Keeping track of your children’s clothes, what no longer fits, what will fit another child, and what should be donated? This can all be overwhelming, complicated and time-consuming. Here are some tips, for storing your children’s hand-me-downs that will help you in keeping it simple, maintainable, and compact:
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Keeping it simple:
Don’t over categorize by size, season, and gender. It can quickly get out of control, becomes time-consuming to maintain, and takes up more storage. Not all sizes are equal, not all clothes are for one season only, and not all clothes are gender-specific. There is an enormous variety in sizing and fit in clothes. Have bins that encompass broader categories. For example:
- Newborn
- Toddler
- School uniforms
- Shoes
Limit what you keep:
Only keep outfits that are favourites and are in excellent condition. The “Rule of 3” is a popular choice – 3 pants, 3 shorts, 3 skirts. Etc. This will help you prioritize the favourites. If you are keeping clothes for memories sake you need to limit this as well. The “Rule of 1” works best here – and they need to be in excellent condition and a favourite too.
Donate:
Keeping clothes for a friend or relative who “might” have a baby takes up valuable storage space, and might be forgotten. There are plenty of women’s shelters and community groups that would be grateful for these clothes.
Keep it maintainable:
Keep the next two sizes up on hand for each child (either hanging in the closet or folded in a drawer) for ease of rotation. Other clothes can be stored in a temperature-controlled environment in bins. Don’t stack the bins. Firstly because lifting one off to get at the one below is a deterrent to maintenance (because it’s either too heavy or awkward to lift). Secondly, lids crack, which means that the contents are not sealed and become vulnerable to dust, bugs, and mildew. 
Keep it safe:
Location:
Where to store children’s clothes? I’ve found that the best place to store clothes long-term is on the top shelf of an indoor closet. Basements are fine but be careful about moisture getting in and the clothes becoming mouldy over time. Under the bed is also another good place. Again though – be careful – underneath beds attract a lot of dust and bugs – so keep them airtight.
My Pinterest Board for more tips and ideas on keeping your children’s things organized.
You can also check out the following posts for more insights on keeping organized with children:
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