With Spring Arriving This Month, It’s Time to Start Putting Away Winter Duds. Here’s Advice from Two Experts

Nicole and Shahrokh Basseri have been operating Steamer Cleaners in Sherman Oaks for more than 30 years. They are a family-owned business (one of the couple’s two daughters works there too) and community hub. With the new season approaching, we asked Nicole for suggestions on transitioning our closets to spring.

•••

DO’S 

Before putting away your clothes, take each item out of your closet and into a space with bright light, preferably outside in daylight. Look at the items closely. Turn them inside out and examine for perspiration and food stains. A garment with anything that even looks like it has a stain should be cleaned.

When you get your clean garment back from the dry cleaners, remove the plastic bag. The bag is only meant for protecting garments while at the dry cleaners. Textiles need to breathe.

Have a skylight or window in your closet? Keep your garments away from the light to avoid fading color.

•••

DONT’S

For storing cashmere, it is best to avoid ziplock bags. From a preservation standpoint, cashmere does better with access to fresh air. Instead, store inside cashmere bags or zippered containers made from cotton or muslin.

Don’t store cashmere and wool with scented items like moth balls, cedar chips or lavender oil-dipped cotton balls. None of these scents are deterrents to all types of moths and insects. 

If you are getting holes in your garments, don’t throw away the item thinking that will solve the problem. Moths aren’t in clothes; they are in houses. My suggestion is to have a good exterminator come to your residence to get rid of your moth infestation. Valley resident Janelle Cohen is a professional home organizer, interior decorator, and author of The Folding Book, in which she shares organization techniques including photos on how to fold over 100 items—ranging from clothing to fitted sheets. Here Janelle shares some tips on getting your closet organized for spring.

1

Things you should always hang: blouses, dresses, blazers, dress pants, bulky jackets, coats. Things that can be folded or hung: T-shirts, button-downs, polo shirts, sweatshirts, casual pants, denim, skirts (depending on the fabric), nightgowns.

2

Always fold on a flat surface and smooth out any wrinkles with the palm of your hand. The smoother the clothes are, the less bulky the folds will be—a key to keeping your rows clean and consistent. Close buttons, snaps and zippers.

3

Decide what to keep and what isn’t serving you anymore while you are putting away items for a new season. Say goodbye to outgrown children’s clothing, mismatched socks and worn-out undergarments. Donate items that you aren’t wearing, that don’t fit you well, and those that don’t make you feel good.

4

Give sentimental items a critical eye. If you decide to keep a little-used garment, put it in less prime real estate. Keep your closet uncluttered and filled with items you reach for consistently. 

5

For storing folded kids’ sweaters and sweatshirts on a shelf, fold with the neckline facing up and place the garment face up with the neckline visible. That way the style and size is easily identifiable.

6

When storing dress pants on a hanger, make sure the bottoms of the pants are even with the waistband. This will keep the pants balanced on the hanger and help them hang level.