How to Store Your Winter Clothes Safely

Packing away wool knits, silky tops and other cold-weather pieces is an annual rite of spring for many New Yorkers, who often lack the luxury of ample closet space. While making room for the season’s linen shirts and breezy dresses is a necessity, long storage of natural fibers does come with risks, including stains, odors and those dreaded moth holes. Here, a handful of wardrobe experts share their advice for avoiding those pitfalls and ensuring that, come September, you’re all set for sweater weather.

Start with a clean closet

Dust can attract moths and even stain silk so “vacuum your closet frequently,” says Julie Ann Clauss, 45, the founder of the Wardrobe, a clothing storage service used by collectors and museums. “If you have a wood floor or baseboards, get in all those little cracks and seams because moths hide their eggs there.” For similar reasons, Clauss advises against carpeting in closets. If you’re moving house, Elizabeth Giardina, 45, the creative director of the fashion label Another Tomorrow, suggests having an exterminator treat the closets before you unpack. “You don’t really know what you’re coming into,” she says.

Wash and dry clothing thoroughly

“We dribble a little ice cream on a sweater and that becomes food for the moths,” says Brian Maloney, 61, a co-founder of the New York City-based home organizing company S.O.S., adding that pheromones in sweat — even when undetectable to our noses — can attract bugs. After laundering clothing, make sure it’s completely dry before packing it away. Moisture can stain or even distort the shape of a garment and also draws moths. The stylist Alexandra Mitchell, 31, a partner in the online boutique Arbitrage, which specializes in archival designer vintage, recommends dry cleaning newly purchased vintage pieces to ensure that no small creatures are hitching a ride.

Fold and check

Wool and silk are especially prone to stretching out. So instead of hanging clothes, fold them loosely, layering in acid-free tissue paper “wherever the garment touches itself” to avoid deep creases, says Mitchell. And even if pieces are stored in pristine conditions, don’t forget about them indefinitely. “About once a month, take the items down, refold them and restack them,” says the Arbitrage founder Ian Campbell, 30, pointing out that regular repositioning is one of the most effective defenses against damage.