While the unofficial end of summer is Labor Day, the official end for 2019 is September 23rd; how should your summer clothes be cared for once the weather turns cool?

1. Never put anything that you wore, even for a second, away without cleaning it first. Why? Perspiration, perfumes, white wine, gin & tonic and some food will dry without leaving a visible stain. If these garments are put away without cleaning, next summer you may be faced with oxidized (yellow) stains which are close to impossible to remove.
2. Bathing suits and swim wear all should be washed to remove residual chlorine or salt water. Why? Chlorine and salt left in fabric could cause discolorations, color loss or fabric degradation. Air drying without washing your swimwear after a dip in the pool/ocean could cause problems over the winter.
3. Summer knits and sweaters need cleaning before being put away. Besides the potential of oxidized stains, moths love perspiration, perfume, food and drink. Putting sweaters away before cleaning increases the likelihood of moth holes; which are expensive to repair. Store knits folded, never on a hanger to prevent stretching.
4. Open seams, balky zippers and missing buttons should be repaired now. It is not fun to grab your favorite white top on Memorial Day Weekend only to discover that you cannot wear it because it is missing two buttons and you cannot find safety pins as a work-around.
5. Store your summer bags and shoes in the dark as light will fade leather over time. Use dust bags and shoe boxes for storage or in a pinch, pillow cases. Shoes and bags should be stored clean, so have them cleaned professionally or wipe them down with a slightly damp cotton wash cloth (check in an unexposed area first to make sure the bag/shoe does not bleed). Shoe trees should be used to maintain the shape of shoes and tissue paper used to maintain the shape of your bag
6. Your delicate garments’ worst enemies are frequent changes in temperature and humidity, sunlight, moisture and material-damaging insects such as clothes moths, silverfish, etc. Always store your wardrobe in a clean, dry, temperature and humidity-controlled environment.  As an alternative, consider storing your off-season and infrequently worn garments at Garde Robe (https://garderobeonline NULL.com/) to ensure your wardrobe remains in pristine condition.

If you have questions about the cleaning of out-of-season items, Jeeves New York is at your service. (https://www NULL.jeevesny NULL.com/contact/)

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