So you spent your entire salary on a snazzy new pair of shoes, and now, a few months later, they look shapeless? Don’t worry, Saumya Chawla tells you how to fold them, hang them or just roll them over to
the side.
Saris
Want to keep your great grandmother’s hand-me-down forever? Silks are high maintenance, and apart from getting them dry-cleaned, you should also open and refold them every few months. Store it in soft muslin fabric to keep the zari from reacting with the air and getting oxidised, therefore duller. These can be put on a hanger. Tissue, georgettes, chiffons and organza are delicate fabrics, and should not be on hangers — or they could lose their shape.
Shoes
If you’re prepping to store your boots for the long-haul (trust me you won’t need them in this heat) here’s what you have to do. Get a little extra help for the softer pliable leather to stay in shape. Stick an iron rod so it’s upright, and lay them flat. Your shoes need to breathe; never store them in plastic. Think shoe boxes instead. Acid-free tissue paper or even cloth bags do the trick. Skip wrapping them up in newspapers, unless you want them to lose colour.
Mothballs
They leave your clothes smelling terrible and aren’t very effective. Swap them for natural wooden cedar balls, which smell better!
Clean & dry
No, this isn’t the name of a deodorant; it’s the environment your garments should be in.
Sweaters
These should be folded, never hung, because hangers may stretch out the heavy fabric. Have you ever met someone and been super distracted by an odd point little bump on their shoulder? That’s what happens when you hang your sweaters.
Bras
The first thing on your list should be to find out what your correct bra size is. The second thing should be learning how to store it. I know you probably have a huge drawer full of your socks, undies and bras all jumbled together. The cloth bras can be folded in half, but you can’t do that with bras with cups. NEVER invert them or push one cup into the other. Would you want to walk around with a dent in your b**b? I didn’t think so. Lay them flat, stack them one behind the other, or even put them on a hanger!
Blouses & Pants
Your mantra here is wooden hangers. I know it’s expensive but hear me out — wire hangers are terrible for your clothes. (The metal ruined a very dear sari, so I know.) Wire hangers have the tendency to rust and can ruin delicate fabrics. They also leave a really sharp sideway crease. Same goes for the plastic bags that your dry cleaners return your goodies in — they essentially trap the cleaning chemicals and moisture in, which is something I wouldn’t want to mess with. Dress pants can be stored by hanging them along the crease.