Quick answer

Wash and fully dry the sweatshirt, fold it with the printed side facing in, and store it flat in a breathable cotton bag or a clean, dry bin in a cool, dark closet. Skip vacuum bags and hot attics, and never leave a sweatshirt folded on a wire hanger for months, because those three habits cause most of the moth holes, cracked prints, and shoulder creases people find in spring.

Start with a clean, bone-dry sweatshirt

Body oils, deodorant, and food residue are what moths actually feed on, so a sweatshirt that only looks clean can still attract them. Wash it according to the care label, then confirm it is completely dry before it goes into storage. Any lingering dampness in a folded stack encourages mildew and a musty smell that is very hard to remove later. If the sweatshirt has a print, turn it inside out for the wash and use a low-heat or air-dry cycle, since high dryer heat is one of the main reasons prints crack over time.

Fold for the shelf, not the hanger

Hanging a heavy cotton sweatshirt for six months pulls the shoulders out of shape and stretches the neckline. Fold it instead: lay it face down, fold the sleeves in toward the center, then fold the body in thirds so the printed area ends up protected on the inside. Store folded sweatshirts flat in a stack rather than standing them up, and avoid pressing sharp creases into the same line every year. If you are short on shelf space, a single layer in a clean cotton drawstring bag works better than a tightly packed pile.

Choose the right container and location

A breathable cotton storage bag, a clean pillowcase, or a storage bin with the lid left slightly ajar keeps dust off while letting air move. Sealed vacuum bags save space but trap residual moisture and crush prints, so they are a poor fit for a printed sweatshirt you plan to wear again. Keep the container in a cool, dark, dry spot such as an interior closet shelf. Garages, basements, and attics swing in temperature and humidity, which is exactly the environment that leads to yellowing, mildew, and pest activity.

Handle the rest of the offseason wardrobe at the same time

Sweatshirts are not the only item that suffers from a six-month sit. If you are already pulling game-day gear out of rotation, use the same afternoon to check toddler sizes that will be outgrown and small souvenir items that are easy to lose. A toddler tee that no longer fits is better passed down or donated than left in a drawer with the adult sweatshirts, and small collectibles stay in better condition when they have a defined home rather than being tossed in with clothing.

Offseason storage diagnosis

  • Small irregular holes in the fabric: Moths fed on body oils left in the cotton. Wash the sweatshirt before storage and add a cedar block or lavender sachet to the closet, refreshing it every few months. If holes appear in a clean, properly stored sweatshirt within one season, inspect the whole closet for an active infestation before storing anything else.
  • Cracked or peeling print: Heat and pressure are the usual causes, often from a hot dryer cycle or a tight vacuum bag. Wash inside out on cold, air dry, and store folded with the print facing inward so it never rubs against another garment. Once a print has cracked through, no storage method will restore it, so treat prevention as the only fix.
  • Yellowing or a musty smell: Residual moisture or a humid storage spot is the likely cause. Rewash the item, dry it completely, and move storage to a cool, dark, dry interior closet. If yellowing returns after one clean, dry season in a new location, the storage area itself has a moisture problem worth addressing before you store anything else.

Product facts that affect storage

  • Hickory Crawdads White Carolina League Teams Cotton Tee: Cotton tee, 5.3 oz., 100% pre-shrunk cotton with a full cut crew neck and double-needle stitched neckline, bottom hem, and sleeves. Pre-shrunk cotton holds its size through a cold wash, and the double-needle stitching means the neckline and hem tolerate folding and unfolding each season without fraying.
  • Hickory Crawdads Requiescat Black Toddler Tee: Cotton toddler tee, 5.5 oz., 100% cotton with a ribbed crew neck and taped shoulder-to-shoulder seams. Ribbed necks on toddler sizes stretch easily, so fold these flat instead of hanging them, and check the size before storing since kids outgrow a season quickly.
  • Hickory Crawdads White Ice Cream Rawlings Baseball: White Rawlings souvenir baseball with red and navy stitching and a pink ice cream splatter on one side and blue on the other. This is a display piece rather than a storage problem, so keep it on a shelf or in a case instead of packing it in with clothing where it can be crushed.