Winter Storage: Upping Your Storage Space Three-Fold

By Amanda Cohen on November 2, 2018

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After months of it being too hot, too rainy, too humid, etc., Fall and Winter are finally coming around (and I say “finally” because I love sweater weather). However, winter clothing, like sweaters, jackets, long pants, and such, take up a lot more room than bathing suits and shorts. If you live in a dorm room, apartment, or even at home, it’s hard to find the space for these items (especially if you have unhealthy shopping habits like me). So, what do you do? It doesn’t scream “financial responsibility” to build your dream closet like Big did for Carrie in Sex and the City, so you’re going to have to think of other options. Just kidding! I’ll do all of the thinking for you!

Image via Pixabay

Cleaning Out/Organizing your Clothes

I hate to break it to you, but that sweater you bought two years ago that you still haven’t worn, but feel bad giving away/selling because it still has the tag on it, is not doing you any favors. In addition, those jeans that you can’t part with, but no longer fit you properly because you are no longer in middle school, must go. Not all of your clothing items will be on this extreme, but you get what I’m saying. Dedicate a few hours one Sunday to going through all of your clothes… try stuff on, get your friends’ opinions, and create piles: (1) keep, (2) donate, (3) sell. If you are unsure about a particular clothing item, sleep on it and decide in the morning. This way, you won’t have any unnecessary clothing taking up valuable storage space.

Storage Bins

I am personally a huge fan of good ole fashion storage bins; you know, the plastic ones that they sell on Amazon and at The Container Store. I prefer bins as opposed to hanging storage units (i.e. the sweat holders that people often buy for their dorm rooms). Some people say using bins makes it harder to find clothes, but you just need to be strategic about it. When it comes to storage bins, you can put nice shoes in them that you only need for special occasions, extra outerwear that takes up an entire section of your closet, some sweaters that aren’t always your go-to sweaters, and accessories, like hats, gloves, and scarves. Since the bins are transparent (if you get the plastic ones), it won’t be as hard as you think to retrieve items during the week for use. If you end up using a bunch of storage bins, it wouldn’t hurt to label them to keep yourself more organized.

Image via Pixabay

Deciding What to Hang and What to Fold

I know it may seem like you are saving more space by folding more items, but that isn’t always the case. You should obviously fold items, like t-shirts, workout clothes, sweatpants, undergarments, etc., but folding sweaters and jeans aren’t a great use of your space. Jeans take up less room when they are hung up because, when they are folded, you are doubling them up essentially because you can’t stack as many jeans on top of each other when they’re folded. Sweaters also take up a lot more room when they’re folded because they are made with a lot of fabric that isn’t very collapsible. Plus, you don’t want your sweaters to get wrinkled. However, if you are running out of room to hang up clothing, just make sure that the only things that are hung up really need to be hung up. For example, it’s not necessary to hang up the graphic t-shirt you love so much; if it gets wrinkled in the drawer, just steam it really quick.

Buy a Clothing Rack or Add another Hanger Rod and a Shoe Rack

If this is an option for you space-wise, by all means, do it. You can find cheap options for clothing racks and hanger rods on Amazon and eBay, so take advantage of it! Yes, it may differ from the ambiance you wanted for your bedroom, but it’s worth it because it truly does give you so much extra space. An extra hanger rod is a more discrete option, but depending on the width of your closet, it may not do that much for you. Sometimes, storage space is more important than everything looking absolutely perfect in your bedroom. Shoe racks are great, especially if they are two-tiered. You add an additional level for your shoes by purchasing a shoe rack for your closet, so definitely get moving and buy one.

Winter storage is now one less thing you have to worry about this upcoming winter. Now all you have to worry about is staying warm and not slipping in the snow! Now you can grab some hot chocolate and go online and purchase some of the items above that will make your storage space expand three-fold!

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