We have three kids and plan to have one more so I have baby/toddler clothes coming out of my ears! I don't want to get rid of anything until we know we are done so I have stored all the clothes in plastic totes. We moved and before I was able to store them in the basement now we are storing them in a garage. I am a bit worried about moths because of where we live and was wondering is there something not quite as smelly as moth balls? Do I need to be concerned? I never was before but since the garage is opened more to the outside world I'm a bit afraid of the elements.
Totes are really great for stroing large quantities. You can put some bay leaves in the containers if you are afraid of moths. They hate them. You could place a piece of tissue paper over the clothes and then a few bay leaves. I have not had a problem even with storing clothes in totes in the basement. Garage shouldn't be a problem unless the totes are not closed correctly.
Get Space Bags! They're awesome!
Cedar logs or chips you can buy from WalMart or Target. In the old days lots of closest were cedar lined and that is also the reason for cedar chest. I have stored stuff for the last 20 years in my cedar chest and have never had any problems what so ever. I also use the plastic totes for storage and just drop in some cedar bars in the bottom.
I'd be more afraid of a basement than a garage, but I'm not familiar with your area. One of my family members swears by those vacuum bag thingys... me, I put everything in double plastic garbage bags THEN into huge rubbermaid totes in our basement... so far, the mold hasn't gotten in there! Good luck!
They should be fine if they are in the totes. Just make sure the lids are sealed. You can even run packaging tape around where the lid meets the tote. That will close any possible gaps. That's how I store all my baby stuff and I've never had a problem.
The vaccuum bags work really well and cut-down on the space needed to store. We have put my son's clothing in the vaccuum bags and then into the plastic bins so that we can "stack" them in the attic!
