If you’re thinking about renting a storage unit, you’re not alone. Nearly half of Americans feel their home is too cluttered. That’s a lot of people, no doubt. (You’re not alone!) One of the biggest clutter complaints they have concerns one item; clothes. More specifically, hanging and folded clothes stored in their closets. Are you considering a storage unit? Well, consider this too; will clothes get ruined in a storage unit?
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Will You Ruin Your Clothes in Storage? Not If You Plan!
As with practically anything, the best storage results come when you prepare. Sure, you could toss everything into big plastic bags and throw them into a storage unit. Of course, you’ll likely have a big mess when you go to take them out again in the future. Frankly, if your clothes are worth keeping, they’re worth preparing for storage. It’s the best way to make sure they stay pristine until you need them again.
Where to Store Your Clothes in a Storage Unit
At Southern Self Storage, we take pride in making sure your items stay safe. Plus, getting into your storage unit is a breeze. Simply tap in your code at the gate, unlock your storage unit, and voila, you’re in! We also keep them lit 24 hours a day for safety.
If you have more questions or would like to rent a storage unit, no problem! You can chat online with a friendly manager anytime! Or, if you want, come on over to your nearest Southern Storage facility and visit us! You’ll find our stage units to be clean, safe, and secure!
Long-Term vs Short-Term Clothing Storage
OK, let’s say you’re storing your clothes for a few weeks. If that’s the case, prepping your clothes for storage should be fast and painless. (We’ll talk about why in just a bit.)
You’ll need to pack clothes better to make sure they’re well protected. If you don’t, the clothes you put in storage might not be the same when you take them out. In the following few paragraphs, we’ll make a distinction here and there between the two to help you.
You Must Wash Your Clothes Before Storing Them
Clothing can, and usually does, take a lot of abuse when we wear it. Things like food, dirt, smoke and even bugs get on them and leave nasty stuff behind. If you have a pet (or pets), it can be even worse. Hair, fur, dander, and, ugh, drool can be a real problem. That problem will only get worse if you put your clothes into a storage unit without cleaning them first.
Why? Some things can leave a stain that won’t ever come out if you don’t clean them out right away. Also, when it comes to any type of food, bugs can be a big problem. It only takes the tiniest of food particles to attract cockroaches, ants, and rodents. If they catch a whiff of anything they like, your clothes are toast! Long-term or short-term, you must wash your clothes before storing them in a storage unit.
Also, while we’re on the subject, make sure your clothes are 100% dry before storage. If they aren’t, the moisture in them can create mold and mildew. Both of these can be even worse than the damage done by rodents and bugs!
Cardboard or Plastic: Which is Better for Storing Clothes?
Some moving experts recommend putting any clothes that you don’t want to get ruined in a storage unit into plastic bins.= That, however, can be a costly proposition indeed. Large, clear plastic storage bins run about $12.00 each, and that’s for the cheaper ones! If you need 10, 20, 30, or more of them, your budget is going to take a big hit!
This goes back to long-term or short-term storage, as we mentioned earlier. If you’re putting your clothes in a storage unit short-term, cardboard is just fine. On the other hand, it would be better to use plastic storage bins for long-term clothing storage. Plastic provides a much stronger barrier against, well, everything. That includes bugs, rodents, liquids, and dirt. When storing clothing long-term, we recommend investing in plastic bins.
What About Wardbrobe Boxes in Your Storage Unit?
Things get a bit tricky when you’re talking about hanging clothes. There simply aren’t wardrobe boxes made out of plastic. Sure, you can also put hanging garments into a plastic storage bin. That could ruin some of them, though, and will mean lots of time ironing afterward.
That’s why, even for long-term storage, wardrobe boxes are a better option. They’re tall enough for most hanging clothes and are double-sided for extra strength. They also come with a metal hanging bar for added strength. Depending on the clothes, you can stuff them to the max, and they’ll be OK. (However, we recommend not stuffing them too full.)
Protecting Hanging Clothes in a Storage Unit
While there might not be plastic wardrobe boxes, there are portable wardrobe organizers. These usually have an aluminum frame wrapped with a heavy, durable plastic cover. You can access them easily, too, should you wish to get something out of your storage unit.
Portable wardrobe organizers are the best of both worlds. They’re easy to use, like cardboard boxes but protective like plastic bins. If you’re storing short-term, wardrobe boxes are still a better choice. Long-term, though, these wardrobe organizers are pretty sweet.
Don’t Forget to Re-Fold Your Clothes Occasionally.
We have one last note about long-term clothing storage in a storage unit; refold them once in a while. Why? Because clothes can become permanently wrinkled if you store them folded for a long time. That would be a shame as it would ruin some items of clothing. That’s why, if they’re in long-term storage, going in and refolding them is a must. (Every six months would be our recommendation.)
So, Will Clothes Get Ruined In a Storage Unit?
Most likely not! Just as long as you choose the right facility and plan ahead! If you have more questions or would like to rent a storage unit for your clothes with Southern Self Storage, give us a call! Until then, happy storing!
Its nice that you reminded to make sure your clothes are 100% dry before storage. My aunt wants to declutter her items and later donate them but she does not know where to store all her clothes and I suggested her to get a self storage unit. Thanks for the information on storing clothes at a self storage unit and I will share your blog with her!
Its nice that you reminded to make sure your clothes are 100% dry before storage. My aunt wants to declutter her items and later donate them but she does not know where to store all her clothes and I suggested her to get a self storage unit. Thanks for the information on storing clothes at a self storage unit and I will share your blog with her!
We’re so glad you found this helpful! Let us know if we can help your Aunt find self-storage at one of our facilities.
It’s great that you reminded people to make sure their items are completely dry before storing them. My aunt wants to simplify her belongings and donate them later, but she doesn’t know where to put them all, so I suggested she rent a storage container. Thank you for the tips on storing garments in a self-storage unit and I’ll forward your site to her.
Very informational article about storing our clothes in a storage unit, there are lots of storage companies that that even pick your storage from your doorstep and also they provide full surety of the protection of your important items.
This is a great article for anyone considering using a storage unit for their clothes. The author covers all of the potential problems that could occur and gives advice on how to prevent them.
It’s excellent that you emphasized the need for people to properly dry their belongings before storing them. I proposed renting a storage container for my aunt because she wants to downsize her possessions and donate them later but doesn’t know where to store them all. Thank you for the advice on how to store clothing in a self-storage unit. I’ll let her know about your website.
Could you post a photo of those aluminum portable wardrobe organizers? Are they generally available at big box hardware stores?