Cotton clothes, be it saris, salwar suits, kurtis or any dress material, require utmost maintenance due to their high vulnerability towards getting spoiled with creases or colour fading. Similarly silk clothes also demand great care and attention when it comes to their maintenance and storage. In the following article I have tried to put forward some of the easy methods and tips on storing our beautiful and precious cotton and silk clothes.
Some important tips to store cotton and silk clothes
Silk clothes enhances the beauty and elegance of the person wearing them. Especially the silk saris are the prized possessions of women which they want to flaunt in any function, get together or a simple family dinner at a special place. Similarly, most people just fall in love with cotton clothes because of the comfort level provided by them. Cotton clothes come in amazing and appealing colours which are suitable for all the seasons alike and hence are adorned by majority of the members of the family. Although cotton and silk clothes are loved by all, they carry along with them the heavy requirement of great storage requirements during off season. Some of the storage tips and ideas when dealing with cotton and silk clothes are as follows:-
When the clothes need to be stored, make sure to clean them by either washing or dry cleaning. Any food item, sweat or dirt left on the clothes might attract fungus and other insects to it.
Cotton and silk clothes must be covered with a white and clean muslin cloth to prevent the dust from setting on them.
Delicate clothes like silk if stored for longer period of time, must be stored in a well-ventilated area to avoid growth of fungus and moth.
The cotton and silk clothes must be stored in a cool and dark spaces. Insects are attracted towards light.
When the clothes need to be stored for longer periods, then make sure to unfold them frequently to avoid creases becoming permanent.
Never starch the cotton clothes when they need to be stored.
When the cottons need to be stored in the cupboard after ironing, make sure to put ample spaces in between for air to flow through.
During rainy season the air has lot of moisture in it and hence may lead to unwanted smell and odours in stored clothes. For this put some incense sachets, sticks, or any other perfumed items in between the clothes, that are stored, to get that refreshing smell from the cotton and silk clothes.
Naphthalene balls rolled up in socks or any chemical like calcium chloride, that would prevent accumulation of moisture on the clothes, must be placed inside the storage place of all the cotton and silk clothes.
When the cotton and silk clothes are stored on wooden shelves, try to avoid spoiling of clothes from wooden polish by placing newspapers underneath the clothes first.
Cotton and silk are natural fibres and are hence delicate, thus storing them in extreme temperatures or fluctuating temperatures must be avoided. If stored in too much fluctuating temperatures, then there are chances of fabric thread breaking up or getting brittle.
One can easily follow the above mentioned tips on storage of cotton and silk clothes. These tips would prove to be a great guide to all the people who love to see their cotton and silk clothes in the perfect condition at all times. Happy storing!
My appreciation to the author for penning this wonderful resource which matters to every house hold. Normally the cloths we wore are being discarded within few months as we tend to add new cloths to our kitty every festivals or birthday time.In our home , the households have the habit of disposing the cotton and other cloths to the old cloth merchant who makes the rounds to the house every now and then in exchange of some utensils. But often I found that they take costly cloths of good variety and end up giving small utensils which is worth while. But your suggestion to keep the old cloths safe is very encouraging and that cloths can be donated to the needy people in times of crisis. I really appreciate this initiative by the author.
My appreciation to the author for penning this wonderful resource which matters to every house hold. Normally the cloths we wore are being discarded within few months as we tend to add new cloths to our kitty every festivals or birthday time.In our home , the households have the habit of disposing the cotton and other cloths to the old cloth merchant who makes the rounds to the house every now and then in exchange of some utensils. But often I found that they take costly cloths of good variety and end up giving small utensils which is worth while. But your suggestion to keep the old cloths safe is very encouraging and that cloths can be donated to the needy people in times of crisis. I really appreciate this initiative by the author.