The transition from winter to summer is more than a change in weather, it’s a change in wardrobe. The thawing of the frost signals that it’s time to pack away your warm winter clothes to make room for shorts and sandals. Follow these simple steps to properly store your winter footwear. Proper storage will ensure that it is ready for another season of rain, snow and slush.
Step 1
Discard any shoes or boots that have been outgrown or are too damaged to be worn next year. Repairs such as heel cap, shoelace replacement and waterproofing should all be done before you store away your winter footwear.
Step 2
Clean all your winter footwear to remove dirt and debris. Take special care to remove salt stains on leather and synthetics using a clean rag dampened with water and vinegar. Salt is very damaging to both leather and synthetic materials. If your boots are suede or a softer material, surface clean the boot with a cleanser recommended by the boot maker.
Step 3
Remove the liners from inside winter boots, ski boots or weather insulated boots that have removable liners. Often sand, dirt and salt makes its way down under the liners. If the liners are washable, launder them to clean thoroughly. You want to rid them of dirt, sweat and salt. In addition, you want to prevent mildew from growing inside your boots under the liners. Allow the liners to dry completely before putting them in storage.
Step 4
Some people recommend making deodorizing shoe inserts for your winter shoes and boots by filling clean tube socks with cat litter. Tie off the top of each sock and insert it into the toe of your shoe or boot to help absorb odors and keep the shoe’s shape throughout the summer months. Seems like a lot of cat litter to me. I would just put one in each storage bin.
Step 5
Use old magazines to create supports for your knee-high leather boots. To avoid wrinkles in the leather and help your boots keep their shape for next winter, insert a tightly rolled magazine into the top of each boot.
Step 6
Find plastic bins with tight-fitting lids to store your winter shoe collection. You should use enough bins to comfortably store all of your shoes without having to over stuff them. The most important tip here is to ensure the bins you use fit in the area you want to store them in. For example, if you want to store your winter footwear under the bed or on a shelf in the basement, make sure you find storage bins that fit under the bed or on the shelf.
Step 7
Place a clean soft cotton cloth in the bottom of the box to absorb any moisture that might be in the air. If your boots have liners, just lay the liners beside the boots for best storage results. Make sure that your boots actually fit in the box and that you are not smashing them down into the box.
Step 8
You might think this next tip is going a bit far, but how many times during that first snowfall have you rushed to find boots for the kids only to open bin after bin looking for the boots. Take a digital picture of the inside of the bin before you put the top on. You can tape this picture to the outside of the box as a quick reminder of what pairs are inside.
