As winter's cold slowly gives way to spring's warmth, you're more than itching to ditch the heavy winter coats once and for all. But don't be quick to just throw your coats into the back of your closet not to be seen until next year. You should first clean them and prep them for their long warm-weather nap.
Begin by collecting all of your family's winter coats and arranging them into piles by material. Make one pile for dry-clean items and another pile for machine wash items.
Go through all of the pockets and remove everything. Make one pile for trash and another pile for items to keep, such as spare change.
Follow the care instructions, and either wash or dry clean the coats.
Remove dry cleaned coats from their plastic dry cleaning bags. These bags retain moisture, which in turn leads to mildew stains and mold.
Depending upon the number of coats you're storing and their material, you have two options for proper coat storage:
Garment bags made of fabric allow wool and cashmere coats to breathe, and they keep out moisture.
Stack the coats loosely in each bin to allow for air to circulate and to prevent the coats from drying out.
When storing your coats in garment bags or plastic bags, choose a closet or storage spot that's dark, dry, clean and cool. Keep the coats fresh by tying a lavender sachet to each garment bag hook or placing a cedar block in each bin. If you live an an area with high humidity, add packets of silica crystals to coat storage bins to keep mold out.
Maintain your real fur coats' style by storing them in spaces that are climate controlled.
Don't store your coats in a spot where you can't access them should you need a heavier jacket during an unexpected spring cold snap.