winter is coming and it s time to bring out your autumn and winter clothes but before you bring out your winter staples it s important to correctly store your summer wardrobe correct cleaning and storage especially of summer fabrics will save you money and time in the future so you don t have to search for a bathing suit only to find that it s stretched out and unwearable wash your clothes first anything that s being removed from your closet should be washed before it goes into storage this will get rid of dirt dust and grime that might be lingering on the fabric decide whether to fold or hang most summer clothing shorts tank tops sundresses and light shirts can be folded up and stored through the winter however more delicate or fancier items may need to be stored in garment bags invest in the right containers and bags as for the rest of your clothes you ll want to pack them up in storage containers plastic bins and under bed plastic containers are great for long term storage and if your home is prone to pests they will keep the bugs out if you want to get the most out of any space grab a few vacuum packaging bags the traditional method of vacuum packaging bags includes the removal of excess air from the packaging material prior to sealing don t overpack it s tempting to stuff as many garments as possible into each bin but this can hurt you in the long run if the bag doesn t zip or the lid doesn t fit tightly you re allowing room for pests to get in and if you try to zip an overstuffed bag it may end up ripping the seams include pest repellents pests like moths and beetles are crafty and sometimes they manage to worm their way into your storage even if you think the bins are sealed tightly