How to Freshen Clothes After Storage: Get Your Fall Wardrobe Ready

There’s something satisfying about the first cool day of fall. You open the closet, pull out your favorite sweater or sweatshirt, and realize you haven’t seen it in months.

Then you notice the smell.

Clothes that have been packed away can sometimes come out smelling stale or musty, even if they were clean when you stored them. Sweaters may need a refresh, jackets can collect dust, and that blanket you’ve been waiting all summer to use may not smell quite as cozy as you remember.

Fortunately, getting everything ready for cooler weather doesn’t have to turn into an entire weekend of laundry.

If you’re wondering how to freshen clothes after storage, start with a quick inspection, check those care labels, and decide what needs washing before it goes back into your fall rotation.

Why Do Clothes Smell After Being in Storage?

Stored clothes spend months in closets, drawers, bins, or vacuum-sealed bags with little airflow. Depending on how and where they were stored, they may pick up odors from the surrounding environment.

A stale or musty smell can also be a sign that an item was stored before it was completely clean or dry.

Before tossing everything directly into the washing machine, take a closer look at your fall wardrobe.

Check for:

• Stale or musty odors
• Visible stains you may have forgotten about
• Dust or pet hair
• Signs of moisture
• Fabric damage
• Care labels with special washing or drying instructions

If you notice visible mold or mildew, treat that separately rather than simply adding the item to your regular laundry.

How to Freshen Clothes After Storage

Not everything that comes out of storage necessarily needs the same treatment. Some items may simply need airing out, while others are ready for a full wash.

Let Clothes Air Out

If an item has a mild storage smell but otherwise appears clean, giving it some fresh air may help.

Take it out of the storage container, shake it out, and hang it somewhere with good airflow. This is also a good opportunity to inspect the garment before wearing or washing it.

If the odor sticks around, it’s probably time to wash it.

Check the Care Label Before Washing

Fall clothing can include everything from cotton sweatshirts to delicate sweaters and lined jackets. Before washing something you haven’t worn in months, check its care label.

Pay attention to instructions for:

• Water temperature
• Wash cycle
• Drying method
• Bleach use
• Hand washing
• Dry cleaning

Following the manufacturer’s instructions can help prevent shrinking, stretching, fading, and other damage.

Wash Stored Clothes Before Wearing Them

If your clothes smell stale, have visible dirt, or simply don’t feel fresh after months in storage, washing them can give your fall wardrobe a clean start.

Just avoid stuffing every sweater, sweatshirt, and pair of sweatpants you own into one overloaded machine.

Clothes need room to move so they can wash and rinse properly. Breaking a large wardrobe refresh into appropriately sized loads can produce better results.

Make Your Fall Closet Switch Easier With Laundry Delivery

Here’s where a seasonal wardrobe change can become a lot easier.

Instead of spending your weekend washing load after load of fall clothing, Loads of Clothes Delivery can pick up your laundry, professionally wash, dry, and fold it, and deliver it back to you fresh and ready to put away.

It’s especially convenient when you’re refreshing more than a few items at once.

Pull out the sweatshirts. Grab the sweatpants. Add the everyday clothing and washable linens that have been waiting for cooler weather. Then let our team handle the laundry while you take care of everything else on your fall to-do list.

Pickup and delivery also means you can skip loading baskets into the car, waiting through multiple wash cycles, and spending the rest of the afternoon folding.

Get Your Fall Laundry Off Your To-Do List

Your fall favorites are coming out of storage. Let us take care of getting them fresh, clean, and ready to wear.

With Loads of Clothes Delivery, there’s no need to spend your weekend working through load after load. Schedule your pickup, hand off the laundry, and we’ll professionally wash, dry, and fold your items before delivering them back to you.

And right now, your fall refresh costs a little less.

• Save 10% on Pickup & Delivery
• Promo Code: FallFresh10
• Offer valid through 11/23

Ready to get that pile out of the way? Schedule your Loads of Clothes Delivery pickup today and let us handle the laundry.