Easy Storage Solutions From A to Z

Out-of-Season Clothes

As in: Your white eyelet blouse, now curiously yellow after hibernating under the bed.

The fixes: 
Designate seasonal storage areas. One way to solve the problem is to place an armoire in your bedroom to store off-season stuff, like sweaters or sundresses. But if you have extra closets, dedicate one to autumn and winter and another to spring and summer, says Walsh. For hanging items, swap foam strip–covered dry-cleaner hangers for wood, plastic, or padded ones, as the foam can “end up discoloring a favorite shirt,” says Tracy McCubbin, owner of dClutterfly, an organizing service in Los Angeles. For long-term storage, avoid hangers covered in dark, velvetlike flocked material; they can transfer color to clothing over time.

Box up your sweaters. Sweaters can be stored in a garment box made of breathable cotton (from $18, containerstore.com) and placed under a bed or on a shelf.  Make sure the clothes are clean before storing them. “I put my cashmere sweaters in large zippered plastic bags and stick them in the freezer for a few hours to kill off any bug larvae,” says Chris Paulocik, a conservator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute, in New York City.