The Do’s and Don’ts of Archiving

Storage space is prime real estate so ensure you conserve room by storing only the big bulky ‘must keep’ essentials.  Consider that kids do a whole lot of growing in a twelve month period, so unless you’re planning to hand clothes onto a sibling, there’s no point in hanging onto your child’s entire winter wardrobe for when the mercury drops next year. The same goes for you! If there are items in your wardrobe you no longer wear, donate, sell or toss them away.

Make no mistake, moths, ants and other bugs are searching for food and they’re headed straight to any stains that may be left on your clothing. Cleaning your clothes prior to packing them away will help ward off pests, not to mention ensure a pleasant experience when unpacking your favourite items next year. Word to the wise; ensure all your clothes are dried thoroughly prior to packing them away. Any wetness will attract mould and mildew.

The fastest way to stretch your favourite knit beyond repair is by hanging it on a clothes hanger for a year. Carefully fold your archive items and group them into easy to access categories. Stack folded items from the lightest garment on top to the heaviest items on bottom and place them into an easi-store plastic tub or Space Bag.

If you’re after a stackable solution, consider Howard’s durable easi-store tubs with wheels and locking lids. Alternatively our airtight, watertight, reusable Space Bag vacuum bags will triple your storage space. For shoes and boots, we have  under-bed tubs that are ideal for archiving as they prevent crushing.

To get the best for your archived area, it needs to be a clean, cool, dark and most importantly a “dry” spot. Prolonged exposure to heat and light will affect many materials while any wetness will attract mould, mildew and insects.

Every now and then check on your archived items to ensure there are no issues. When you are ready to pull your clothes/blankets out of storage next year, give each item another quick wash before using them.

When archiving clothes and homewares, keep humidity to a minimum as it causes mould, marks and odours. Howards have many different options to help you. Try Damp Rid  or Cli-mate Sunsacks. To repel bugs, Cedar Fresh is a reliable natural choice.