Keeping Your Fabric Stash Safe In Your Storage Unit
Every seam-stitcher has their coveted stash of fabrics and materials. Often, they can pile up around the house and fill up your craft room leaving little space for crafting. If your stash has left you feeling swamped, there's still hope. You can store your stash and free up space for crafting by storing your fabrics in a storage unit. Often, sewers worry that their fabrics and supplies could become damaged in storage, but by storing your materials correctly you'll store them safely and free up space.
Beware The Light
Many sewing enthusiasts don't know that light has a way of putting expiration dates on fabrics. The light breaks down the fibers that make up both thread and fabric and weakens them. You won't realize it at first until you try to use the materials. Sun rotted threads and fabrics will appear to be fine and then under the first application of tension, they'll snap or break. This is bad news if you've been storing your materials in a sunny crafting corner in your home.
To prevent sun rot, you'll want to store your materials away from the light. Thankfully, storage units offer a major protection against light. However, you can up the ante by storing your material and thread in any opaque container. Basic storage bins are a good choice for this.
Guard Against Pests
Some pests love to eat fabric. Moths, carpet beetles, and silverfish are all attracted to natural fibers as a food source. Wool, silk, and cotton are all on the buffet for these guys. You can tell if these pests have been eating your materials if small holes begin to appear. The only way to be rid of them is to wash the materials on high-temperature wash setting.
To prevent your stored fabric from becoming food, seal your fabric in vacuum sealed bags. If you want extra insurance against these pests, store your sealed bags of fabric in cedar chests. Sometimes, cedar chests may not be practical, so cedar pieces purchased in a housewares store will work just as well.
Prevent Mildew
If your sewing stash were ever exposed to moisture while in storage, mildew could form. Mildew rots and discolors fabric can be a pain to get rid of, even in its early stages. Yellow stains, dark spots, and musty odors are all signs your stash has succumbed to mildew.
A climate-controlled storage unit is one of the best ways to guard against mildew. Climate-controlled units aren't completely at the whims of the weather outside and can help store your materials in a stable environment. You can also pack your materials with moisture absorbing packets, but these will need to be changed periodically according to package directions. Visit a site like http://www.tysonsstorage.com for more help.