Store seasonal clothes clean and completely dry, in breathable bags or lidded boxes, somewhere cool, dark and dry. Wash or dry clean everything first, even pieces you wore once, because clothes moth larvae feed on soiled wool. Keep them out of dry-cleaner plastic and away from damp basements, and swap your wardrobe over once the new season's weather has settled.
You don't need to empty the whole closet in one afternoon. Start with the bulkiest group (winter coats in spring, or summer dresses in autumn) and work through one category at a time.
When to switch your wardrobe#
Twice a year is enough for most climates: once in spring, once in autumn. A good test is when you haven't reached for something in two or three weeks and the forecast doesn't suggest you will. Spring and autumn both like to throw in one last cold or hot week, so keep a light jacket, one warm sweater and a rain layer out all year.
How to prepare clothes for storage#
- Pull out everything for the outgoing season and sort it into keep, repair and pass on. Try on anything you're unsure about now, not next season.
- Clean everything you're keeping. University of Maryland Extension explains that soiled wool is the main food of clothes moth larvae and that they can't complete their development on clean wool. A sweater worn once still carries skin oil and the odd food mark.
- Send tailored coats and suits to the dry cleaner before they're packed. Wash the rest by their labels.
- Skip the fabric softener and starch on this wash. The University of Kentucky Extension's clothing storage guide says softeners, starch and sizing can attract silverfish and crickets and support mildew in stored textiles. If you used bleach, add an extra rinse.
- Let everything dry completely. Check the thick parts: waistbands, coat linings, sweater cuffs and the seams of jeans. Those are the last places to dry and the first to smell musty in a box.
- Do the repairs now. Sew on the loose button and fix the dropped hem while you remember which coat it was.
What to store clothes in#
The Kentucky guide is clear on one thing: don't store clothing in plastic bags, because they can trap moisture and lead to mildew. That includes the thin cover your dry cleaning came home in.
Sealed boxes are different. Maryland Extension recommends cleaning wool and storing it in sealed boxes to keep moths out. That works because the clothes going in are clean and fully dry, and the box sits somewhere without big swings in temperature or humidity. Pack damp clothes into a sealed box and you've built a mildew chamber.
| What you're storing |
How to store it |
| Wool and cashmere knits |
Clean, folded, in a lidded box or zipped cotton bag |
| Winter coats and blazers |
Clean, on a broad padded or wooden hanger, in a breathable cotton garment bag |
| Summer cotton and linen |
Washed, dried, folded loosely in a box or drawer |
| Swimwear |
Rinsed of chlorine or salt, dried, stored flat |
| Shoes and boots |
Clean, repaired, in a box that lets air through |
| Bedding and heavy throws |
Washed, fully dry, in cotton bags or a lidded box |
Fold knits instead of hanging them. The Kentucky guide recommends flat storage for knits and stretchy items, which otherwise sag on a hanger and develop shoulder bumps. Tailored coats and jackets go on shaped wooden or padded hangers.
Leather shoes and boots shouldn't go in tightly sealed plastic boxes either; the Kentucky guide says those can promote mildew on leather. Our shoe care guide covers cleaning them before they go away.
Label every box with what's in it. Then you can find the one sweater you need during an early cold snap without unpacking the lot.
Where to keep stored clothes#
Choose somewhere cool, dark and dry: under the bed, the top shelf of a closet, or a spare-room wardrobe. Avoid a basement that smells damp, an attic that bakes in summer, or a garage with a leaky door. Light fades fabric over months, so clear boxes should live somewhere dark.
While the closet is empty, clean it. The Kentucky guide recommends emptying, vacuuming and wiping down closets once or twice a year, and the seasonal swap is the natural time. Get into the corners and along the back of the shelves, where lint collects.
Don't pack the closet tight when you're done. Air needs to move between clothes.
Should you use mothballs or cedar?#
Maryland Extension says cedar chests, blocks and closets give some protection. Treat cedar as an extra layer on top of clean storage, not a replacement for it.
Mothballs are a pesticide, and the label rules matter. The National Pesticide Information Center explains that mothball labels typically direct you to use them in a tightly closed container, so the fumes don't build up in rooms where people and pets breathe them for long periods. The common mistake, according to NPIC, is putting them in containers that aren't airtight, like an open closet or a drawer. Maryland Extension calls mothballs a last resort, for sealed containers only, and advises avoiding products made with paradichlorobenzene.
Check on stored clothes#
Maryland Extension recommends inspecting stored items periodically. A quick look halfway through the season catches problems early. Open a box or two and check for small holes, silky webbing, a musty smell or damp patches. If you find moth damage, take everything in that container out, clean it, and clean the container before repacking.
Bulky bedding follows the same rules. If you're putting away a winter duvet, wash it properly first; our duvet and comforter guide explains how to get the middle dry.
Two ChoreLists.com reminders a year, one in spring and one in autumn, are enough to keep the swap from sliding into a weekend-long job.