Okay to keep clothes & shoes in car boot?

cbelleview

A few months ago we downsized from a house to a flat and there's simply nowhere to keep my actually quite modest collection of boots, walking shoes and a few bulkier winter coats.

Reducing my wardrobe isn't an option at the moment and I know the possible security implications if my car got broken into, but would storing completely dry clothes and boots in the boot of my car be ok from the perspective of them potentially going mouldy?

I always fully dry clothes and footwear indoors before putting them in plastic boxes and then in the very clean boot of my car, but condensation/ice does sometimes form on the inside of the windscreen, so I just don't want to run the risk of my clothes/shoes getting damp and mouldy. Any thoughts?

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

cbelleview wrote: »

A few months ago we downsized from a house to a flat and there's simply nowhere to keep my actually quite modest collection of boots, walking shoes and a few bulkier winter coats.

Reducing my wardrobe isn't an option at the moment and I know the possible security implications if my car got broken into, but would storing completely dry clothes and boots in the boot of my car be ok from the perspective of them potentially going mouldy?

I always fully dry clothes and footwear indoors before putting them in plastic boxes and then in the very clean boot of my car, but condensation/ice does sometimes form on the inside of the windscreen, so I just don't want to run the risk of my clothes/shoes getting damp and mouldy. Any thoughts?

It's not really going to go mouldy. Think of all the stuff that gets left in a car anyway - paper maps, windscreen cloths (that often are left damp after use) and so on.

Main problem is that they may not be very nice to use on a cold day - putting on a pair of boots that have been sub-zero overnight.

cbelleview

Good point about the clothes and shoes being cold to put on. However, I leave my everyday stuff in the hallway and on days when I want to wear something stored in the boot, I often bring it in an hour or two before, so this would give it chance to warm up. I don't leave my best clothes or boots in the car but mainly stuff I can't contemplate throwing but it wouldn't break my heart if anything did happen to them - although I'd rather the elements didn't affect them.

Nodding_Donkey

Depends if the boot leaks I reckon.

AdrianC

Sorry, but I think you need to be a bit more brutal.

You have clothes that you aren't wearing (including winter coats in... winter) which you "can't contemplate" (yes, you can - you just don't want to contemplate it) getting rid of, yet have nowhere to store (is that going to change?) so you are thinking of turning your car into a wardrobe extension... But it won't matter if anything happens to 'em... Fine. Get shot of 'em, then.

The key is the phrase "actually quite modest collection". You KNOW you have far more than you need or will wear, yet you're being defensive - "Well, others have more". Yes, but they have space to store them...

Zola.

Give the stuff you dont wear to charity.

cbelleview

Absolutely fair points. I readily admit I've got a spending and hoarding problem and I will, promise, be making more effort to donate items I'm not likely to wear any time soon.

I previously did have the space to store everything, though, and the kids have grown up and moved out so my car's boot is rarely used for anything but the weekly shop, so I wouldn't be selfish if I did treat my car like a wardrobe extension.

The car boot doesn't leak, fortunately, and I guess many cars have condensation in them or even light ice inside the windscreen at times, so I won't overly worry about the 'health' of the clothes and shoes in the meantime then!

NBLondon

On a Moneysaving point... how much does all this weigh? Are you affecting your MPG by lugging it around every journey? Is your flat SO small you can't put coats and boots somewhere? Is there other stuff taking up space which would be easier to get rid of - sell on?


Actually, my hiking boots spend more time in a bag in the car than in the house - because I live in London and I usually need to drive to get anywhere that boots would be appropriate. Never been a problem.

cbelleview

I have whittled it down to about 3 carrier bags full, so no a huge amount in terms of size and weight, and the car's a MPV so has got loads of space left.

It's encouraging that your hiking boots are surviving ok kept in a bag in your car's boot.

AnotherJoe

If you don’t have room to put one medium sized plastic box in your house that would otherwise be ina car boot, you have a serious hoarding problem, what’s the rest of your house like if you are even contemplating this?

Fix that.

If you can’t fix it, use vacuum bags, put the clothes in that then ina box you can close, and ask your kids if you can leave it in their loft. After one year, when you haven’t used any of them, take them to a charity shop.

vikingaero

If you use your car nearly every day then it's not going to be a problem - especially as the clothes are clean and dry. Keep the vents open to fresh air rather than recirculating. And when parked up turn/press the air direction switch/rotary to vents and there will be airflow.

I keep my muddy caving gear in my car. Occasionally the car will condensate in sunshine or mornings if my stuff is exceptionally damp.