A study conducted in 2010 found that the average American household spends approximately 3.8% of their earnings on clothing each year. Keeping all of your purchases in your closet can quickly become chaotic and can ruin fabrics if not properly folded or stored. Instead, consider storing clothing that is not in season in a storage unit. Here are 3 tips that you should follow to keep your clothes looking fresh and like new.

Wash Your Clothes Before Storing Them

Even if you think that your clothes are clean, wash and dry them thoroughly before storing them. This will remove any unwanted odors and stubborn stains that will only be more difficult to remove after being stored for long lengths of time. Inspect all clothing before you pack them up for storage.

Also, skip the fabric softeners and any starchy products, as they tend to attract moths, insects, and other unwanted pests that can damage your clothes. If you are concerned about the softness of your clothes, you can put them through a wash cycle with fabric softener when you take them out from storage.

Avoid Cardboard Boxes and Opt for Sealed Plastic Containers

Although cardboard boxes are cheap and easily accessible, make the effort and buy sealed plastic containers. Cardboard boxes, no matter how secure, are never airtight and even bugs can get in. If the self-storage units flood, the cardboard boxes do not offer any form of protection against mold or mildew. Sealed plastic containers are not only airtight, but will protect your clothes from flooding and other elemental conditions.

Stack Heavier Clothing at the Bottom

The different materials and fabrics make some of your clothing, like jackets and pants, heavier than others. Perfect the packing that you do by folding and placing all of your heavier clothing at the bottom of the sealed plastic containers and placing the lighter pieces of clothing on top. If you place heavier pieces of clothing on top, it may cause the lighter pieces of clothing underneath to become damaged or excessively creased or stretched to the point where the integrity of the clothing becomes compromised.

Conclusion

By packing seasonal pieces of clothing in sealed plastic containers and storing them in your storage units, you could free up closet space and get rid of a lot of clutter. This will not only make your closet look a lot more attractive and organized, but will also help you easily find the clothes that you are looking for without having to dig through piles and piles of clothes. For more information about self storage, check out http://www.magnumselfstorage.com.