How to Store Bedding, Jumpers and Shoes in a Small Home 📦

The spare doona lives on top of the wardrobe, the jumpers are in a slumped pile and the shoes have taken over the hallway floor. Every small home hits this point, and bigger bags alone don't fix it.

Below, storage taken apart layer by layer: what each item needs, the step everyone skips, and a summary table to keep.

On the bench: three bulky things

A doona, a stack of jumpers, a few pairs of shoes. The filling, the fibre and the leather each decide the method, and what suits a synthetic doona slowly ruins a down one.

Layer one: the doona

Job: stay lofty, dry and dust-free.

• Down or feather: a breathable cotton bag, or an old doona cover. Don't vacuum-pack it. Long compression damages the loft.
• Synthetic: a vacuum bag is fine short term if space is tight.
• Fold: in half lengthways, then into thirds. Keep it loose.
• Before use: air it an hour or two, out of direct sun.

Layer two: the jumpers

Job: keep their shape and stay off the clothes moth menu.

• Fold, never hang. Hangers stretch the shoulders.
• Clean first. Sweat and food stains make wool more attractive to moth larvae.
• Bag it: a cotton bag, or a sealed box with a silica gel sachet.

Hidden tip: suspect moth eggs? Seal the jumper in a plastic bag and freeze it for several days. University of California pest experts list this as a way to kill them.

Layer three: the shoes

Job: hold their shape and let the leather breathe.

• Brush off dirt and air-dry. No heater.
• Shoe trees inside to hold the shape. Skip newspaper, as the ink can rub off on linings.
• Cotton bags, not plastic, which traps moisture.
• Don't stack pairs directly on each other. Weight dents heels and creases toes.

I reckon the back of the door is the most wasted storage in any tiny flat. A hanging organiser gets shoes off the floor.

The part nobody checks: the cupboard

Skip garages and lofts, where temperature and humidity swing. A cool, dark wardrobe or under-bed drawer wins. Leather does best around 45–55% humidity, and mould can set in within weeks above about 60%.

Hidden tip: moth larvae hate light. Now and then, brush stored woollens along seams and folds and give them sun. Brushing destroys eggs and the larvae drop off.

The part that doesn't matter: the scent

Lavender sachets smell lovely. Their effect on moths? Unclear. Cedar oil kills only small larvae and fades over several years. Clean, dry and well packed does the real work.

Cheat sheet: put it back together

A storage bag is only as good as what goes into it. Clean. Dry. Done.