Is your wardrobe bursting at the seams? Do you find yourself wearing the same thing time after time because you can’t be bothered to fight your way to the back of the wardrobe to find something different? It’s a common dilemma and one most people encounter because we’re not very good at storing clothes.
Most of us have limited wardrobe and drawer space and don’t take the time to sort through what we’ve got in them. When we buy something new, we don’t get rid of something old and we just stuff the new item into the front of the wardrobe or the top of the drawer. It’s because of this that we end up storing clothes in one great big stack with winter woollies and summer dresses all on top of each other and end up not wearing half of what we own.
With a little discipline you can change all that and start storing your clothes in a way that means you can actually see what you’ve got and can vary what you’re wearing more often. A change in the season is a great time to do this. Now, we all know that here in the UK we don’t seem to get distinct seasons any more – spring increasingly feels like winter and summer seems to appear later and later each year. This can make separating out your wardrobe a little difficult, but it’s not impossible. Here are some tips for making the most of your wardrobe.
Split your clothes according to the seasons
We’ve just said that this may be a little difficult in the UK but there are things that we know we will not wear in the middle of winter and vice versa. Try and split your wardrobe accordingly, with a cross over section in the middle that might cover the weather anomalies.
Have a seasonal clear out
Technically we are now in autumn, but we’ve had some warmer weather into September and many of us are still trying to hang on in there with shorts and t-shirts. But it’s clear that the weather has changed and temperatures are rapidly cooling. Rather than just stuffing all the shorts, t-shirts and vests back in the cupboards, check to see what will still be wearable next year. Those holiday clothes with the sun tan lotion stains that you’ve been using when gardening – will you really pull them out with enthusiasm to wear again next summer? If the answer is no, then it’s time to throw them away or cut them up to use as dusters. If you’re doing this with your child’s wardrobe, think about whether the clothes will fit next year. The answer again will probably be no – hand them on to someone else. Are there things that are damaged? If you’re going to repair them, do it before you put them away. If you decide not to repair them, see if someone else can benefit from them and pass them on. If not, get rid of them. Do this exercise at each major seasonal change over. 7 Questions to Ask When Cleaning Out Your Closet gives you some great things to think about when having a clear out. Whilst American, it still translates to the UK and the types of organisations mentioned will likely have UK equivalents.
So, you’ve done the sorting, what next? Now you have to find ways of storing everything you’re left with in a way that means you can access everything easily. If you’re lucky and you have space, you might be able to move all your summer clothes that won’t get worn again for some time into a wardrobe in a separate room. If not, you’ve got to find ways of getting them out of your wardrobe in the short term, whilst also making sure they don’t get damaged.
Before we get on to ways of finding places to store them you must make sure that everything that is going to be stored away is clean and dry if you are to avoid damage from things like mould.
On to storage methods. Suitcases, airtight containers and vacuum bags are all great for storing clothes. Using vacuum bags can often mean that you can halve the amount of storage space you need which will be extremely useful if looking to store the containers at home.
If you’ve got very delicate items that can’t or shouldn’t be folded you may have to keep them in the wardrobe, but if you’re not going to be using them, you can afford to move them towards the back. Hopefully, you’ll free up enough space moving other items that it won’t matter too much.
Now you need to be clever about using space around the home. You may have loft space but make sure that your containers are airtight if doing this as lofts are susceptible to weather changes and things can get damp.
Look around your bedroom. Is there space in the bed base or under the bed? What about on top of a wardrobe? There may be shelf space in the top of your wardrobe or on the floor (especially if clothes hanging up aren’t the full length of the wardrobe). Hopefully, you’ll find a little bit of space in your own room or another one elsewhere in the house.
If all else fails or you have a lot of specialist clothing that can’t be folded easily you may want to consider a self storage option. Small units can be rented for a very reasonable price, but be sure to view any unit you are considering using to make sure it is clean and dry.
If you’re considering using self storage in the Bristol, Gloucester or Stroud area, get in touch. Our friendly staff will be happy to help.
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