Updated Aug 10, 2022

Do you drag totes full of clothing up from the basement or out of storage with the changing of each season? This system takes a lot of time and effort to maintain.

The following tips for seasonal clothing storage will help you save time and keep your closet organized as the seasons rapidly roll by. 

1. If possible, avoid storing most seasonal clothing anywhere other than your bedroom.

When it comes to organizing seasonal clothing, you will want to make the seasonal switch as easy for yourself as possible. Before you decide to move all of your seasonal clothing into storage. Focus on simplifying your closet and clothing so that it can stay in your bedroom rather than moving it from season to season. 

2. Pare down what you own so that most everything can stay in your closet or bedroom throughout the year. 

Studies show that more than 15% of women and nearly 20% of men said that they’ve only worn 10% or less of their closet in the last 6 months.  So take the time to evaluate what you have and be selective about what you keep.  You will save loads of time for yourself if you don’t have to do much switching around from season to season.

3. Move only heavy seasonal clothing into storage each season. 

Whether you keep them in your garage, mudroom, or closet, it does make sense to move heavy winter gear in and out of storage. Boots and heavy coats can be pulled out each winter and placed in an easily accessible area for convenience.  By storing these items in your basement or storage area in the summertime, you will free up space. 

4. Move clothing that does not fit you out of your closet.

One common reason that individuals struggle with organizing seasonal clothing all in one room is that they also store clothing that doesn’t fit them there.  If you feel that you must keep clothing that does not fit, store them elsewhere. Don’t let these things take up precious space in your closet. They can be placed in a plastic bin in the basement. 

Try to limit how much clothing you keep that does not fit, especially if you are short on space.  If you lose weight, will you want to wear your worn-out old jeans?  Or will you want to celebrate with the season’s latest styles?  

​4. Rotate and organize seasonal clothing according to the current season.

Move out-of-season items to less accessible locations within your bedroom each season as needed. The back of the closet, bottom drawers, or the upper shelves in a closet are good places to store these items. Keeping out-of-season clothing out of the way but still visible, makes the seasonal switch quick and easy.  This also ensures that no clothing is lost or forgotten about.

5. Take advantage of under the bed space by using plastic bins specially sized to fit underneath.

This is the perfect place to store out-of-season items  like flip-flops and sandals or sweaters. When it’s time to switch seasons, they can be quickly retrieved and replaced with other out of season items.  This rotation can be done with minimal effort to make the most accessible space available for the clothing you will be wearing.  

6. Don’t Keep keepsake clothing in your closet.

Another common habit that steals closet and drawer space is keeping sentimental items that you don’t actually wear there. Do you have sweatshirts and T-shirt’s residing in your bedroom that you acquired from an event, or activity that you participated in? How about that old college sweatshirt that holds so many memories?

Unless you are wearing these things regularly, they are actually keepsake items.  Store them in a keepsake bin in a storage room instead of in your closet.

7. Beware of the “out of sight out of mind” trap.

If you are not yet convinced that storing out-of-season clothing outside of the bedroom is ineffective, consider the following common scenarios;

You purchase an article of clothing just to discover later that you already had a very similar item tucked away in a storage bin somewhere.

Or…in early spring you are in the basement and stumble across a bin of clothing that you forgot you had.  You open the bin and find a beautiful sweater that you could have been wearing all winter long. 

When clothing is stored out of sight, it is often out of mind too. 

8. Here’s a trade off worth making when it comes to seasonal clothing storage.

If you have lots of clothing items that you either never or very rarely wear, they fall into what I call the “I might use it someday” category. These are the things to consider letting go of if you have too much clothing crammed into your closet. If you struggle with letting things go, it helps to keep in mind that you likely will not miss 99% of what you let go of.  Once again, things that are out of sight, are also out of mind.

This is a good thing, and the other 1% is well worth the trade-off for having an organized closet.  

9. Before you move seasonal clothing into storage outside of your bedroom, evaluate your space.

See if you can find a way to make room for everything without over crowding your closet or bedroom. Utilize closet organizers, add shelving, cubbies etc. Figure out how to make use of every inch of space in your closet. Can you find any open dead space where a shelf can be placed? If your closet is full, do you have the space to add a dresser or other storage unit like an ottoman bench to your bedroom? 

10. Heavy seasonal clothing should be stored in plastic containers instead of cardboard boxes.

 Items stored in cardboard boxes are vaunerable to critters like bugs and rodents.  Cardboard boxes can also sustain water damage.  Place seasonal clothing in labeled plastic containers and store them in a visible location in your storage room so that they are not forgotten. 

11. Remove plastic bags from hanging clothing.

Do not leave clothing that you don’t wear often hanging in either plastic dry-cleaner bags or shopping bags. Fabric that is unable to breath for prolonged periods of time may discolor especailly if your garment is light in color. Instead, purchase breathable garment bags for long-term storage of your seldom worn seasonal clothing.

 If you would like personal support with organizing seasonal clothing and your closet, learn more about how to get help from me by visiting my Virtual Organizing page.