Worry no longer about ruined and musty outfits

Save both time and money by taking good care of your fashion pieces

You might not think twice about how you organise your clothes and accessories at home. As long as it is all neatly tucked away, it’s all good right? Think twice.

Not storing your belongings the right way can not only cost you time but also a lot of money. From musty smelling clothes during the monsoon to leather ripping off your favourite handbag, bad storage practices can lead to a nightmare.

Metrolife lists some tips and tricks from city fashion experts and enthusiasts to help you make the most of your clothes and accessories.

Clean and dry items before storing

After a wash, always ensure your clothes are completely dry before you store them away for future use, says Preeti B Karia, fashion designer and co-founder Ombré Collective.

“Place some neem leaves and silica pouches in your wardrobe, in between clothes, to prevent moulding. This also helps keep the clothes moisture-free,” she adds.

Store jewellery separately

“Moisture in the air can wear down jewellery, hence storing them in velvet pouches, ziplock bags or plastic airtight containers are ideal. Always store jewellery in a dry space, separately from all other accessories,” says Preeti. She adds that jewellery protectant sprays can be used to add an extra layer of protection to blingy accessories.

Special care for ethnic wear

Shopping for extravagant Indian clothes is always fun during the wedding season, but later these clothes get easily forgotten.

Not looking after your intricate-detailed ethnic wear can lead to them getting damaged in a short amount of time.

Preksha Bafna, fashion designer and stylist, suggests either air drying or dry cleaning the clothes after every use, before storing ethnic wear away.

“These clothes are intricate and will be damaged if they’re not stored safely. Store each outfit in a transparent airtight bag, and add a silica gel and a fragrance sachet to each bag, to ensure the clothes remain fresh for longer,” she says.

Pay attention to fabrics

Different kinds of fabric require different kinds of care. To preserve special clothes and accessories you will need to pay attention to the details.

“Do not store your silks in hangers, the clothes will end up losing their shape. When it comes to saris and dresses with zari embroidery, add a piece of muslin fabric on every item, this will avoid it from blackening,” says Preksha.

Reorganise often

Cramming clothing too close together prevents air from circulating in the closet, especially in a small space.

Periodically, remove everything from your closet, clean it, go through the items and purge anything you no longer require. Then, arrange the clothing so air can flow more easily.

Use wooden hangers

“Stop using wire hangers and shift to wooden hangers, they are a life changer. They are not only gentler on your clothes but also prevent bad odor in the closet,” says Manish, fashion boutique owner. Wood absorbs any moisture in the air to prevent dampness and eliminates musty smells from the closet.

Be gentle with
handbags

“Handbags should be placed in soft, breathable dust bags or you can also use a cotton pillowcase. Make sure the dust bag is big enough so the bag does not get folded and always use neutral coloured covers so the colour of the cover does not transfer on the bag. If your bag has metal straps/chains, make sure to put the chain inside the bag before storing,” advises Preksha.

For leather bags, she advises doing a thorough clean of the bag once a year with a leather conditioner and limiting exposure to sunlight to prevent the leather from discolouring.

Keep shoes away from clothes

Preethi recommends storing clothes and shoes in separate spaces to prevent any ill odour from spreading. “To prevent the shoes from smelling, you can either put a sachet of coffee beans or baking powder to shoeboxes, which will help keep foul smell at bay,” she adds.

To keep shoes scratch-free, spray a layer of protective spray on them before use. Fragrance sprays are also available in the market, which can help keep odour at bay.

Keep potpourri in the closet

Buy or make your own potpourri. You can also reuse potpourri, which may no longer be effective in a large room but still has enough fragrance for a small closet. Put the potpourri in a basket or make sachets to hang in your closet.