Living in Britain has its challenges - aside from the obvious social and economic ones, these include the fact that we live in a temperate zone and are subject to wild fluctuations in weather! These seasonal changes certainly present opportunities, but only because we equip ourselves with the clothing and equipment we need to enjoy ourselves no matter what the weather’s like.
Why do British people own so much stuff??
We could become hermits in the winter - get our food delivered and not venture outdoors again until spring. Anything short of that will require different clothing and paraphernalia to allow us to function outdoors and indoors, whatever the weather.
We can enjoy the warmer months by wearing suncream and lightweight clothing while we go for walks or head to the beach; we can invest in camping gear to enjoy nights away in the countryside and sports equipment to engage in outdoor sports. In the colder, wetter months, we layer up with warm and waterproof clothing so that we can still enjoy the outdoors without freezing to death or becoming drenched.
The trouble lies in the fact that by owning belongings that suit very different seasons,
we can find that our houses become cluttered. Every conceivable space - under the beds, on top of the wardrobes, in the shed, in the loft, in the spare room - gets taken up with belongings that we may not use for several months.
The key to resolving that feeling of our houses being full-to-bursting lies in organisation and seasonal storage.
Transitioning from winter to spring
Without a doubt, we need more stuff in winter than we do in spring and summer. Everything we use in winter - from bulky woollen jumpers to snow boots and sledges -
takes up a significant amount of room.
For example, you could hang five strappy summer dresses in the same amount of space in your wardrobe as one chunky jumper, and sandals will easily slot into shoe cupboards. In contrast, winter boots need a tray or something in your hall to stand in lest they get misshapen and cover everything else in mud!
Other things you might own and only use in winter include:
- Christmas decorations,
- heavy tog duvets,
- extra blankets,
- electric blankets,
- portable heaters,
- indoor drying systems (heated dryers, clothes horses, that kind of thing),
- heavy-duty cooking equipment, for making hearty winter recipes like stews (e.g. slow cooker, stock pots, extra crockery/dishes for Christmas dinner).
To make a successful transition from winter to spring, these are
the things you’ll need to store away to make room for the things you’ll use day-to-day in the warmer weather. Accessing the things you need without having to push past or dig through a load of stuff you don’t will make life much easier!
Storing winter clothes and equipment
Storing clothing
Go through your clothing, blankets and anything else made of fabric you won’t use for a few months to check whether they’re things you’ll want to wear or use next year. If you won’t use them next year, donate them to charity or pop them online to sell. (Note that people don’t tend to buy winter gear at the start of spring, so you might want to store them until there’s a market for them again next autumn.)
If you’re storing clothing or other fabric items to use or sell next year, ensure everything is clean (and, most importantly, dry!), fold it all neatly and pop it in a vacuum bag. Suck out all the air with your vacuum cleaner and watch it all flatten into a neat package that can now be stored in much less space!
Storing winter clothing in plastic bags or boxes should protect them from mice and moths.
Winter boots are a little more tricky as they need to be kept straight (not squashed). Make sure they’re properly clean and dry (give them a rub with some olive oil if they’re made of leather), and stuff them with tissue or newspaper to help them keep their shape. Then, store them in boxes (label the boxes clearly) and pop them somewhere where they won’t be exposed to great fluctuations in temperature.
Storing other winter gear
Other winter items will need to be stored in a way that keeps them safe from damage, especially if they contain any electrical components.
Heaters, slow cookers and electric blankets need to be kept somewhere safe from the elements and free from the risk of nibbly pests that could lead them to malfunction the next time you try to use them.
Cookware you won’t use until next winter must be protected from breakage. If you leave them in your kitchen cupboards, they’ll get in your way every time you want to use your other pots and pans, and they might get broken.
These larger items can be carefully stowed in plastic, lidded boxes (labelled so you know what’s inside!) and stored. You could keep them in your loft or cellar if you have either.
Instead, you could
rent a self storage unit for your winter clothes and equipment for a few weeks until next autumn.
Using self storage units for your seasonal storage
Our self storage units are all indoors in stores that are covered by CCTV, fire alarms and pest prevention systems. You could store all your winter gear in boxes there or kit your unit out with shelves to be extra organised.
Once the colder weather starts creeping in again, you can either cancel your self storage unit and move out or keep it and use it to store your summer and spring clothes, camping gear and sports equipment!
If you’re interested in getting organised this year, get in touchl to find out
how much self storage will cost and what size of unit would be best for you, or go ahead and reserve a unit online today, with no deposit to pay. Then, you can get everything out of the way that you won’t need for a few months and enjoy your
uncluttered living space over spring and summer!