers?

While there’s a lot of advice out there discouraging the use of plastic containers, the fact is that, yes, it is okay to store clothes in plastic containers—as long as you take the proper precautions.

Is it better to store clothes in plastic or cardboard?

Given a choice, it’s better to store clothes in plastic than cardboard. Why?

Now, plastic bags do tend to lock in moisture that can collect inside from condensation. To avoid this, you can leave the plastic bag unsealed to allow moisture to escape. Just realize that by leaving it open, you’ll run the risk of pests getting inside.

A step-by-step guide to storing clothes long-term

 

1. Create an inventory list to save time and money.

When parents preserve baby clothes for future children, taking inventory is one of the most critical steps. Why? Because without this list, it’s incredibly easy to forget what clothing you have in storage. If you forgot about that bin of 3T clothing in the basement, you’ll be repurchasing a lot of clothing you don’t need. The point of storing baby clothes (or any clothes for that matter) is to save money by reusing what you already have in the future. 

Also, knowing what clothing you are holding on to will make the storage process more manageable. If you ever need to find an item, you’ll know where to look and how it has been stored.

Your clothing inventory should include the following:

2. Discard or donate clothing in poor condition.

There’s little point in storing clothes in poor condition that you’ll be unlikely to wear again. Clothing storage is most effective when the clothing you’re saving is in like-new condition. Existing smells and stains will only set into the clothing more permanently when stored for long periods of time. Odors from unwanted clothing can seep into better clothing as it’s stored, too.

Determine why you’re opting to store the clothes in the first place. Next, determine which clothes are best suited for the task. If you’re storing off-season clothing, choose your best winter or summer clothes and eliminate the rest. For example, if you make sure to hold on to a couple of your most flattering swimsuits, you can let go of your extras. For children’s clothing, pick a handful of items in each size and season.

As a general rule, if clothing is beyond saving by laundering, get rid of it. Take this opportunity to declutter your closet and ask yourself which clothing deserves a spot in your storage space.

3. Clean and prep your garments.

Storing clothing in good condition will help ensure the garments stay in good shape while packed away. Regardless of how clean you think your clothes are, don’t just throw them into a storage bin and forget about them. A little prep will go a long way.

Here are some ways to prep your clothing for storage:

4. Pick a cool, dry place to store clothing.

Where you store your clothes is more important than how you store your clothes. No matter how clean your clothing is, if you store your bins in a musty basement, your clothing could very likely become musty.

When picking a spot to store clothing for an extended period, find a dry, dark place that maintains a cool temperature. It’s also essential to have good airflow and no direct sunlight.

Remember these pointers when seeking a storage space:

Read Also: What are the Benefits of Climate Controlled Storage Units?

 

5. Pack clothing with care using acid-free boxes.

If preserving clothing is extremely important, acid-free archival boxes are the best storage option if you can afford them. If you don’t have access to those boxes, you can line cardboard or wooden boxes using quilt batting and white sheets to add a layer of protection between the clothing and nature. You can also create hanging storage using garment racks.

6. Once a year, refold and air out your clothing.

Because textiles like to breathe, about once a year, take the opportunity to take them out of their containers and lay them out in the open to air out. You can even hang them up for a few hours to achieve this. When you put them back into storage, refold your clothes differently so the creases don’t set and start to degrade the fabric. This is especially vital if you hope to preserve your clothes for years to come.

Here are some additional tips for storing clothes long-term:

How to store clothes in a basement

There are many reasons not to store clothes in a basement: it’s damp, prone to flooding, and vulnerable to pest infestations. Instead, we recommend renting a climate-controlled storage unit from a reputable company that uses regular, professional pest control to keep mice and bugs out

But, if you must, here’s how to safely store clothes in a basement.

How long can clothes be stored?

If you know how to store clothes long-term, they can be stored for many, many years (the world’s oldest woven garment is over 5,000 years old and is kept in the Petrie Museum in London!). But we doubt you’d be willing to go to the same lengths as a professional museum conservator just to store your clothing—nor will you need to. For everyday clothing or even special occasion garments like a wedding dress, using acid-free tissue paper and archival boxes, storing them in a dry and dark place, and refolding and airing them out once a year should suffice.

Now you’re ready to preserve those clothes for years

As you can see, storing clothes long-term is definitely doable! With the right tips, proper space, and smart storage techniques, your favorite garments can last for years and generations to come. So that family heirloom that’s been passed down from your grandmother or those baby clothes you want to save for your children? They’ll remain almost as good as the day you packed them up.

Remember, how long clothing lasts in storage depends heavily on the environment it’s kept in. If you’re struggling to find a suitable space in your home, you can always invest in a climate-controlled storage unit to help ensure your valuables remain at a safe temperature. Plus, it’s got surveillance cameras and personal access codes for extra security. How’s that for peace of mind?

What long-term clothing storage tips do you use to preserve your favorite wardrobe pieces? Share your thoughts with us on social media. And if you have friends who could use the advice we’ve shared in this article, be sure to send them a link!

Update: This post was originally published on January 24th, 2018, by Lauren Thomann and was revised on April 4th, 2023, with further information from Amy Rigby. 

About the Authors

Amy Rigby

As a former nomad, Amy Rigby has moved nearly 100 times—so she brings plenty of lived experience to the Life Storage blog. In the past ten years, she has written for many company blogs and founded several niche sites, including one featuring home organization tips. She studied broadcast journalism at the University of Florida, where she co-produced an NPR-affiliated newscast. You can read more of Amy's work on ABCNews.com and the blogs of Outdoorsy, Trello, and Serene.

Lauren Thomann

Lauren Thomann has written about self storage and moving since 2015, making her our storage expert. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and Linguistics and has published over 150 articles on moving, storage, and home organization. She is also a contributing writer at and Martha Stewart.

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