How to store sweaters: 5 tips

It’s finally sweater weather! With cooler nights and crisp air, many of us have been waiting for cooler weather outside to put on our thick wool and heavy cotton sweaters. Although many of us like to dress warmly for the cool outdoors, we can put our seasonal clothes such as sweaters and sweatshirts in a organized closet is a whole other story that many of us may not prefer not to discuss.

It’s a challenge to figure out exactly how to store these large garments so that they are quickly accessible in the winter and neatly stored in the summer. “To keep your bulky gear accessible during the colder months, trade your winter clothes in your valuable real estate and store your summer gear elsewhere,” says Brittany Moore of Austin, Texas, CEO of B. Moore organizeda home organizing company.

The sheer size of coats, jackets, sweatshirts and sweaters for cooler weather, combined with the dilemma of hanging them in a closet or folding them and placing them in a drawer, is confusing.

“In winter, if you wear sweaters or other bulky clothes, I recommend folding sweaters and putting them in a drawer,” says professional organizer Jean Prominski. Unfortunately, we consulted organization experts on the best ways to keep sweaters organized and easily accessible before Jack Frost comes biting you in the nose.

First things first: clean up

Before you start organizing or reorganizing certain items or a certain space in your home, it’s always best to take stock of what you have and get rid of what you haven’t worn or don’t need. “This may mean letting go of clothes you’re holding on to for sentimental reasons,” says Prominski. Look at what you have in your closet, get rid of what you don’t wear regularly and donate to your favorite charity. I recommend doing a quarterly closet cleanout so that the clothes in your closet accurately reflect the best version of you,” Prominski explains. This way, as the seasons change, you can look back on what you’ve worn and what you’ve worn. It is not worn to determine what may have been donated.

Place in a drawer

If you have a dresser or chest of drawers, consider clearing out a drawer or two to store your sweaters during the colder seasons. As tempting as it is to place sweaters in a bin in a closet and store the bin on a shelf, it becomes a challenge when you need to get dressed quickly. Pulling a bin off a shelf, flipping through it to find what you need, and then putting it back on the shelf just takes time, and often the contents in the bin become a mess. “I’ve seen people do a good job of storing things on shelves with bins because they really want to be able to see everything, but the drawers on sliders make storage so much more convenient,” says Prominski. It may take some time at the beginning of the season to organize a drawer devoted solely to sweaters, but in the long run it will save time on dressing.

Stack On A Shelf

Take advantage of the vertical shelf space in your closet and easily fold and stack sweaters. Depending on the type of sweater material, hanging sweaters on a hanger, especially for extended periods of time, can cause them to become misshapen. You can prevent nicks in the hanger or bumps in your sweater by folding and stacking the sweaters instead of hanging them. If you want to stack multiple sweaters, acrylic dividers are such this Placed on the shelf, the sweaters can stay well packed and stacked. This way you maximize the shelf space you have and the sweaters stay neatly stacked upright. This method also keeps the sweaters visible so you can easily see and choose the ones you want.

Drape over a hanger

If you have few drawers or none, and you need to use hangers for sweaters, there are some practical tips for hanging them. Typically, hanging a sweater from a regular wire or plastic hanger can cause the sweater to become misshapen or cause indentations in the shoulder of the sweater, especially if it hangs for more than a few months. A smart technique is to drape the sweater over the arms of the hanger to reduce the chance of stretching the shoulder or arms rather than hanging the sweater through the neck. Alternatively, a thicker, padded hanger may be suitable for hanging some sweaters without damaging them or causing bumps in the fabric.

Store them out of season

If you have a guest room with an extra closet, consider using the extra closet for out-of-season items. Don’t forget about under-bed storage, especially during the summer and warmer months. “Make the most of the space under your bed by using storage boxes on wheels and folding your items by color for quick organization and effortless access,” says Moore. Make sure you use a sturdy storage box. “Don’t use cardboard boxes or plastic bags because they tend to break,” says Prominski. A chest is another option if you don’t have a spare room or extra closet. “Cedar chests are beautiful, but can be too deep for everyday use (they are usually better for storage),” explains Prominski.