Clean your winter gear before you shove it in the basement.

Yes. Clean everything before storing, then don’t just throw it in a bin.

Moth larvae love the sweat and food crumbs you left on your coat. Salt from boots will rot the leather if left all summer. Five minutes of cleaning now saves you fifty bucks later.

Coats: Read the tag. If it says dry clean only, do that. For down or synthetic, wash on gentle with a special detergent (no fabric softener) and tumble dry low with tennis balls to fluff the down. Wool coats should almost always be dry cleaned.

Boots: Wipe off all salt and mud with a damp cloth. Let them dry naturally—not on a radiator. Apply a leather conditioner if they’re leather. Then stuff each boot with newspaper to hold the shape and absorb any lingering moisture.

Storage: Never use plastic bags. Coats need to breathe; use a cotton garment bag or a clean pillowcase. Boots go in a cardboard box or a cloth bag, in a cool, dark place. No attics (too hot) and no basements that