If there’s one thing Floridians love to do, it’s dressing up. There are several opportunities to celebrate with a costume throughout the year. However, many people don’t know how to store costumes after the party’s over. Besides, most costume-oriented celebrations happen only one day a year (Mardi Gras excluded). What that means is that for the rest of the year, those expensive costumes need storage. The challenge when storing costumes is that they have fragile materials and colors. In other words, you can’t just shove them in the back of your closet and expect them to be OK.
You should store most costumes in individual containers. In some cases, you might even need climate-controlled storage. In fact, it’s common for people to rent a climate-controlled unit to store their costumes. That’s especially true for costume companies, marching bands, high school drill teams, and more. A climate-controlled self-storage unit won’t get too hot or too cold during the year. It also protects your costume from dust, dirt, the weather, and insects. To see more of the safest methods for storing your valuable costumes, keep reading! We’ve collected all the best for you so that you can store your costumes with confidence! Enjoy!
How to Store Costumes: Acid-Free
While you can store your child’s Halloween costume in a regular container, a professional costume is much different. They have unique materials that can leach colors if placed in the wrong box, especially plastic containers. The reason why is that plastic contains acids that can damage your costume’s material, paint, and plastic pieces. That’s why it’s vitally important that you use acid-free plastic. For example:
Acid-Free Plastic Boxes
You can find acid-free plastic containers at pretty much any big-box store. Additionally, you can purchase them online. There are a wide variety of sizes that will hold almost any costume or several costumes
Acid-Free Plastic Bags
Just like plastic containers, acid-free plastic bags are widely available. You can squish plastic bags down smaller than a box. This makes them a great option for costumes that don’t have a lot of structure.
Acid-Free Garment Bags
Being able to hang your costumes in your closet (or in a self-storage unit) is a big plus. If you do that, make sure you hang them in acid-free garment bags.
Acid-Free Paper
If you have a large and ornate costume (or several of them), you might want to store them together. If you do, you should place acid-free paper between each outfit and even between each layer. That way, the colors won’t leach out, and the material won’t crease.
Invest in a Full-Sized Mannequin
Avoid bending, warping, or creasing with a mannequin. Warping might not occur in a day or even a week, of course. But, if it’s sitting in storage for a year, your costume can lose its shape. That’s why many people with expensive costumes buy mannequins to store them. Since a mannequin is the same shape as a natural body, it will hold your costume’s shape very well. It won’t flatten or get any creases that can ruin it and will be ready to go next year!
Get a Mannequin for Headgear
You can store a costume in a box or garment bag reasonably easily. Many hats, helmets, and masks, however, can warp or fall apart without support. That’s why, just like a regular costume, you can buy a mannequin to store your headgear. In this case, however, all you need is the head and shoulders. (And it’ll cost you a bit less too!) Don’t want the extra expense of a mannequin head and shoulders? The least you should do is stuff any masks, helmets or hats with either paper or plastic bubble wrap. It’s not as good as a mannequin’s head but will help your headgear keep its shape while in storage.
Don’t Store Children’s Costumes
Kids grow fast. What that means is that this year’s costume probably won’t fit next year. Kids also like playing, pretend, and dressing up. What this gives you is a unique opportunity to let them use their costumes as long as they like. A Halloween costume, for example, or the costume they made for the school play. No matter what type of costume it is, if your child likes wearing it, let them! Again, it probably won’t fit next year, so getting some extra use out of it now is a fantastic idea.
Use HideAway to Store Costumes
Some people choose to store their costumes in a climate-controlled storage unit. HideAway Storage offers precisely that. We protect your items from heat and cold with climate-controlled storage. Even if you don’t rent a climate-controlled storage unit, our other units are safe and clean. We guard our facilities 24/7 by video monitors. Additionally, our keypad-controlled front gate adds an extra layer of security.
Also, if you’re big on decorating your home during celebrations, HideAway Storage is a great solution. Halloween, Christmas, and any other decorations are safe with us. That way, when your favorite holiday rolls around next year, everything will be ready to rock! It’s one of the most affordable ways to protect your costumes and decorations! That way they’ll last for many more years of enjoyment, fun, and fantasy. If you have questions about storing costumes, you can chat with one of our managers right now.