How to Store Out of Season Clothing

by Audrey Cupo
Spring is about to be sprung! As the days quickly pass, the chance of getting a big snow storm in the Philadelphia area where I live diminishes - yeah! (You might be able to tell I am not a winter person - I love the summer.)

Well, since Spring officially begins in just a few weeks, I thought it would be a good time to provide some Quick Tips for A Better Space when it comes to storing your out of season clothing.

With a large closet, people are often tempted to keep all their clothes in the one spot and not rotate clothing seasonally. Unfortunately, this sometimes creates cramped closets and makes it hard to see what you really have in your current wardrobe.

If you have a smaller closet, this is even more of an issue. If you can relate to this situation, I would suggest the following:

Store out-of-season clothing in plastic under-the bed containers or pretty cardboard boxes that can fit on top of your closet shelf.

*  Folded clothes should be stored with acid and dye-free tissue paper so they won’t be as wrinkled when pulled out for next season.

*  Fragrant, insect-repelling herb sachets are a good alternative to mothballs. They will keep your clothing smelling fresh and well protected without being potentially harmful to your family and the environment.

Any out of season clothes that need to be hung should be stored at the very back of the closet since they do not need to be readily accessible. They should be stored in a garment bag to keep them clean and dust free in the off-season. Avoid using dry cleaner bags for this purpose. They should not be used at all, in fact, for any type of clothing protection and storage. They trap the dry cleaning chemicals which stay on your clothes and can be harmful to your health and the environment. Your clothes need to breathe so cloth garment bags are suggested.

This is also a great time to look at what you have not worn the past season and get rid of it. Chances are you won't wear it next year either. Why pack away something you will not be wearing. Make room for new purchases next Fall instead!

You will need to start planning a time to set aside to convert your wardrobe from Winter to Spring and Summer so be prepared with the proper tools to do so.

If this task is too overwhelming, consult with a professional organizer to help you out.

About Audrey Cupo:

Audrey Cupo is a full-time Professional Organizer and sole proprietor of A BETTER SPACE based in Bucks County, PA. She specializes in residential organizing and focuses her business on helping busy moms and women entrepreneurs get organized with her in-home services and her U Can Do It product line. To sign up for her free monthly newsletter "Organizing News You Can Use" or get a free "Room-By-Room Organizing Checklist", go to http://www.4abetterspace.com/.

Soup Day

Mmmmm...who doesn't like homemade soup and the wonderful aroma it fills your home with?  It's so comforting, especially on a cold winter's day.

Soup Day by Melissa Iwai is a delightful book for toddlers and beginning readers.  It takes us on a simple journey from picking out fresh veggies, to the slicing and dicing and tossing them into a big pot.  This book is written by the child's point of view helping draw your little one into the story - it feels like you're actually the one making the soup!

I loved this story.  The bright illustrations and family-like story is both compelling and fun to read.  The illustrations are done in a way that I found myself rubbing the pages to see if the textures were actually real.

In addition, Iwai has also included her recipe for "Snowy Day Vegetable Soup" so you and your little one can act out the process found among the pages.

I would highly recommend Soup Day for you and your family.  Check out Soup Day on the web at; http://us.macmillan.com/soupday

Soup Say is also available on Amazon