SeasonalHow to Organize and Store Halloween Costumes
Along with the excitement of Halloween is the challenge of digging out stored costumes and decorations from last year. Shadowed in the back of our mind is the hope that they are still in good condition and capable of stirring up some ghostly images, spooky displays, and frightening sounds. Treat of trick?
While we're talking about getting Halloween costumes out of storage, if you packed everything right, you won't spend endless hours rummaging through box after box. One benefit of renting a self-storage unit is the ability to organize your Halloween outfits and decorations -- it makes cleaning up a lot easier. Here some of the best tips for storing Halloween costumes.
Scare Up Some Seasonal Storage Solutions
There was a time when families stored everything in the house, over-stuffing closets, and packing basements, garages, and attics. Nowadays, there's a better solution for keeping everything together without losing your living space. Each year most of us replace or add to our Halloween collection. Some favorite pieces have stood the test of time and need to be protected. It's no secret, dark and dry storage spaces can cause havoc with Halloween costumes, accessories, and decorations. Consider renting a storage unit where you can come and go as the season or mood demands.
Think about it, when's the last you walked into a musty room or opened a stuffy closet? Changing temperatures in a home through the year can cause moisture that triggers the growth and stale odor of mold and mildew. Even if you've taken the time to purchase plastic bins or wardrobe boxes. Inconsistent heat, dampness, and direct sunlight in a house can cause fabrics to fade and wear.
Best Halloween Storage Practices
Store costumes separately from decorations and accessories by placing each into an individual container. It's a good idea to keep supplies, make-up, lighting, or scary media sound tracks in different bins or boxes for easy access and protection. Use special acid-free boxes or tissue lined cardboard boxes for storing and preserving costumes specially if it's made of fabric. Acid-free plastic bins work best for most Halloween decorations and accessories because they can be opened easily each season. They also close tightly and prevent pests that destroy the stored items by eating through the container. Plastic containers are sturdy, durable, and easy to move from storage to home when the season arrives.
Cardboard boxes can be used for storing fragile or infrequently used items. You'll need wrapping materials, padding, and packing tape. If you've got some old clothing or outdated newsprint, you can use it to wrap each item individually. Be sure there are no spaces between the stored items and place the padding on the bottom of the bin and in-between each layer for added protection. Use the packing tape to seal the boxes; it helps to keep the dust out.
How to Store Halloween Costumes
Adult costumes usually involve clothing, headgear, wigs, and accessories from capes, coats, canes, shoes, and jewelry. It makes sense to store it properly. You have a choice to store fabric costumes in garment bags, wardrobe boxes or wrapped in acid-free tissue paper and boxed. The tissue is used in the textile industry to wrap, cushion, and protect clothing. Most of us are familiar with retail stores using tissue paper to wrap a purchase. Use bubble wrap for accessories like hats, masks, and shoes. Now when it comes to kids, you can store it like an adult. Otherwise, most kid costumes can be kept at home for playtime.
When it's time to put it all back into storage, be sure to clean everything first. Let the costumes and decorations dry out to prevent any moisture from getting into the storage bins. Take a few minutes to clean out the bins and boxes before packing it all up again. You want to make sure there are no hitchhikers or stowaways.
How to Store Halloween Wigs
The first step is to wash your wig after you wear it. Typically you should wash a wig every 10 times you wear it, however if you're planning to wear it once and store it for the rest of the year it's better to clean off all of the dirt, grim, and candy so it'll be as fresh as possible for next year. When washing your wig, make sure you only use shampoo and conditioner that is specifically made for synthetic or human hair wigs. These specialty shampoos can be found at wig stores or can be purchased online.
Once clean, place your wig on a towel on a flat surface to air dry. Do NOT blow dry, hang, or place in direct sunlight to dry. Doing so can damage the fibers, stretch the cap. Once dry, you will want to comb out and de-tangle the wig starting at the ends. This will help smooth out your wig and remove those unwanted knots.
Once dry and clean, now it is time to put your wig away. First start by folding the wig in half from ear to ear. Short wigs can be stored inside out while longer, straight hair wigs need to be braided into 4 sections before putting them away. Finally placed your folded wig in a hairnet and store in a dry plastic container.
Safeguard Halloween Fun for Next Year
Storage isn't just about stacking boxes filled with stuff. It's about safeguarding your property and avoiding preventable damages so costumes can be used next year. Thanks to technology and construction design developments, storage facilities now offer climate control 24/7 to keep storage temperatures ideal every single day of the year. This modern convenience raised the protection measures for storing your items safely by protecting it from water damage, better known as humidity.
Technically humidity is caused by inconsistent temperatures. But that's just half of the story. It gets worst because humidity breeds mold and mildew. It can grow on fabrics and damage your costumes. Humidity can also cause paper to curl, buckle, and fall apart. In most cases, there is no hope for repair once the damage is done. But thankfully there's a storage solution that works to prevent it. Pick the self-storage unit size that fits your needs and store your Halloween costumes and decorations for next year.
We're Your Storage Solution!
Storage Rentals of America is your convenient self-storage solution. So come into our office or give our storage experts a call at 1-800-457-5678. Our call center is available 7 days a week and can help determine which storage unit size best fits your storage needs.
