Spring is approaching and the weather will soon be getting warmer. It might not be time to put away all your winter clothes yet, but it's not too early to start planning to store them. A little careful planning and packing will help you preserve and protect your gloves, scarves, sweaters, coats and winter shoes for next year - and hopefully for many more to come. 

Here are 5 essential tips to help protect your clothing during storage: 

1.  Empty your pockets.   

It's a treat to find money in the pocket of a jacket you haven't worn in awhile.  It's not so nice to find a leaking pen or a sticky old peppermint, however - and it would be even worse to find such nasty surprises in a jacket that had been in storage for four or five months.  Once you've identified the items you're planning to store, take the time to empty all the pockets in every garment.  Also make sure to remove any jewelry, brooches or stick pins from your lapels.  If they oxidize while in storage, they could leave a stain that may not be removable.