How to Pack Your Clothes for Storage

By UStorage.com Staff

When living in a dorm or apartment during your college years, you will likely be moving same items back and forth in September in June. One way to make your college moving day experience easier, is to place seasonal clothing in a nearby self storage facility. This way, you can store items, such as your winter clothes; near your college and not shuffle them home only to bring them back again in September. Another bonus is that this will save you some moving expenses since winter clothing tends to weight a lot. Before you store all of your belongings in a self storage unit, you will need to properly pack them away.

1. Make sure everything is clean. Since you will not likely visit your facility over the summer, you want to make sure your clothes are clean and mildew-free. Any residue or grim on your clothes may make your clothes susceptible to bugs and vermin. Of course, you want to check that your facility is rodent and vermin-free, but to be safe clean clothing will likely not attract unwanted critters. You can also purchase chemical desiccants to place in your moving boxes that absorb moisture and prevent the growth of mold.

2. Purchase wardrobe boxes. These strong boxes are ideal because they are specifically designated for clothing – many have rods and won’t sink or crush when placed on top of other boxes. Also, wardrobe boxes come with sturdy hangers and can be used over and over again.

3. Place your clothes in. Fold your clean clothes in your wardrobe boxes - making sure that they aren't wet or damp. Fill in any extra spaces with stretch wrap or non-acidic paper. If you have delicate items, like silks, furs or leather clothing, you should avoid vacuum packed bags that are can affect the fabric and also cause mold. Furs, in particular, may require a colder facility than those for regular clothes. Be sure you ask your self storage facility about this before you place everything together.

4. Make sure it’s cool. When moving your clothing to a storage facility, make sure the facility is cool and dry and not moist and hot. If the temperatures are too hot, clothing may fade. Also a moist unit may make your clothing susceptible to mildew and unwanted insects.