Seasons change, and so should your closet. Ten ways to help your clothes last from this year to the next.
Empty the pockets of all the clothes you're going to be putting away until next spring, then launder or dry-clean everything. Yes, even if you've only worn it once. You'll avoid stains that set before you next wear your clothes, including invisible ones from perspiration, perfume, and beverages (like white wine). "Stains become a food source for carpet beetles and moths," says Jonathan Scheer, president of J. Scheer & Co., a New York textile preservationist. "These bugs will eat through the fabric to get to the food." That's also why you should avoid starching clothes before putting them away: The starch not only feeds bugs, it can also weaken the fabric, leading to brittleness, and, in a humid environment, it can lead to permanent stains.
Always remove dry-cleaner bags as soon as you get home, since plastic doesn't allow clothes to breathe. "Whatever residual moisture is in the fiber can help mold or mildew grow," Scheer says. "And any gases emitted from the decomposing plastics can be absorbed by the fabric, accelerating the aging process. That's what causes cloth to yellow."
Don't store your clothes just anywhere. "If you remember nothing else, keep in mind that storage must be cool, dark, and dry," Scheer says. "Fabric is delicate and changes with temperature and humidity." Garages, attics, and unfinished basements are off-limits. If you have an underutilized closet or chest of drawers somewhere, or a spare room where you can keep a rolling rack, great. Otherwise, buy storage containers that fit under beds or in the top of closets. You can also pay a cleaner about $20 to $30 to hold a season's worth of clothes.
Invest in moth repellent, ideally made of cedar. "The scent repels moths and discourages them from laying eggs," Scheer says. "But I would not recommend mothballs, which are toxic and malodorous, with a smell that's almost impossible to get rid of in a timely way." Cedar, which comes in hangers, boxes, blocks, and drawer liners, should be sanded with fine-grade sandpaper after each season because otherwise the surface oxidizes, eliminating the moth-repelling scent. A self-contained area keeps the odor from dissipating.
Group clothes by fabric. Protein fibers— silks, wool, fur, suede, and leather— require the most attention because they are food for bugs in themselves. That's why they should be kept apart from plant fibers, such as cotton, linen, rayon, and ramie, which don't require as much vigilance.
Humidity and mildew can be controlled with products made for that purpose, or by using the heat of a low-power bulb, about 15 watts, to dry the air.
Acidity speeds the deterioration of fabrics. Wood is acidic. If you're storing clothes in wooden shelves or chests, even cedar, for longer than six months, Scheer advises lining them with unbleached, undyed, and washed muslin, easily found at fabric stores.
Heavy garments, as well as cashmere sweaters and beaded or sequined gowns, should be folded, with muslin or acid-neutral tissue paper to prevent creases. Canvas or muslin boxes are ideal, though pricey, because they allow air to circulate. Clear plastic containers also are an option for short-term storage--up to six months. The longer things are going to be stored, the more finicky you want to be.
Cloth garment bags are preferable to plastic for long-term storage and are essential for leathers and furs, which may crack or break off if kept in plastic. "Fabric needs to breathe," says Wayne Edelman, owner of New York's Meurice Garment Care. "If you don't have cloth bags, hang sheets over garments." Edelman stores his own sweaters in a temperature-controlled vault in acid-free boxes generally used by library and museum preservationists (about $20 each from University Products,).
Avoid wire hangers: they do hideous things to shoulders. Use wide, shaped plastic or wood ones instead. (See The Right Hangers for the best choices for organizing and protecting your clothes.)
季节变化了,你的衣柜也应随之而变化。 帮助你的衣服从今年保管到明年的10 种方法。
清空所有放置到明年春天的衣服口袋, 然后洗熨或干洗这些衣服。 确实, 即使你只穿了一次, 你也很难保证在你下次穿之前衣服上没有污渍,包括来自汗,香水和饮料(如白葡萄酒)等那些看不见的污渍。 "污渍将成为地毯蠹甲虫和蛾的食物源", J.希尔公司的总裁,纽约纺织保护主义者,乔纳森·希尔说。"这些虫子将在衣服的纤维中获得食物"。 那也是在除去它们之前,你应该避免给衣服上浆的原因: 淀粉不仅是虫子的食物来源, 而且还能降低纤维强度,最终导致衣物破损,并且,在潮湿的环境里,它能成为永久的污渍。
由于塑料妨碍了衣服呼吸,所以回到家,立刻将衣服从干洗店的塑料袋中拿出来。 "任何残留在纤维中的水分都能帮助霉菌及霉的滋长",希尔说。 "并且从塑料制品中分解而发出的气体,被纤维吸收后,加速其老化过程。这就是衣服变黄的原因"。
请不要将衣服随便保管在任何地方。 "如果你记不了那么多,就请记住一定要在凉爽,黑暗和干燥的地方保管衣物",希尔说。 "纺织品比较敏感并随温度和湿度而变化"。 千万不要保管在汽车库,顶楼和未完成的地下室等处。如果你有一个未充分利用的衣橱或者五斗柜,或者有一间空客房,你可以放置一个大型的移动衣架。 否则,买适合床下或柜顶的保管箱。 你也可以花约20 美元-30 美元的费用在干洗店里保管季节性衣服。
采用驱虫剂,最好选用雪松。 "雪松的气味不仅能驱逐蛾还能阻止它们产卵",希尔说。 "但是我不推荐卫生球,它不仅有毒还有几乎不可能及时排除的恶臭"。 在每季节之后,应该用上等沙纸打磨这些衣架,箱子,木板和抽屉上的雪松,否则由于表面氧化,减弱了驱虫和除臭的效果。
按照衣料对衣服进行分类。 蛋白质纤维--丝绸衣服,羊毛,毛皮,小山羊皮和皮革等要多加注意,因为这些衣料本身就是虫子的食物。 这也是将它们同不需警惕保管的植物纤维如棉花,亚麻布,人造丝和柠麻等衣物分开保管的理由。
潮湿和霉菌可以利于专门制品进行控制, 或使用一只大约15 瓦的低功率灯泡,干燥空气。
酸度加快纺织品的恶化。 木头是酸性的, 你将衣服保管在木制架子或者柜子里,即使是雪松制的,最长也只能是6 个月, 希尔建议给他们衬以原色天然的洗涤干净的平纹细布,这种布在纺织品商店里很容易找到。
厚料衣服,如开士米毛线衫和带珠子或者饰有闪光金属小圆片的长袍,应该用带有细布或者不鲜艳酸的棉纸折叠,以防折缝。 帆布或者细布箱子最理想,虽然昂贵,但它们透气。 干净的塑料箱也可用于不到6 个月的短期保管。 想保管更长时间,就是苛求了。
布服装袋比塑料服装袋更适合用于长期保管,并且是皮革和毛皮衣物的必须品,皮革和毛皮衣物如果放在塑料服装袋里,可能发生开裂和破裂的现象。 "纺织品需要呼吸",纽约的Meurice 服装保养公司的负责人韦恩·埃德尔曼说,。"如果你没有布袋,在服装上挂床单"。 埃德尔曼在温控的地下室里使用无酸箱子保管他自己毛衣,这种箱子多被图书馆和博物馆的保存者所采用(大约20 美元/个,大学产品