Folks who are new to the city are inundated with new experiences. They need to learn about the subway, they need to get to know their neighborhood, and they need to figure out how to fit everything inside their apartment. The apartment storage issue is especially difficult for one major reason: winter clothes. Storing summer clothes is easy. They are usually lighter fabrics and take up less space. Storing winter clothes, however, can be quite challenging, as they are often puffy, long, and folks typically need a lot of them to get through the rough season. So how does a New Yorker store their winter clothes?
Adding Extra Apartment Storage
This is the easiest way to get simple storage for winter clothes. Adding shelves and drawers in just the right places can make all the difference in a home. Some of the best storage options include:
Bed Storage
Bed storage is great because it utilizes a space that usually sits empty. There’s a ton of room under the bed, so why not use it for storing seasonal items? Most storage beds will look like this Japanese Storage Bed from Get Laid Beds. This bed style has storage attached to one or both sides of the frame. These beds are great, and usually very sturdy and stylish, but there are plenty of other options out there.
Take this Maynardville Upholstered Bed from Wayfair. This bed literally lifts the mattress up from the frame to reveal a huge storage bin, perfect for storing larger, puffy coats, long johns, and other winter apparel. There might even be room for other items, like winter bed sheets, in this large unit. Beds like these are great for adding more storage to a large apartment, which is something that probably almost every New Yorker will face in their life. Of course, if folks already have a bed frame they enjoy, there are plenty of rolling storage drawers that will fit right under most beds.
Wardrobes
Many NYC apartments lack sufficient closet space, and those homes that do have closets usually have small ones. This is where wardrobes come in. Great for hanging jackets, suits, and even think sweaters and pants, a good wardrobe can be a lifesaver when it comes to winter storage. Many people think their homes are too small for wardrobes, but there are plenty on the market that can meet and exceed storage needs.
For example, this Ratta Green Wardrobe from Homary is only 70” tall, 31.5” wide, and 20” thick. This means it can fit in nearly any home comfortably, and the style will bring out the rest of the apartment’s décor, especially if there are plants. The main chamber of the wardrobe is tall, perfect for longer, thicker coats, and the bottom drawers are deep, making them great for storing thick sweaters, socks, and much more. It’s a tasteful design with good storage, but rest assured that there are other products like it, each with their own merits. Folks should just make sure to get one with a tall main chamber that’s able to hold coats of any length.
Renting Storage Units
For those who are low on space, but flush with cash and winter apparel, a storage unit is a great way to store all kinds of things. Most facilities in the city have multiple sized storage units, so people can choose which size will work best for them. There are also many popular storage businesses to choose from like CubeSmart, which has many locations throughout the city, with at least one in every borough and even New Jersey.
Another, very popular business is Manhattan Mini Storage, which, as the name implies, is a Manhattan based storage company that is perfect for storing seasonal items. These storage lockers work best in Manhattan, where apartments can be especially small compared to places in Queens and Brooklyn. They also have special deals for first time renters and long time customers, so the rent will always be affordable.
A similar business in Brooklyn is Storage Post, which offers new renters a free month of storage no matter the size of the unit. These businesses will not just store clothes and other items, but they will free up storage space in a home for other items.
How to Store Winter Clothes
Storing winter clothes isn’t just a matter of space. There are other strategies that people need to employ to extend the life of their clothing, and maximize the storage space they have access to.
1.) When To Store Winter Clothes
This can be a tricky thing to know, but it’s an important aspect to pay attention to. The weather is extremely tricky in NYC, and will only get trickier as climate change continues to evolve. People might be tempted to store their winter clothes as soon as the weather gets nice. However, this is a fool’s errand. Weather in NYC can flip in just a few hours, so when should people store their winter clothes? The answer is simple: Store winter clothes slowly.
When the weather starts to get warmer, people should begin to store their winter clothes. However, they should only store several items at a time. This way, people can have warmer clothes in the event that the weather gets colder again. By late April or early May, it should be safe to put all winter clothes in an extra storage space, but even that depends on current and future weather patterns.
2.) Wash Winter Clothes Before Storage
Winter clothes take a beating during these harsh months. Boots and thick coats, especially, get soaked and dirty. One of the worst things a person can do is store these items without cleaning them. When the clothes make another appearance the following winter, they can smell, be stained, or even be permanently damaged. Winter clothes are expensive, so it’s important to clean these articles of clothing before they are stored. Those who take care of their clothes will reap those benefits later.
3.) Vacuum Sealing/Putting Winter Clothes in Plastic Bins
One great way to increase storage and protect articles of clothing is to vacuum seal them. Vacuum sealing is easy to do. All one needs is a kit, which is available on online stores. This will protect clothing from unwanted damage from humidity and critters. Plastic bins aren’t as good as vacuum sealing in this regard, but they can still be extremely helpful when it comes to protecting clothes. Both options will also make clothes easier to store under beds or in the drawers of a wardrobe.
4.) How to Hang Winter Clothes
Not all winter clothes can be vacuum sealed. Goose-down, for example, can be damaged in the process. For more delicate pieces of clothing, hanging them in a fancy new wardrobe is best. Make sure all pockets are buttoned or zipped up well, and the front of the jacket is fully buttoned up and sealed. If a jacket is being stored in a storage unit, another good idea is a garment bag to protect it from critters and the elements. Make sure they have enough space so they won’t be squished, as this can also damage more delicate articles of clothing.
5.) Mothballs. Yay or Nay?
Mothballs work well for getting rid of unwanted critters. However, they leave a smell. This smell doesn’t bother everyone, which is fine. However, there are plenty of mothball alternatives that smell way better. Cedar balls, for example, are a great alternative to mothballs. They are just as, if not more, effective than mothballs, and they leave clothes smelling fresh and woody when they are collected out of storage. There are plenty of other products available, and other products that kill odors should a person prefer mothballs over everything else. Clothes in storage don’t have to smell bad.
6.) Know When To Throw Clothes Away
Winter clothing can be expensive and will generally last a while. However, some clothes are simply not worth keeping once they’re past their prime. In NYC, storage is hard to find, so no one should be storing trash. Boots that have lost their traction, jackets with holes or damaged exteriors, socks with large holes, or worn material should all be thrown away or donated (if the clothing item is still in decent shape). It might be hard for some people to part with a particular item of clothing. However, fixing it might just be more expensive than buying a new item, and storing it makes no sense whatsoever.
Winter in NYC is hard. Finding storage in NYC is hard. There’s no reason to make life harder by making storage of winter clothes impossible. There are simple, affordable measures people can take to increase their storage options, and to extend the life of their clothing. Winter clothes are expensive, so it’s important to protect these items as best as possible. People need to be prepared for a NYC winter, and storing clothes correctly will give anyone an advantage in that annual fight. Whether people hang clothes or vacuum seal them, they should make sure they’re doing it well.
