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" 7 reasons why smart storage is worth every minute:  1. Cozy sweaters will survive the off-season without getting holes.  2. Your sturdy leather boots won&amp;#039;t wrinkle or crack.  3. Your suede peep-toes will stay soft as a baby&amp;#039;s you-know-what.  4. Invisible stains won&amp;#039;t make an unwelcome appearance.  5. Your peacoat will be shipshape and odor-free come fall.  6. Your go-to fall handbag won&amp;#039;t get all bent out of shape.  7. Your colorful scarf will stay that way, and not fade.Tips: WASH EVERYTHING before storing. Invisible stains, like juice or perspiration, become visible over time.  CONDITION your leather shoes and boots to avoid deep cracks that are impossible to repair. Step 1: Sort TOSS: Shoes and handbags that are severely cracked or worn, or with tears or rips in the leather; clothing with stubborn, set-in stains.  DONATE: Anything you haven&amp;#039;t worn in a year and garments that don&amp;#039;t fit and can&amp;#039;t be altered (anything too small, pants that are too short, etc.).  MEND: Shoes with worn heels or soles, or scuffs in the leather: Take them to a repair shop (this damage is simple to fix). Sweaters with holes or snags: Medium-weight wool or cotton sweaters are easiest to repair, while holes in lightweight silk knits are difficult to camouflage fully. Holes on seams mend well because the fix is less likely to show. Consult a tailor to price a repair and decide if it&amp;#039;s worth it. Step 2: Clean CLOTHING   Clean everything \u2014 even if you&amp;#039;ve worn it for only five minutes. Invisible stains will darken over time and become impossible to remove \u2014 and worse, they will attract fabric-eating insects.   Remove jewelry like pins from garments. They snag clothing, and metal can oxidize, creating stubborn stains. Clean out pockets.  Remove dry cleaning bags as soon as clothes come back from the cleaners. The bags don&amp;#039;t allow air to circulate, which can create odors, set stains, and trap moisture that will make colors fade.  SHOES AND ACCESSORIES   Remove street salt from leather and fabric shoes with a mild vinegar-and-water mixture (about 1 part white vinegar to 9 parts water) applied with a cloth. Salt can erode shoes; ideally, clean after each wear.   Rub conditioning lotion (try Cole Haan Leather Conditioner and Cleaner, $4.50, colehaan.com) into suede and leather using a soft, clean cloth.  Don&amp;#039;t polish leather shoes before storing. The wax in polish doesn&amp;#039;t allow the leather to breathe, which it must do to keep a soft feel.  SHOE REPAIR &amp;quot;Replace leather soles with leather soles, not rubber. Rubber soles on top of leather can disrupt a shoe&amp;#039;s balance, making it wobble,&amp;quot; says Michael Petry, director of design at The Frye Company. Step 3: Store CLOTHING  Fabrics need air during storage so that stains and odors don&amp;#039;t get trapped and colorful items don&amp;#039;t fade.    Try breathable bags ($15 to $21 for a set of 6, clothingdoctor.com): They&amp;#039;re made of polypropylene, a material that protects clothes from dust yet breathes like cotton \u2014 allowing air to circulate through your items \u2014 and they don&amp;#039;t attract insects.   Hard plastic storage containers allow for less air circulation, so if you use them, try this tip from Steve Boorstein, the Clothing Doctor: Line the bottoms of containers with clean cotton fabric. &amp;quot;It helps absorb any moisture,&amp;quot; he says.   Never store clothes in cardboard boxes \u2014 the acidity will ruin them \u2014 or vinyl bags, which suffocate fabrics.  SHOES AND HANDBAGS    Stuff boots and shoes with rolled-up magazines or shoe/boot trees to retain their shape. Store them upright in old pillowcases.  Stuff handbags with tissue paper or casual clothing like long johns to prevent the leather or fabric from creasing. Place on a shelf (ideally, in a pillowcase). Never hang bags on hooks (which strains the straps).  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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