'The Summer Wardrobe Purge' is our aptly named process of prepping your wardrobe for autumn/winter. The kids are back at school, the family summer holidays are over, and you have had a couple of weeks to re group from the chaos. So now is the opportune moment to clear out your summer clothes, pull out your cosy cashmere and prep your upholstery for the winter months.
Remember heated buildings enable clothes moths to continue development during winter months. You don't want Summer 2017 to come around for you to pull out your cotton tank tops and find them full of moth holes! So here is our 10 step guide to swapping your summer clothes to winter...
THE SUMMER WARDROBE PURGE
1. THE BIG TURN OUT: Use the end of the season to have a cull. Go through your summer wardrobe; sun dresses, swimming costumes, shorts and all those summery pieces. Are you sure you want to see them all next summer? Follow our Speedy Guide To Clearing Out Your Wardrobe
2. CLEANLINESS: Wash or dry clean - any garment to be stored away for the season must be clean. Sweat from the summer months are one of moths favourite foods (yuk!). Do not feed them!
3. HOUSEKEEPING: Any storage area, cupboard, under bed, top of wardrobe needs to be vacuumed, dusted, wiped down, kept clean and damp-free. Spray your upholstery with our water-based Linen Spray to keep the moths away!
4. ANTI-MOTH PRODUCTS: Replace/refresh Hanging Sachets, Pot Pourri Cone, diffusers every season as they lose their strength. This will keep your wardrobe fresh, clean and moth-free.
5. STORAGE: Don't use cardboard boxes; they are not pH neutral. Acid-free tissue paper and acid free boxes are pH neutral, so the chemicals in the fabrics don't react with the acid or alkaline in the boxes. Brown cardboard boxes are very alkaline!
6. WRAP IT UP: Wrap delicates and cashmeres in Acid-Free Tissue which preserves original colour and protects against damp and dust.
7. SAY NO TO PLASTIC: Don't leave garments in plastic for more than three months because of the change in temperature e.g. central heating going on and off, causing condensation in the bags which dries on the garments and can cause mildew or yellowing on light colours.
8. IT'S WHAT'S ON THE INSIDE THAT COUNTS: Line cupboards and drawers with Anti-Moth Drawer Liners.
9. WHERE TO STORE?: Clothes to be stored need to be kept well-aired, dust free and covered, away from sunlight.
10. NO SUN!: Nothing should be left in direct sunlight as sunlight rots fabrics. We suppose the rainy months will help.
THINGS TO AVOID
- Damp (windows should be double-glazed)
- Direct sunlight (use a good blind)
- Smells (ie near a kitchen or ventilator outlet)
- Inaccessibility if you can't reach it, you won't use it
- Keeping clothes in lots of different places
- Pointless, bulky clothes: ski gear, winter coats
