Clothes are one of the first things that people notice when they meet someone new. Clothing that shows obvious signs of improper care do not make a good impression. Therefore, it is important to take good care of clothing and especially clothing that is being stored for several months or longer, such as seasonal clothing.Clothing should not just be folded and placed in a cardboard box when it is being stored. This can cause wrinkles that are difficult to remove. It can also permanently damage clothing that is made from the delicate materials such as wool, silk, and leather. Garments that are normally on hangers in the person's home closet should also be hung while in storage. Some people choose to use closable garment bags that can be hung from rolling garment carts, but if these are not readily available there is another alternative. There are special cardboard boxes, called wardrobe boxes, which are made especially for hanging garments. They even come with a built in hanging rods. The wardrobe boxes and other supplies can usually be purchased from the office of the storage facility
Whether hanging the garments in a closed garment bag on a cart or in a wardrobe box, it is important that space be left between them. Cramming too many garments together will result in wrinkles and crushed material. In addition, the garment bags and wardrobe boxes are only made to hold a certain amount of weight. The extra clothing could cause them to break when they are being carried. This would result in the clothes falling out and getting dirty.
As an added measure, cedar blocks, mothballs, and chemical desiccants can be placed among the garments to help prevent damage from moisture or pests.
