The winter is coming to an end. Well, there are two months left, but hey, no one said we couldn’t be optimistic. Moreover, this winter was nothing like we are used to, so if you are thinking of getting your comforters, blankets and other winter bedding stored earlier this year, you are not alone.
Storing your bedding, however, is not as easy as it may sound. It needs precision and know-how if you want to prolong the lives of your comforters and blankets. Moreover, you’d want to have them ready for use next season. To make it easier for you, there are several steps you need to make before you put them in a tight space for the warmer months. So, let’s get through them together.
Clean the blankets and comforters first
This step should come without saying. Cleaning any item before storing it is imperative. This way, you will avoid contamination of your storage area and, more importantly, make it much harder for bacteria to form and reduce the lifespan of your bedding. If that’s not a good enough reason, maybe avoiding moulds, mildew, and acquiring unpleasant smells would sway you to take this easy and essential step in storing your blankets and comforters. Moreover, it will help the fabric deteriorate slower and prevent permanent stains from forming.
There’s nothing to it. Just put the blankets in the washing machine, dry properly, and they are ready for storage.
Don’t store damp items
Drying up your bedding is important, especially if you are about to store them until the following winter. If you decide to seal a damp comforter or blanket, you might as well throw it away. It will simply ruin it, as moisture is incredibly unforgiving to textiles. If you put a damp blanket in storage, mould is sure to take over, damaging the fibres and rendering the bedding useless. The worst thing is that even a single damp bedding can ruin the whole batch. So, give your comforters and blankets an extra day or two to dry out completely. This may make the entire process a bit longer, but it’s better to make it slow and proper than ruin your bedding.
Needless to say, storing in a damp area is just as bad, as the effects will be the same. Moisture is the textile’s worst enemy, and the latter always loses, unfortunately.
So, if you can’t find a safe enough place to store your bedding properly, getting a climate-controlled self-storage unit shouldn’t be out of the question. Yes, of course, this comes at a price, but it’s far cheaper than replacing all your winter bedding yearly in a rush.
Protect your bedding from pests
As always, when it comes to storing, your number one enemies are dust and pests. While the former is unavoidable, and all we can do is protect our belongings from it, some natural smells and DIY traps easily deter the latter. For starters, you must keep your bedding well packed and sealed to avoid larger pests like rats and mice. They love to chew on the textile, so they will instinctively be drawn to your comforters and blankets.
However, your bedding’s biggest enemy is moths. Naturally, you’ll be tempted to use mothballs, since they work wonders against this pesky flying pest. However, mothballs are toxic to humans and pests alike. While a simple wash after storage will clean it, it’s not a good idea to lay your trust on such an extreme measure. Especially when there are natural alternatives that work just as well. So, instead of a mothball, go for a cedar ball or lavender. They are not just highly effective against insects and other pests, but leave a pleasant smell and, most importantly, are completely harmless to humans and pets.
Choose the proper containers
Of course, one of the most important tasks when preparing to store your winter bedding is to find the proper containers. The packaging serves not only to help you fit more of your comforters and blankets in a smaller place but also to protect them against moisture, dust and pests. So when choosing a proper container, you need to have all three in mind. Needless to say, despite being the most eco-friendly, paper bags won’t protect your belongings from any of the problems mentioned above.
A cedar-lined storage chest is probably the best option for accommodating your needs and not harming the environment. This solution will not only provide a pretty sweet aroma to your bedding, but will also naturally repel moths and other insects. However, these containers can be expensive.
If you want something cheaper, you might want to go with a plastic container with a tight lid. It will effectively keep any dust, moisture and pests away from your belongings. Just don’t forget to put some lavender or cedar balls inside. Naturally, all these solutions will take up a lot of space, so there is another solution which might work better for you.
Use vacuum bags
Vacuum bags are a great way to keep dust, moisture and pests away while allowing you to store your comforters and blankets in a tighter spot, like under your bed. In addition, the vacuum bags are airtight packages that enable you to draw all air from the sealed bag, making it much smaller.
However, vacuum bags are not a one-for-all solution, as they cease the healthy airflow between the fibres. So when you are going for vacuum bags, you should avoid putting comforters with down fillings. Moreover, keep in mind that once you take your items out of storage, they might need some ironing.
Fold properly to save space
It’s not a secret that blankets and comforters are bulky and take up a lot of space. Yes, vacuum bags can help with that, but to avoid rumbles and wrinkles, a good idea is to fold them properly before storing them. If you use a vacuum bag, they will get much fewer wrinkles once you take them out. On the other hand, if you are not using a vacuum bag, properly folding your bedding will allow you to store them in a much smaller space. Try to fold the blankets at least four times. This will reduce their broadness without making them too high and unstable. On the other hand, folding comforters is a bit harder. You can try and fold them 4 times, but it’s better to simply fold them once in length and make a roll.
When it’s time to take your bedding out again
If you store your blanket properly, refreshing them when the time comes to use them again won’t be an issue. All you will have to do is hang them for a couple of hours in the fresh air, and they will be ready to use. This is the most significant benefit of adequately storing your blankets and comforters.
