Coming out of the closet…and from under the bed

I’m not one of those ladies with the huge walk-in closets. I have a small-even-by-1960’s-standards closet, with a shelf on top and 6 million shoes on the bottom. I’m not complaining about it, as there are plenty of people without a house, let alone a closet…..

But it does mean that twice a year, I go through the madness of the Wardrobe Changeover. Yes, brace yourselves – this is about storing and caring for….clothes (ominous music plays). If this sounds like having your fingernails pulled out, escape now. If you see your clothes as both an expression of your personality AND an investment, read on!

Shorts and tops spend the colder months in vacuum-seal storage bags, flat under the guest bed. Summer dresses stay on hangers flat against the back of the closet wall. Summer shoes go in a flat, compartmentalized shoe bag under the bed as well. Pulling everything out is like Christmas, twice a year! There are old favorites I’ve forgotten, or maybe a new purchase on sale at the end of last season that I haven’t quite broken in yet.

The more care I take in prepping and putting away the previous season’s items, the fresher they’ll be and the more excited I’ll be to wear them when it’s time for the next seasonal changeover.

I’m taking particular care with my sweaters this year, and protection against moths for my wool and cotton ones. Taking out a favorite and/or expensive sweater to find moth-holes is heart-breaking, and mostly avoidable.

The first step is making sure all items are clean before storing, as I’ve always been told moths were attracted to dirt and sweat on clothes. I wash wool sweaters by hand in the sink in cold water with a bit of dishwashing liquid (yes, I know there are specialty laundry liquids, but I’ve always had great luck with Dawn, and it’s always on hand).

I wash the sweaters two at a time, drain the rinse water and carry them in a large mixing bowl to my washing machine. I lay the sweaters inside the tub on opposite sides, and run the Drain & Spin cycle. (if you don’t have one, move your delicate cycle dial over to the final Spin cycle). I take the sweaters out and lay them on towels on my screened porch. They’ll be dry in a day or two, depending on how thick they are and the weather.

Then I fold them carefully (I do not go as far as using tissue paper) and put them in my cedar chest. It seems my great-grandmother had 2 cedar trees in her yard she was quite fond of. My great-grandfather had them cut down, as they harbored a pest that would kill his apple trees (and they ATE those apples). As a consolation prize, he had the cedar chest made for my great-grandmother by a local carpenter from the wood from the trees.

If you are NOT in possession of an ancestral cedar chest, you can buy cedar products like wooden balls or bags of cedar shavings to place in containers or closets with your clothes. The wonderful smell of cedar repels moths, and smells 100% better than moth balls, which are made of especially noxious chemicals, and I won’t have them in my house. I currently have bags of cedar shavings on order to store with any clothes that won’t fit in the cedar chest this year.

Anything that won’t fit in there will go in the vacuum bags, and the down comforter off our bed will go in one for the summer as well (bring on the cotton blankets!) Each bag has a one-way valve that you attach a vacuum hose to and it sucks the air out. The big advantage is they now take up very little space, and compact like a brick. If you try to put too much into the bag, though, they will lose their seal and slowly re-inflate. The bags also become brittle over time, and won’t hold a seal, although they still keep out dust.. I’ve never had any last over about 2 years, but they’re relatively cheap and are still useful enough for the price.

Winter shoes & boots get wiped down, saddle-soaped or polished, depending on what’s needed. Suede gets a good brushing with a wire suede brush. Wooden heels also shine up nicely with a little lemon oil wood polish on them (and smell great). If a great pair of shoes or boots needs new heels or soles, get them replaced (and be nice to your cobbler – they’re a dying breed). If they’re just looking worn out, let them GO to shoe heaven.

Here’s a tip: save those little packets of silica that come in boxes with new shoes and purses. I keep a drawer full of these by my closet, and throw one in each shoe or boot when I take it off at the end of the day. They absorb moisture, and REALLY keep footwear from developing an odor. If I have enough, I put one in each shoe and boot when it goes in storage.

For tall boots, I make boot trees with polyethelyne “pool noodles” (which are also pipe insulation that you can get in the hardware store). I cut them to size and put them in boots, then stand them in the back of the closet. This keeps them from falling over and getting baggy at the ankles.

The only “summer” purses I have are straw, which go in the top of the closet for winter. The rest of my purses stay out on the back of a desk so I can see them and use them as often as possible. About once a year, I go through and wipe down/clean leather ones, brush suede ones, etc. You’ll also be amazed what you find in their little pockets!

Does this all sound like a lot of work? Yes, it IS! But you if put much time and money into your clothes and accessories, aren’t they worth a little maintenance and upkeep? How is that different from buying a car and not bothering to change the oil? I bought one of my favorite sweaters as I got back on my cruise ship after an excursion on the isle of Crete in 1984. I bought it from the old woman standing on the dock who knitted it, and one sleeve was about an inch shorter than the other (and still is). It still fits, is crazy warm, and brings back great memories every time I wear it. Would I still have it if I didn’t take care of it? Think I’m gonna let the moths get thier teeth into THAT artifact? Um, no.

This semi-annual ritual is also a great time to release things that don’t fit, are damaged beyond repair or you lack the skill or gumption to fix, or you’re just not crazy about – give away to friends or family, Poshmark, thrift or consignment shops, or perhaps the rag bag. My big basket of Farm Work Clothes is the last stop for stained or shabby casual wear before the scissors and the rag bin.

Ordinarily, The Big Switch happens here in Kentucky the first parts of May and October. This year, after a few warm days, the spring has been unseasonably cold, rainy and windy, so in the second week of May I was still wearing turtlenecks and wool, and NOTHING warm had been packed away yet! I think the weather will finally turn in a couple of days, so I’m already washing sweaters and lining up my bags…

I’d love to hear what tips and tricks you have – please share in the comments!