Last night I was at dinner and the subject of drycleaning came up.
We were discussing the basics when I mentioned that you should never store your clothes in the plastic bag that the drycleaner puts over your clothes. That bag is just meant to protect your clothes on the journey from the cleaners to your closet.
My friends were so surprised by my statement, I thought maybe I should tell more people.
I can think of three major reasons why you should never to store your clothes in plastic (drycleaners call it poly)
1. The plastic that drycleaners put on your clothes is a petroleum product. It is a chemical that outgasses. These gasses can and will permeate your clothes. I have had customers bring clothes back because of the unpleasant odor. They believed it was a residual drycleaning solvent smell. I had to assure them that we do not use traditional drycleaning solvent - so drycleaning chemicals were not the cause of the odor.
2. The plastic captures moisture that can foster the growth of molds and/or mildew. These can ruin your clothes and infest your closet!
3. The bag can trap atmospheric gasses that can cause color change on your garments over time. Fume fading often hapens in closets over time - but leaving your items in the plastic will accellerate this process
How should you store your items?
If it is heavy, like a bulky sweater or knit dress. Don't store it on a hanger. Gravity does a lot of damage! I like to roll the items with a piece of acid free tissue and wrap it in a clean peice of material - like an old pillow case.
In the closet, that same pillow case works wonders. Cut a hole in the top and put it over the item - it protects it from light and dust and will cause no harm. A clean sheet will also do the trick.
And perhaps the most important question. . . . what to do with all that plastic?
Film plastic is not currently being recycled in most areas - so before putting it in the recycle bin - you may want to call and make sure it is being accepted and not just put in the land fill. I always recommend giving it back to the cleaners. The better ones have a recycling plan, and if they don't - the more people that return the plastic, the more likely they will be to consider it.
Check out my blog "take the plastic back" from a few years ago:
Take the Plastic Back!
Thanks - and have a great day!
Showing posts with label storing garments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label storing garments. Show all posts
Top Ten Ways to Protect Your Clothes from Mildew!
Because the climate where I live is relatively humid, I see many clients with mold/mildew issues in their homes, offices and in their closets.
As molds grow, they cause considerable damage. They leave a musty odor; they discolor fabrics; and sometimes they eat into them until the fabrics rot and fall to pieces. They also discolor leather, paper and plastic!
As molds grow, they cause considerable damage. They leave a musty odor; they discolor fabrics; and sometimes they eat into them until the fabrics rot and fall to pieces. They also discolor leather, paper and plastic!
Mildew and mold have many similar characteristics, but they are different types of fungi, and are often different in color and texture. They both grow in similar moist, warm environments. Mold is more often found in foods, and mildew in paper, your shower and fabrics. However both can be found anywhere there is warm moisture. Mold is often black, green, red, or blue while mildew is usually gray or white (often a dusting of light dots).
Here is my Top Ten List: How to protect your clothes from fungus!
1) Protect your health first! Do NOT shake out anything that has mildew or mold on it, inside your house. You will just be spreading the spores. Take it outside. Sunshine and fresh air will kill the mildew.
2) Mild dry heat discourages mildew. Use dehumidifiers or leave a light bulb turned on in areas where the fungus is most likely to breed (sorry, it must be an incandescent bulb to create heat)
3) Mildew thrives in plastic. Remove clothing from plastic drycleaning bags immediately! There are other reasons not to store clothing in plastic, but this should be enough!
4) Mildew needs dirt or dust to survive. Check your clothes for spots/stains every time you hang them up. Clean your clothes anytime you do not plan on wearing them for a while.
5) Clothes need to breath. Keep about an inch between your clothes (don't cram them in - that will create wrinkles anyway). Keep your closet door open or ajar to help with air flow. Ceiling fans are a great idea in a closet!
6) NEVER hang clothes in your closet, unless they are completely dry.
7) Stuff your shoes and handbags that you don't wear daily with a little tissue. Check the tissue when you discard it, it could be an early warning signal.
8) Position your closet well! If you are building or renovating a home, avoid using outside walls as closet walls, and avoid putting closets near or in bathrooms.
9) Opt for paint, not wall paper on your closet walls.
10) If you see mildew/mold, act early and quickly! There are many pre-bottled solutions on the market today that help to remove mildew from different surfaces. These solutions have specific instructions and should be followed carefully.
2 more notes:
DRYCLEANING CAN REMOVE MOLD. However, if you put your garments back in a storage area with spores in it, the fungus will return quickly. Drycleaning WILL NOT, however, get rid of mold damage. Often mold damages the color or material. This results in damage after drycleaning (color loss, tears, interfacing issues, etc) that wasn't there before cleaning.
OZONE can be used to eliminate the musty odor of the fungus. Not all cleaners have access to this, or even know about it. Be sure to ask for it if you are cleaning items with a musty smell.
You Can Have the Perfect Closet (for your clothes)!
If you are like me, you have a significant investment in our wardrobe and you have a few pieces that you expect to hold onto for many seasons. How and where we store our garments has a huge effect on their life expectacy. A well designed closet should keep your items organized and keep them in good condition. It is astounding the damage that can be done to garments by a poorly designed closet - from insect damage to mildew, sun fading and more. Below are some tips on creating the perfect closet (from a garment storage perspective:-).
Use low wattage lights in your closet - AND NO DIRECT SUNLIGHT! I am amazed at how many sky lights or windows I see in closets. Windows are not for your closet. The sun will bleach your clothes the same way it will bleach your hair. I have also seen ultraviolet lights being sold for closets. These lights do an excellent job at controlling mildew but serious sun fading can result!
If you have a bright closet, or blocking the window is not an option, put clean white sheets over items you don't wear frequently. You can poke a hole in the middle of the sheet to put over the hanger.
Closets that have one (or heaven forbid more than one) exterior wall should not be used for long term storage of garments. Closets with exterior walls tend to have higher humidity. Anything stored next to an outside wall will be effected by both the changes in temperature and the absorption of moisture. Guest room closets with are infrequently opened should also be avoided or as a minimum leave the doors ajar periodically to air them out.
Closet tip . . . when you are away on a trip, open all your closet doors to allow air to circulate. This will reduce humidity and control mildew growth. Also insects cause the most damage when they are isolated and un-bothered.
Closet dryers are available such as the crystalline type for small storage areas. You can find them and better hardware stores. Larger closets require electric dryers.
Do no pack clothes tightly into a closet -- they need room to breath
Cedar lining of a closet can help reduce insect damage. The cedar requires rejuvenation YEARLY by scuffing up the surface as the cedar will reseal itself. I do no recommend moth balls! The moth ball odor is often impossible to remove from garments. For long term storage I recommend a cedar chest.
Some tips that even the perfect closet would appreciate:
Cedar closet lining can be cut to length and laid on shelves or placed in drawers. This is much more effective and less costly than purchasing cedar blocks.
Never put garments away for the season (or an extended period) without cleaning them. Invisible stains (fruit juice, champagne, white wine, etc) will oxidize (picture how an apple turns brown after you take a bite and set it aside). Oxidized stains are very difficult to remove. Also, it is the soils in the clothes that insects love. So putting worn garments in your closet will be an invitation to bugs.
Room dry all damp clothes and leather and suedes after each wear, BEFORE returning them to the closet. Fabrics and especially leather and suede are hygroscopic and will retain moisture when worn.
Store knits flat! Gravity can do great damage over time to many garments. Knits are especially prone because they are constructed to move and stretch. Always store knits flat on a shelf or in a drawer. I have seen fine knits that have stretched several inches from hanging in the closet.
Heavy and beaded garments should be stored on padded hangers, with pin supports and using the provided straps for further support. If there are none, you can pin a strap to each side at the waist. This helps remove some of the weight and retain the garment's shape.
Never store clothing in plastic bags provided by the drycleaner. Those bags are intended to protect your items on the trip home from the cleaner. The bags catch gasses given off by the atmosphere, garments and that come out of the plastic. When contained in the bags such gases can build up in concentrations to damaging levels.
Use low wattage lights in your closet - AND NO DIRECT SUNLIGHT! I am amazed at how many sky lights or windows I see in closets. Windows are not for your closet. The sun will bleach your clothes the same way it will bleach your hair. I have also seen ultraviolet lights being sold for closets. These lights do an excellent job at controlling mildew but serious sun fading can result!
If you have a bright closet, or blocking the window is not an option, put clean white sheets over items you don't wear frequently. You can poke a hole in the middle of the sheet to put over the hanger.
Closets that have one (or heaven forbid more than one) exterior wall should not be used for long term storage of garments. Closets with exterior walls tend to have higher humidity. Anything stored next to an outside wall will be effected by both the changes in temperature and the absorption of moisture. Guest room closets with are infrequently opened should also be avoided or as a minimum leave the doors ajar periodically to air them out.
Closet tip . . . when you are away on a trip, open all your closet doors to allow air to circulate. This will reduce humidity and control mildew growth. Also insects cause the most damage when they are isolated and un-bothered.
Closet dryers are available such as the crystalline type for small storage areas. You can find them and better hardware stores. Larger closets require electric dryers.
Do no pack clothes tightly into a closet -- they need room to breath
Cedar lining of a closet can help reduce insect damage. The cedar requires rejuvenation YEARLY by scuffing up the surface as the cedar will reseal itself. I do no recommend moth balls! The moth ball odor is often impossible to remove from garments. For long term storage I recommend a cedar chest.
Some tips that even the perfect closet would appreciate:
Cedar closet lining can be cut to length and laid on shelves or placed in drawers. This is much more effective and less costly than purchasing cedar blocks.
Never put garments away for the season (or an extended period) without cleaning them. Invisible stains (fruit juice, champagne, white wine, etc) will oxidize (picture how an apple turns brown after you take a bite and set it aside). Oxidized stains are very difficult to remove. Also, it is the soils in the clothes that insects love. So putting worn garments in your closet will be an invitation to bugs.
Room dry all damp clothes and leather and suedes after each wear, BEFORE returning them to the closet. Fabrics and especially leather and suede are hygroscopic and will retain moisture when worn.
Store knits flat! Gravity can do great damage over time to many garments. Knits are especially prone because they are constructed to move and stretch. Always store knits flat on a shelf or in a drawer. I have seen fine knits that have stretched several inches from hanging in the closet.
Heavy and beaded garments should be stored on padded hangers, with pin supports and using the provided straps for further support. If there are none, you can pin a strap to each side at the waist. This helps remove some of the weight and retain the garment's shape.
Never store clothing in plastic bags provided by the drycleaner. Those bags are intended to protect your items on the trip home from the cleaner. The bags catch gasses given off by the atmosphere, garments and that come out of the plastic. When contained in the bags such gases can build up in concentrations to damaging levels.
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