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Sunday 5 October 2014

Can't be put off any longer

I have been putting off  "fall closet/dresser cleaning" as the temperatures outside have been unusually warm.  Having a large family this is a daunting task but I have come up with a few methods that help.



I start with the largest child's dresser/closet - I work my way through all of one gender of children from largest to smallest so anything that can be passed down, is during the process.  Picking what looks good, coordinates, the child is able to manage and ensuring what we keep fits comfortably in their dresser.  Some of our children have difficulty dressing so they only have clothing that they can dress themselves independently with.  Others in the family have difficulty coordinating an outfit so we reduce the frustration and clown like combinations by having only matching options in their dressers.  For these children we pick a color theme and ensure all combinations coordinate and any special occasion clothing are stored elsewhere.


The seasonal clothing change is also a great time for a deep clean so when all the clothing has been removed I wash down the dresser/closet and vacuum under and around.

When removing the out going seasons clothing from the dresser/closet we store any that is in good condition, we think will fit next year, or can be handed down to a sibling.  I will store clothing for the next season in similar size groupings for children close in age/gender.  With the summer clothing we tend to keep a little more than we would for winter as we like to pack a separate set of clothing for camping (makes getting away easier for us by only having to pack once each season).  I also use the clothing season change as a time to change our emergency change of clothing stored in each vehicle.  We keep a change of clothing in the vehicle for younger kids in case of toileting issues etc.

Any clothing that doesn't make the cut is then divided between the re homing box and the beyond repair might make it as rags box.  Where possible we pass clothing on to family, friends or a thrift store.  These boxes are taken immediately to the vehicle so they can be dropped off on the next outing so nobody gets into them feeling they need to save a certain item.

Last but not least any clothing that is hiding in the dirty laundry is retrieved when the laundry is done and stored as required.

1 comment:

  1. I just did this as well- I always have to make a few passes by the closets and think about making the switch before I finally get up the nerve to actually do it. It's always more daunting than it really is though! I love your tip for having one set of camping and emergency clothes packed each season- will be doing that for sure! I kept a change of clothes with their swimming suits packed together this summer to grab on trips to the pool and it made it much easier to get out the door. caldwellorganizedchaos.blogspot.com

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