The Big Storage Mistake That's Ruining Your Sweaters

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With summer coming to a close and fall just around the corner, it's almost time to pull your collection of cozy sweaters out of storage. But if you were thinking of hanging them up in your closet with the rest of your clothes, you might want to think twice. Hanging sweaters is actually one of the most common mistakes people make when organizing their closet — and it's also one of the quickest ways to ruin them.

If you've ever wondered why your knits are losing their shape (or why they've started to develop those funny-looking points on the shoulders that no amount of ironing can fix), there's a good chance hanging them is to blame. The weight of thick sweaters, especially ones made of wool and cashmere, pulls downward on hangers, which ultimately stretches the fabric and distorts their appearance. That's why these pieces of clothing should almost always be folded and placed on a shelf or in a drawer. Of course, there are some exceptions to this rule. Lightweight cotton or thinner cashmere knits are known to be a bit sturdier and can usually handle hanging without much damage.

If you're worried that folding sweaters might take up too much space in your drawers and cupboards, there are always space-saving ways to fold your clothes — even when it comes to bulky sweaters. Just make sure not to cram too many into one drawer, as over stacking them could result in the fabric becoming compressed. You can also keep your sweaters looking brand new by placing a dryer sheet in between each one to reduce static cling.

If you don't have a lot of room for clothing storage in your bedroom, you might be thinking that filling your drawers and cupboards with bulky folded sweaters might take up too much space — even with clever folding techniques. If this is the case, don't worry — there are other solutions. If you have some extra closet rod space, you could consider a hanging organizer, like this Songmics Six-Tier Fabric Storage Shelf, which would allow you to store your sweaters in your closet while still keeping them folded. Or, try stackable storage cubes, such as the C&AHOME Stackable Storage Cubes Shelves, to make use of the closet floor space and create extra spots to store your folded sweaters.

If you're really struggling for space and hanging is your only option, however, just make sure you're using the right kind of hanger. There are actually different hanger types for every item of clothing in your closet. And when it comes to sweaters, you want to avoid thin metal or plastic ones that will cause that pointy indentation. Instead, opt for hangers with padded or wide shoulders. Alternatively, you could use the fold-and-hang method by folding the sweater in half vertically, then draping it over the bottom bar of the hanger instead of the shoulders. With these simple tweaks, your sweaters will stay looking brand new for years to come!