How to store your summer wardrobe

Summer is ending and it's time to pack away those frilly summery dresses. Read on to know how you can preserve all your summer wear and make room for the winter clothes.

Summer is ending and it's time to pack those frilly summery dresses.

1 Sort and discard: No need to store clothing you may never wear again. The summer shoes can be saved in their original boxes and stacked on the closet floor with winter shoes on top.

2 Clean and dry clothing before storing: Do not use any fabric softener, bleach or starch and give the clothing an extra soak to be sure all detergent is removed. Even the slightest amount of moisture will cause mildew and may spread to and ruin the rest of the stored clothing.

3 Storage containers: Either hard or soft plastics make great storage containers for summer clothing. Zippered garment bags work well for suits and formal wear and take up little room in the back of your closet.

4 Protection against moths: An airtight container can’t stop eggs that may already be on the clothing, from hatching and doing damage. To avoid this, put several mothballs in the containers — both at the bottom of the tub before putting in any clothing and on top.

5 Label each container: As you place the clothes in the container, write it down on a piece of paper. You can tape it to the outside for quick reference. This way, if you need the swimsuit for a vacation, you will not have to dishevel through the storage containers.