With the summer season headed our way, chances are you are starting to store away your winter clothing and pulling out your summer wardrobe.  Shoana Jensen gives us a lesson on keeping your clothes looking fresh all-year-round with these great storage and cleaning tips.

1. Never put away anything dirty.  Wash it before putting it away as perspiration left on clothing can leave a yellow stain during storage which may never wash out.
2. Take out dry cleaning and launder any special garments.  Shoana recommends doing everything at once so nothing is forgotten.  Always throw away dry cleaner wire hangers, and never store anything in dry cleaning bags as chemicals can be trapped inside which could damage the fabric.
3. When it comes to the things you should keep on hand to care for your garments, Shoana suggest a perfume- and dye-free detergent, a natural stain remover, a sewing kit, a lint remover, and a sweater shaver to remove pills.
4. For shoes, clean them before putting them away.  Debris like salt will corrode footwear and permanently damage it, so tackle it before it’s too late.
5. Wrap delicates in paper to protect buttons and sequins from rubbing against each other.
6. Bags and purses often crease from heavy hardware—Shoana’s tip is to use a half-inflated beach ball to keep them standing up and free of creases.
7. Shoes suffer from the same creasing issue, and Shoana says to use a pool noodle to keep the tops from flopping over and creasing the shoe.  Simply break off the rest of the noodle where needed.
8. Have a wide assortment of hangers on hand for pants, suits and skinny garments.  Hanging clothing on the wrong type of hanger can warp shoulders and can even tear the fabric.
9. Avoid mothballs—they are made with harmful chemicals.  Instead, use cedar hangers and lavender which have the same effect.
10. Lastly, if you run out of storage space, many storage companies sell clothing moving boxes with a built-in rod to hang your garments from without having to fold and damage them over an extended period of time.

What easy tips do you have to store your off-season clothing?  Share them in the comments below.