Closet space is precious in most households. Most of us simply do not have enough space for all our clothes, accessories, shoes and other home textiles, leading to messy closets where it’s hard to find what you need when you need it.
There are different strategies for dealing with the lack of closet space. One basic rule is to stop hoarding clothing you no longer need or like. Every few months, take time to go through your closets and donate, sell, or discard the clothes you haven’t used in a while. This will help you appreciate the clothes you like even more.
However, a certain amount of clutter is inevitable, no matter how much you try to organize your closets. There are clothes you don’t use all that often, but still need, and it would be wasteful to throw them away. Fortunately, there’s a solution to this problem – you can use self storage for clothes you don’t wear on a daily basis, but still want to keep. Here are the categories of clothing you should consider putting in storage.
1. Seasonal clothing
If you’re living in an area with harsh winters, your closets are probably filled with heavy parkas, thick sweaters, and winter boots. All these items are expensive, and you certainly wear them for longer than one season. Still, it’s inconvenient to have so much closet space taken by items you use for only a few months each year.
Assuming, for example, that you’re living in Boston, a city famous for its harsh winters, it is definitely beneficial to have a storage unit for seasonal clothing. A 5×5 self storage unit in Boston is around $52 per month, on average, and it’s large enough to hold your entire family’s winter clothing. As the cold season approaches, you can rotate the outfits, putting the summer clothing in storage and taking winter wear home.
2. Children’s clothing
Kids grow out of their outfits every few months, but families with several children don’t want to part ways with those clothes. Parents prefer to use them again for their younger kids, thus saving money and resources.
However, it’s very difficult to find closet space for the clothes your kids are currently wearing, plus the ones you want to recycle from one child to the next. If you’re in a similar conundrum, a self storage unit is again a smart, affordable way of solving it.
You should use it not only for kids’ clothing but also for toys, accessories, furniture, strollers, etc. All those items are pricey, so it’s more than justifiable to hold on to them and to pay for self storage in order to avoid permanent clutter in your home.
3. Special occasion clothing
Whether it’s evening dresses, fancy suits or tuxedos, chances are you rarely wear such outfits. In fact, months or even years may pass between events that require formal clothing. There’s really no reason to keep them at home, mixed with your regular outfits. First, they take up a lot of space. Second, you risk damaging them if you keep them in a closet that you’re opening and closing many times per day.
Put your special occasion outfits in garment bags, and take them to a storage unit. Depending on where you live, it might be a good idea to rent a climate-controlled unit, where your expensive clothing will be well protected. Below, you can check out the prices and the availability of climate-controlled self storage in some major cities across the country:
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Some people are really passionate about fashion, and they love collecting vintage clothing or are obsessed with certain accessories, such as hats, shoes, bags, and so on. Self storage can be a great resource for these fashion enthusiasts, helping them manage their outfits without the hassle of overstuffed closets at home.
4. Sports equipment
You might be into skiing or camping, or maybe you love riding your bike. All these sports involve special clothing, such as leather jackets, pants, and boots for bike riders, or ski wear to protect you from the cold, snow, and tumbles.
If you’re lucky enough to be able to practice your hobbies regularly, you should keep your sports equipment at home. However, if you’re only able to indulge in it occasionally, a storage unit will help you enjoy both your passions and the extra space in your closets.
5. Halloween costumes – or other types of costume
Halloween costumes, and any costumes really – for kids’ parties, school plays, and so on – should definitely be saved for similar occasions that might occur in the future. They’re expensive to purchase, and often parents need to custom make the costumes. So, why waste the money or the time you spent on them?
Keeping the clutter in your closets under control helps you enjoy a neat and tidy home. You’re also making sure that you have easy access to your favorite outfits and that all your clothes are kept in good condition.
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