Showing posts with label Product Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Product Reviews. Show all posts

Monday, March 18, 2024

Reviewing My First Impressions of GreenStalk Vertical Planters

I have had GreenStalk Vertical Planters on my wishlist for many years. They would have been perfect for the balconies in the apartments I rented in the past. I have recently been able to purchase two GreenStalk planters. I have been so excited about them that I talk about my planting adventures often. I find myself surprised that some people have not heard of the GreenStalk brand and I have to show them a picture so that I can describe what I'm talking about. 

text and photos of the GreenStalk brochure


GreenStalk Vertical Planters

This family-owned business is located in Knoxville, Tennessee. Jack Peterson had a passion for creating better quality plastics - a bit of history I've only just learned. In 2014, he partnered with his son, Ryan, to design these amazing, functional, and durable plant towers.

I remember my excitement when I first saw the Original GreenStalk. 

  • 5 tiers 
  • Each tier has 6 pockets
  • Each pocket is 10" tall
  • Each tier should be filled with 1 cu ft of "high quality potting soil"


Then the Leaf version was invented

  • 7 tiers
  • Each tier has 6 pockets
  • Each pocket is 7" tall
  • Each tier should be filled with .75 cu ft of "high quality potting soil"


Both green stalks include tiny holes in the bottom of each tier and a watering discs for each tier and a water reservoir at the top. I can best describe this design as a built-in drip irrigation system. 

Something that GreenStalk offers that I love - but I've heard others wonder about - is that not only can you purchase a tower (tiers, discs, and water reservoir) as a unit, but you can also purchase the individual pieces and additional items such as the water reservoir lid. In this way, I feel, you can create the system specific to your needs. Do you want only 3 tiers and a lid? Perfect, you can purchase those items individually. Some folks think this is a gimmick to make extra money but I LOVE the ability to mix and match only the pieces I want, when I want. 

GreenStalks also come in a variety of colors. I chose red to match my siding. Greenstalk is also preparing to offer a "basket weave" textured version. 

GreenStalks are pricey. Which is why it took me so long to see my way clear of buying one. But, I've known people who have used theirs for years. In a variety of climates. The durability makes them worth the price tag. Also, GreenStalk offers a variety of sales through the year. I purchased mine during a "buy one get one half off" sale. I've also heard that there is usually a big sale around Mother's Day. And, if you follow the gardening or homesteading social media channels, you can find folks who offer discount codes now and then.

My GreenStalks

I have installed heavy-duty wheels on a small pallet and have placed my GreenStalks on that moveable "cart". In this way, I will be able to move my filled GreenStalks across the deck with ease. 

It is very early in the gardening season here so I have only just placed a few seeds into my GreenStalks. And I am very excited to have some germination happening. I am beginning with spinach, lettuce, carrots, and beets. I will soon add strawberries. I think the GreenStalk Leafs are PERFECT strawberry growing containers. 

With the exception of squash and tomatoes, I have not been a very successful gardener over my lifetime. I have struggled with keeping things watered and weeded. When I had a large garden in the backyard, it was out-of-sight-and-out-of-mind. So it was neglect. And I currently live on land that basically requires the use of containers for gardening. For these reasons, I am very optimistic about vertical gardening with the GreenStalks on my deck.

Related Links

GreenStalk Website  - The place to shop

GreenStalk Gardeners Facebook Page - The place to talk to other GreenStalk fans and see what they are doing with their planters. 

GreenStalk on Instagram -  Planting and growing tips & ideas, beautiful photos, and sales announcements. 

GreenStalk on YouTube -  A small handful of helpful videos. 




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, March 13, 2024

How to Organize Your Messy Linen Closet With Pop-up Storage Bins

A cluttered linen closet can be a source of frustration, especially when you're searching for that elusive missing pillowcase from a set of sheets or the washcloth from a particular set of towels. Fear not! In this guide, I’ll review an easy and efficient way to organize your linen closet using pop-up fabric storage bins labeled with index cards inside clear plastic pockets. Say goodbye to the linen closet chaos and hello to a well-organized and visually pleasing storage space for your sheets, towels, tablecloths, napkins, spare blankets and pillows, out-of-season comforters, and holiday table runners.

It's time for spring cleaning!

Easy linen closet makeover

I am not neat and well-organized by nature. However, I dislike living in a cluttered environment, as does my husband. So, periodically, we tackle an area of particular irritation to de-clutter and organize. Our most recent project was our overstuffed and extremely messy linen closet.

Our easy linen closet makeover was a smashing success, so I put together a step-by-step guide to decluttering and organizing a messy linen closet. (My fellow Review This Reviews contributor Barbara also wrote a linen closet organization guide several years ago that you might want to check out.)

Photograph Your Messy Linen Closet Before You Begin Organizing

I encourage you to take before-and-after photos to document the transformation. Our “before” closet was so bad that I didn’t photograph it and now I wish I had! The "before" photo you see above was taken in the middle of the process, after we had pulled everything out, sorted it into piles, discarded items we no longer need or use, and organized the linens we're keeping. It would have been far more impactful to show our real "before" linen closet next to our finished, organized "after" result, as well as a feel-good reminder of all we accomplished during this DIY home organization project.

Step 1: Assess, Sort, and Weed

Decluttering is the first step towards achieving an organized and functional space. Before diving into the organization process, take a moment to assess your linen closet's contents.

We pulled everything out of our closet, dumped them on our king-size bed, and then sorted all our sheets, pillowcases, towels, blankets, tablecloths, napkins, and other miscellaneous items into piles by category. Then came the hard part: deciding what to let go of or store elsewhere (such as the rarely used sheets for our sofa bed).

Set aside any worn-out, torn, stained, or mismatched linens, towels, or items you no longer need. Be as ruthless as you can. Decide what to discard or recycle and what to donate, then put those items into the trash, bags, or boxes, as appropriate, labeling the containers for recycling or donation.

Step 2: Group, Arrange, and Label Your Remaining Linens

Next, put everything else back in the closet, grouping related items and arranging them in whatever way you prefer to maximize shelf space and optimize organization. Be sure to leave some shelf space open to accommodate future purchases or gifts.

Tip: I suggest putting the linens you use most frequently on the most easily accessible shelves and reserving the highest and lowest shelves for the items you need to remove or put back less often ( such as comforters, extra blankets, guest linens, and holiday tablecloths).

Using scrap paper, make a temporary label for each pile on the shelves (e.g., blue towels, pink towels, striped flannel sheets). Personalize these labels in any way that makes sense to you (e.g., Mom’s Quaker lace tablecloth and napkins). Then place these temporary labels on top of each pile until you have your storage bins and labeling materials.

Messy linen closet without storage bins or labels
Our linen closet after we weeded out what we didn't need to keep.
It's organized, but still messy and the linens don't fit the space well.

Step 3: Measure, Then Select Fabric Storage Bins or Baskets

Pop-up fabric storage bins or baskets are a game-changer for maximizing space and bringing order to your closet both functionally and visually. These collapsible fabric bins make it easy to group similar items and access them effortlessly. Choose appropriate size bins to accommodate different types of linens, from large king-size sheet sets to small dish towels.

Measure your piles of linens, the width of your linen closet shelves, and the space between each shelf, then select a variety of coordinated bins in different sizes to fit. This allows you to customize your storage solution without investing in a custom closet makeover solution. The pop-up storage bins we selected are inexpensive and the workmanship is not perfect, but the price was right and they come in a wide range of sizes and shapes. It was also important to us to have bins that fold down when not in use because we wanted to keep some extras to allow for future expansion of our linen closet's contents. However, if you don't mind spending more, you can find a wide array of attractive storage bins to suit a variety of tastes and home decor styles.

If you have large, bulky items like comforters that won't fit inside even the largest pop-up storage bins, you may want to put them in airtight vacuum compression storage bags designed for this purpose, which will not only keep these items clean but also compress them to fit more easily on your closet shelves and save space.

Step 4: Unfold and Label the Bins

To make it easy to find what you need at a glance, you will want to label your pop-up storage bins. We decided to use self-adhesive clear plastic 3” x 5” pockets and index cards for labeling the fronts of our bins and ordered them from Amazon along with our bins. We chose the 3”x5” size because they matched the width of our smallest bins but were still large enough to accommodate labels with several lines of text when needed.

When your bins, plastic pockets, and index cards arrive, unfold the bins and press against the sides to prop them open. (The sides won’t stay completely straight until you fill the bins.)

Attach a clear plastic pocket to the front of each bin. We ordered self-stick plastic pockets but discovered that they didn’t adhere well to the fabric bins over time, so you will want to stitch, glue, or rivet the pockets to the bins. We've ordered a rivet tool and some rivets for attaching ours more securely. We will use the rest of the self-adhesive pockets and index cards to label storage cartons, where the adhesive will work perfectly. 

Using a permanent marker and index cards, write a new, permanent label for each pile of linens on your closet shelf to replace the temporary label.

This simple and effective labeling system allows for quick identification without having to rummage through each bin, and the clear plastic pockets protect the index card labels from becoming worn or dog-eared.

Step 5: Arrange Your Linens in the Labeled Bins

Take one pile of related linens and place it into the appropriately sized bin. Insert the index card label into the clear plastic pocket and return it to the closet shelf. Repeat with the remaining piles, bins, and labels.

This systematic approach not only keeps everything organized but also makes it easier to find what you need when you need it.

Then take a photo of your newly neat and organized linen closet and savor the contrast vs. your "before" picture.

Organized linen closet with labeled storage bins
Our formerly crammed, messy linen closet is organized and labeled,
so everything is easy to find and accessible. Now we just need to
remove the old, frilly, decorative pink shelf edging we inherited!

Step 6: Maintain Regularly

To keep your linen closet organized and efficient, commit to regular maintenance. Fortunately, this system makes it easy to maintain because, as my grandmother used to say, there’s “a place for everything and everything in its place.”

Periodically review the contents of each bin, refreshing, replacing, or rearranging items as needed. This ongoing effort will prevent the return of clutter and keep your linen closet in top-notch shape.

Messy Linen Closet Makeover Supplies

My husband chose a tailored storage bin style for this project, but the pretty baskets with the quatrefoil pattern would be a lovely, more feminine choice.

Enjoy Using Your Neat, Organized Linen Closet!

Transforming your linen closet into an organized storage space is a satisfying and easily achievable DIY project. With the help of pop-up storage bins labeled with index cards inside clear plastic pockets, you can create a system that not only streamlines your storage but also adds visual appeal. Enjoy the benefits of a tidy, accessible linen closet, where finding the perfect set of sheets or towels or your favorite tablecloth and napkins is a breeze.

Happy organizing!


How to Organize Your Messy Linen Closet With Pop-up Storage Bins by Margaret Schindel

Read More Decor Reviews by Our Review This Reviews Contributors

Read More Home Decor Reviews by Our Review This Reviews Contributors

Read More Product Reviews by Our Review This Reviews Contributors






Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Tuesday, March 12, 2024

A Review of Color Oops - Fix Hair Coloring Disasters

 




Got A Hair Coloring Disaster? Too Dark? Green? Poor Color Choice ?

Don't Panic! What you've done, can be undone.....use Color Oops! 

Most hair coloring mistakes can be fixed. Many times you can return your hair to its natural color, as long as you haven't used bleach. If you have used bleach, your hair's natural color has been stripped away, leaving you with hair that is varying shades of light blonde or white. Your original color is gone, and it cannot be brought back. In that circumstance, the best you can do is to follow advice on how to lose the offending color you ended up with, and then dye your hair a color that is close to what your natural color was.

However, if you just made a mistake with hair dye, no bleach involved, there is a good chance that your hair can be restored with Color Oops.




Hair Coloring Disasters Come In Many Forms Like:

Honest Mistake - the color on the bottle is NOT what you ended up with, for whatever reason.

Going Goth - You decided that you wanted to go goth with jet black hair. Now you look like Morticia Addams.

Your Green is Nothing to Envy - You have over processed your hair and now Kermit the Frog wants your number.

Better Dead than Red - You thought your blonde hair would look cute if it was red. Now you look like Carrot Top.

Being Blue has New Meaning - You decided it would be cool to have blue hair....or pink, or teal or even multicolor. Now you look like a unicorn vomited on your head.

Most are repairable as long as you didn't use bleach.


How Does Color Oops Remove Color Without Bleach?

Color Oops has no bleach or ammonia, but it does have aloe vera and soy protein that will help condition and restructure  your hair while removing the color.  The question is HOW does it remove the color without the damaging your hair?  I found the answer to be kind of like magic.....but of course, it isn't.  

Hair has several layers and the peroxide in hair dye opens these layers up so the color molecules can penetrate.  Your hair may look dark on the outside but the peroxide has lightened the inside layers of your hair, permanently, so Color Oops will not take you back to your natural color. You will end up with lighter hair than your natural shade. Color Oops gets rid of color by reopening the layers of your hair and shrinking the color molecules, so they simply fall off when you wash and rinse.  

Honey, I shrunk the molecules!

Regardless of how strange it sounds, it works!

I have been coloring my hair auburn for years.  Frankly I was just sick and tired of dealing with it.  Any shade of red hair dye fades really quickly.  To keep it vibrant you need to reapply every 4 to 6 weeks, but then as your hair grows, the bottom where it is colored over and over gets darker and darker and the new growth at the top is much lighter.  After a while it can look quite ombre.

So I decided I needed a change, but how to get rid of the red?  And what then?  I was in a real quandary, so I decided to check out hair styles and colors on You Tube.  I saw some really lovely videos on people with naturally gray hair and I considered it.  You Tube is where I saw a video on a product called Color Oops.  I was impressed with what I saw in the vid, so I went to the store and bought some.  I decided on Extra Conditioning because my hair can use all the conditioning it can get.  I still had not decided on the final color, but I decided to go for it anyway.

After I applied Color Oops, my hair looked rather unusual.  It was kind of multicolored......some light red, light brown, dark brown and of course, gray.  It was not a look that I was thrilled with which I understand is not uncommon.  There is a good chance that anyone that uses this product will not like the hair color they end up with.

The answer is simple, just recolor your hair.  Color Oops does not do any damage to your hair, so you are safe to recolor it quickly.  I waited two days, but that was more for my scalp, which was kind of tender.  I decided to go blonde because it is easy to maintain when you have a lot of gray, but I was wondering how blonde it would actually come out without bleach.  I loved the way it came out!  I was surprised that it did come out such a light blonde considering it really was more auburn than any color, pre-Oops.  I always wanted to be a blonde, but I never wanted to have to bleach my hair and maintain it.  Now I have pretty blonde hair and I only have to reapply the color about every 3 months, when it starts looking more gray than blonde!

Below is a video showing how to use Color Oops (she chose to use Extra Strength) and the results.



I was delighted with the results I got from Color Oops.  It was quick and easy to use, did not damage my hair and left me free to dye it the color I wanted.  I could not ask for a better or easier way of fixing my color problem, unless of course I could use magic!


Color Oops Extra Conditioning




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Friday, March 8, 2024

How to Bake a Delicious Turkey Breast Reviewed

Baked Turkey Breast
I've been baking whole turkeys for many years, but I don't remember ever baking just a turkey breast until recently. 

My husband loves turkey.  I bake them a few times each year during the holidays, but even with our large family gathered for the holidays, there is still turkey meat left over.  This thrills my husband because he makes turkey sandwiches with the leftovers for a few days after I bake a whole turkey for a family dinner. 

The problem has always been that once New Year's has passed, it would normally be 11 months before a turkey would grace our dinner table again.  When our local grocery store had frozen turkey breasts on sale, I decided to bake just the breast for my husband to make our beloved sandwiches.  

What a great decision!


How to Bake a Turkey Breast

Baking a delicious turkey breast is easy!  I decided to bake the turkey breast exactly the same way I bake a whole turkey.  My mother taught me decades ago how to bake a tender turkey in a Reynold's oven bag.  

Year after year, diners praise my turkey for being tender, moist and delicious.  I have never minded sharing my secret for baking a delicious turkey and now I will share how I used the same method to bake a fabulous turkey breast.

Be sure to thaw the turkey breast in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days before you want to cook it. Because turkey packaging tends to leak, you will want to put a tray under it and/or put it in a disposable grocery bag to keep from making a mess in the refrigerator.


supplies to bake a turkey breast

Supplies 

  • Thawed Turkey Breast 
  • Reynolds Oven Bag (Turkey Size) 
  • 1 Tbsp Flour 
  • 1/4 Cup of Butter (softened) 
  • Pepper 
  • Deep Roasting Pan

  Instructions 

Step 1:  Preheat the Oven to 350° 

Step 2:  Toss 1 Tbsp flour inside the Reynolds Oven Bag

Step 3:  Hold the mouth of the bag closed and shake the bag to cover sides & top with flour

Step 4:  Put the floured bag in a 2″ deep, heavy duty roasting pan with it opened wide to make it easy to insert the turkey breast later

Step 5:  Wash the turkey completely, inside and out and remove any ice packets inside the turkey

Step 6:  Pat dry the outside of the turkey with paper towels 

Step 7:  Carefully place the turkey inside the floured bag, leaving the bag open wide

Step 8:  Rub the entire outside of the turkey with *softened butter

Step 9:  Cut the remaining butter into pieces and place the pats on top and inside of the turkey breast.

Step 10:  Pepper the outside of the turkey

Step 11:  Close and secure the bag with a nylon tie that is included with the Reynolds Oven Bags

Step 12:  Cut six 1/2″ slits in the top of the bag to allow steam to escape while cooking

Step 13:  Tuck the ends of the bag inside the roasting pan

Step 14:  Place the pan in the oven. Be sure to allow plenty of room for the bag to expand during cooking without touching the sides, racks, heating elements, etc. of the oven. 

Step 15:  Bake according to chart in the Reynolds Oven bag. An 8 lb. turkey breast will take 2 1/2 - 3 hrs 

 

*Softened butter - You can leave the butter on the counter for an hour before you need it or you can microwave it on defrost for 15 - 20 seconds to soften it  


Process in Pictures

turkey breast preparationWashed, Dried, Buttered, Peppered, Prepared & Ready to Close Bag

turkey breast in the bagIn the Bag, Bag Tie Secure,  & All Bag Sides Tucked Inside Pan

turkey breast in the ovenIn the Oven - Back, Sides & Top Clear


Baked Turkey Breast
Baked & Out of the Oven

At this point, you will need to let the turkey breast cool for 15 - 30 minutes.  Then, remove it from the bag, carve & serve.

According to my husband, there has never been a more delicious baked turkey breast!

 

 

My Preferred Supplies Are Available on Amazon



Check Out More Recipe Reviews at
ReviewThisRecipes.com





How to Bake a Delicious Turkey Breast Reviewed Written by:
House of Sylvestermouse





© 2024 Cynthia Sylvestermouse
 




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, March 6, 2024

No Bed Sores or Discomfort for Us! ~ A Product Review

Caring for the Elderly brings you to all kinds of new ideas to make life comfortable and cozy, especially when most of the time is spent in bed!

If you have been following my blog posts you know all about how we (my other half and I ) are caring for my mother!  She is in her mid-90's and not in the best of health.  After a fall and a hospital stay, she is pretty much bed-ridden at this point in her life.

elder care

That is  not particularly  great for anyone but when you are elderly, it can be even more problematic.  Bed sores from constant pressure on certain body parts are a reality that must be dealt with.  

A while ago Margaret Schindel did a whole series on her new bed and the amazing mattress, you can read some of her review here..  She highly recommends it and what stuck with me was the memory foam layer in the mattress construction. 

We have a hospital bed for our Omi (that's her nickname), that helps us to position her so that she can watch TV, read, or just relax.  It also helps us to take care of her other needs as it raises and lowers so that our backs aren't quite so stressed.  But while those are great features, the mattress left a lot to be desired.

Within a month she was feeling pain in certain areas of her back, so we knew we had to do something to mitigate that pain.  Enter the Memory Foam Mattress Topper!

We decided to go with a 3 inch Gel Memory Foam Topper with a removeable cover.  With elderly people you have to be able to wash the cover often, but we also have mattress protectors for double insurance against leaks and other problems.

We love that this Mattress Topper is affordable and has some really great features as well.  It is made of high density foam that gives great back and general body support while still being breathable. 

Having the body supported fully lets the spine relax in a neutral position and the muscles also relax.  Sleep is enhanced and there is no morning soreness.

The Bamboo Fiber Cover is skin friendly and breathable.  It has adjustable elastic straps and an anti-slip surface so that once placed on the mattress, it will not move easily.

We like that it comes with a 10 year warranty.  The only downside was that when we first got it, we needed to let the topper air out!  It did have that new foam smell to it, but with it being placed out on the balcony for a day, that completely disappeared and we have not smelled it since.

All in all, this topper has been a life saver and Omi is no longer complaining about  soreness anywhere.  So we know that it is doing what it's supposed to do.


In our later years, we all want to be as comfortable as possible and this is a great, affordable and easy fix.  Bed Sores are not something that anyone would want to have and if they are left untreated, they can become infected.  So let's stop them from happening!  We have enough problems without adding ones that don't have to be there.

I hope this helps anyone else in our position, or anyone who has difficulty sleeping.  Try a Memory Foam Topper for your bed and see what kind of a difference it can make for you!

 





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Caring For Elders Requires Attention and Willingness ~ A Product Review

Life brings us all opportunities to learn something new everyday!  I'm learning about caring for a Senior that I happen to love dearly, but, is having difficulty with day to day activities.

Caring for Elders requires that you be willing to do things that you thought were impossible and yet you know you have to do those things anyways.  There is a willingness to go beyond what we thought we would be doing and learning to do those things that might be distasteful and generally keep us moving away from the responsibility.  

elderly care


But there are things that make all the distasteful things a little easier to complete and one of these are pre-moistened and good sized  Adult Wipes.  We happen to have found the one we like called Inspire Premium Washcloths!

Back in late January, my elderly mother had taken ill.  She was in hospital for almost a whole month recuperating from pneumonia and the flu.  These illnesses can be quite debilitating for the elderly.  While in hospital, the signs of early dementia, turned into true brain fog, with doctors hoping that once she was home, that fog would clear up.

Such has not been the case.  She is now bed-ridden and the leg muscles so weak that she can no longer hold herself up.  So, we are learning to cope with our new reality.

Incontinence has become the major "problem".  While we have all had our share of diapering babies, we never think of the possibility that we will be diapering our parents.  With a little humour we can get through this stage of our lives.  

What's that old joke about diapers and the elderly?  Why don't they call diapers for adults Huggies and Pampers?  Because it Depends on who is in the will!  Just kidding of course.

Caring for adult skin in the nether regions is important especially when they are elderly, bed-ridden and have other health complications.  Bed sores are nothing to be scoffed at and can become infected causing even more problems.

With caring for the skin in those intimate areas, dependable quality wipes are a must.  Tiny wipes used for babies just don't quite cut it when it comes to adults.  You need something that will hold up and yet be soft, strong, gentle and do the job!  

We found that the Inspire brand Wet Wipes for Adults, was just what we needed.  They are large enough (8 inches x 12 inches).  they are moist without dripping all over the place. Latex and alcohol free,  they are Ph balanced and have Aloe Vera and Vitamin E for skin health included in each sheet.  The only down side is that they are NOT Flushable!  But when you are dealing with disposable diapers, that is not a game changer at all, they just go into the garbage with the diapers.  Quick and easy, clean and neat all in one package.


premium wipes washcloths

wipes

For anyone who has a need for a quick, easy and strong washcloth, these disposable ones are the greatest.  I love that they are not overly scented, yet they have a nice soft feel to them and one or two do the work and hold up through whatever mess you are facing.  These can be used to clean a face, hands or a butt......so many different places that you will find them useful. 

I'm signing off for now, but I'm sure I'll have more to share with caring for the Elderly in another Product Review right here on Reviewthisreviews.com.







Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Reviewing How To Store Wedding Dresses And Special Clothes


 Two Wedding Dress Storage boxes

We were married many years ago and I had a truly beautiful handmade silk and lace wedding dress which I always wanted to keep.

While we were decluttering and cleaning I noticed how the box it was in was showing its age and was concerned the dress may suffer. 

For me and for many other people your wedding dress is one of the most precious and sentimental items in your wardrobe. Some people may not want to keep it and make it into something else or give it away, but for those of us who want to keep it a safe place is important. You want to preserve it for years to come, maybe even pass it on to your daughter, niece or granddaughter if you have them. So if you decide to keep it we have to store properly to prevent damage and fading.

Other special clothing items, such as christening gowns, communion dresses, graduation robes and precious baby clothes also require special consideration if we decide to keep them.

These type of clothes may hold very special, precious memories, so if we decide to keep them they need special care. They may not fare very well if we just keep them in a drawer or wardrobe. 

It is important to clean these clothes before storing them to prevent any stains from setting into the cloth or odours and mould from ruining your special clothes.

In order to preserve your wedding dress , christening gown, baby clothes or other special clothes at their best for longer it is important to choose the right storage box.

  Ideally we should not use cardboard boxes, plastic bags, or vacuum-sealed bags or even just hang up in a wardrobe. These can cause the fabric to discolour or even damage the clothes and certain containers may trap moisture and create mould. 

Wedding Dress Storage box showing place to identify contents
Wedding Dress Storage box showing place to identify contents


The best option for storing your wedding dress or other special item is one that is large enough to store your garment with minimal folding and which has acid free paper to use to protect it and to use in between any folds necessary to prevent creasing.   

So after cleaning and drying it is important to fold and wrap the item of clothing carefully. Before placing your wedding dress or other special item in the storage box, wrap it in acid-free tissue paper or unbleached muslin. This is in order to protect it from dust, light, and insects. 

It is not a great idea to use mothballs, as they may have chemicals that can harm your clothes. If we wish we can add some lavender sachets or cedar balls to repel moths and add a pleasant scent.

Once you have your storage box and have folded your special garment carefully with acid  free tissue paper, it is a good idea to label what is inside and ideal to store it in a cool, dry, and dark place. This would ideally be in a wardrobe, or an under-bed storage container that is away from direct sunlight, heat, or humidity. We do currently have ours on top of a wardrobe, but it is out of direct sunlight. 

It is vital to avoid storing your precious garment in a garage, attic loft area or basement because those places can expose your clothes to extreme temperatures, moisture which may create mould and damage, or even mice which may chew and damage your clothes.

 Once your beautiful clothes are safely stored it is important to check perhaps annually, to make sure they are still in good condition. 

Every two the three years it is a good practice to get them out and air them out for a few days and then refold to prevent any permanent creases. It is good practice to air them out once every so often to prevent musty smells.


Wedding storage box showing handle
Wedding storage box showing handle

The storage box we bought came flat packed and well protected. It was very easy to put together and appears pretty sturdy. It was really just a matter of getting it out the packaging, opening up and laying in the base insert and it was done in a couple of minutes. It is available in small, medium and large sizes and has a hinged lid. 

We bought two in the large size, one for my wedding dress, shoes and veil and one to store my bridesmaid dress I wore for my sisters wedding and some baby clothes my Mum had made and kept along with some lace we had inherited. 

There was plenty of room for all these clothes. They are quite large boxes so could easily fit all these items. I would imagine for most wedding dresses the large size would be the most practical. We stacked them on top of each other on our wardrobe and we think they look lovely.

I like that the storage box had ten acid free sheets already for me to use. This was enough for me, but if you need to you can always buy more acid free sheets.

I like that it has a handle for ease of moving around and this handle feels fairly secure for its purpose. As I have not travelled with it I cannot say how it would stand up to the rigors of travel. As it is intended just for storage in my case, I feel it meets my needs. 

It has straps as well which are fine for the purpose of securing the box. These are fitted with plastic clips which work, but time will tell if they are as strong as I would like them to be. If moving it around a lot I would handle it carefully.  

The box is study enough for most wedding dresses and light enough so that it can be carried around if need be. I also appreciate that it has a space to place a reminder of the contents of the box. 

I like the pattern which also distinguishes it from our other storage boxes, but it also comes in plain ivory and plain white. You can also find plain boxes or those with other patterns in different styles. Really you can pay any price for a storage box for your wedding dress and some are very expensive indeed. For the price I paid I am very happy with my storage boxes to keep my special clothes clean and safe. There are also many more to choose from for your precious clothing items


 

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