To store linen clothing and bedding properly for the seasonal changes, you must store them in proper air flow based boxes or baskets. These beddings need proper care to maintain quality and to extend life span. As you know, these home textile are made of natural mixed fiber, these must need crucial care.
As much as linen is necessary in our lives, it is as environmentally more atrracted to vulnerabilities like moisture, insects and other damages. It would need more care and safety while storing for longer period of times.
Why Do We Need to Store Linen?
Stain Prevention
Linen is more prone to yellowish stains and marks. It means, when we move to warm clothes in winters, if remain open linen can show yellow marks. Layers, folds and creases will show yellow marks and possibly would not go away. Fabric stress is also one of the side effects of open placement of linen.
Fungal Infestations
Open clothing and bedding can infest pests, mold, fungus and mildew spores on it because of environmental changes. Weather chnages like fog, mist and dew drops can lead to moisture in linen textile, which is an ultimate lead to mold and fungus.
Cozy Homes
In winters, we prefer every corner cozy and warm. Clutter and trash are an off point for every one in winters. So, it is necessary to take care of extra clothing, bedding, off season clothes, decorations and garage items perfectly. Organize and store these items in boxes and make your home cozy, organized and perfectly winter ready.
Challenges In Linen Storage
One may face some challenges in storing linen for season. Most common of them are mold, insects, pests, temperature fluctuations, yellow stains, marks, creases, moisture damages and bad smells. To get rid of these damages you must store linen according to the storage standards. Invest in good quality storage that has proper air flow and temperature can be managed.
Spray some insects killers and pest controls to prevent pests infestations. Install temperature meters to notice proper moisture and temperature. Make sure to air dry the linen before you put them in storage boxes. Invest in duty free, good quality storage boxes to store textile.
Store Linen Clothing & Bedding For Winter
Prepare Linen Before Storing
Every textile, cloth, bedding you store must e cleaned, spot treated and well dried before you put it into any storage. Either it is a seasonal storage in your closet or a long term storage in your garage or mortgage. Cleaned and dried clothes always stand a higher chance of survival in storage from any kind of damage.
Folding Techniques
Do not roll your home textile roughly when you are going to put them in a box, Instead, fold them neatly in even layers and with proper folds to prevent creasing and long lasting wrinkels. As you know linen is prone to wrinkles you must take good care while folding your linen clothing. Make medium size folds and avoid extra rolling or tucking in.
Care In Between The Layers
Linen clothing and bedding is very prone to insecst and odor. If you are using white or light colors in bedding, yellow spots and marks are also on your way. Put activated charcoal, cedar blocks, dryer sheets or lavender sachets to prevent insects and odor. Also, make sure yo have cleaned the linen bedding before storage to prevent yellow spots.
Choose Perfect Storage
According to the size of your clothing and bedding choose the right space for storage. Big spaces can create temperature issues, moisture for the linen storage and very small space can cause odor and pests to crawl in easily. Avoid attics, basements and garages because of moisture issues.
Store Bed Sheets in Closet/small Spaces
Bed sheets and other bedding items like linen quilts go easily in small spaces. Your closet is an ideal space for bed sheets. You can store these bed sheets in plastic storage boxes, bamboo baskets or in foldable baskets to save space. Use bed sheet covers for the bedding and quilt covers to avoid yellow spots. Under the bed, ottoman and closet are best soltions for cozy storage. You can use a dark colored pillow case too as quilt cover.
Use Linen Storage Boxes
Specific boxes that are prepared for linen storage are good choices to store linen clothing. They have big space to keep the quilts and bedding inside them. Also, shirts and other linen clothings can be saved in these boxes without the risk of odor and mold. Linen storage boxes have proper air flow to prevent mold risks.
Organize Your Storage
Labelling & Stacking
Label every storage box you prepraed to avoid the mess and confusions later. Put boxes in vertical storage for ease of access and efficiency in storage management and cleaning. Make sure you do not over fill the storage containers, closets and storage when storing the linen as it can cause odor and insect risks.
Rotation & Air flow
Always rotate your storage and clean the storage regularly. Rotating means you need to change the boxes from one position to another and if the storage is for long term make sure while rotating you air dry the items in between. Keep the air flow of the storage before eyes to prevent mishaps.
Pest Prevention And Vacuum Bags
Pest Controlling Techniques
Put essential oils after the cleaning and drying procedure of linen. Also you can use lavender sachets in between the layers of linen. Rosemarry and other essential oils will prevent pest infestation naturally. Use storage techniques that will prevent pests to come in the storage.
What About Vacuum Bags For Linen
Avoid using vacuum storage bags to store linens as they do not have any air flow and can cause odor and moisture to sink in deep. This will eventually cause permanent damage to the linen clothing. Also, use boxes that have proper ventilation.
Conclusion
To store linen clothing and bedding clean them beforehead and dry completely. Invest in good quality linen storage boxes to prevent odor and mold. Good storage facilities will help you to get a mess free and pests free storage for long term. Make sure the storage have proper ventiltion and temperature to avoid the moisture and humidity seep in.
Frequently Asked Quetsions
Choose a proper ventilated dark and cool space to store linen. Make sure your linen items are clean, completely dry and pest free. Put cedar cubes in between to prevent odor.
It is always better to fold linen in medium size folds. Rolling can cause creases, wrinkles and odor to seep in. But you should roll the quilts and bedding to prevent them from yellow spots and to save space.
Store linne clothing in cool storage after you done cleaning and drying them. Breathability is necessary for linen. keep the linen in a proper cool temperature and with normal air flow.
Lack of air ciculation, tight or vacuum sealed bags, tightly fold linne clothes may produce smell and odor after a certain period of time. Us essential oils to prevent bad smells.
