Old Dominion Heather Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 By "system" I mean anything other than just shoving them in random Rubbermaid bins. This is my method at the moment, but I am looking to make improvements. Maybe a bin for each kid? But then what about seasonal stuff? My three boys share a closet and I can't keep it all in there. Right now I have winter stuff and stuff that doesn't fit anyone in the half attic. My boys are all about 3 years apart in age, so it doesn't work to hand things over immediately, except t-shirts. They usually spend at least 6-12 months in a bin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen500 Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Well, this isn't much different than you're doing, but I sort the clothes by real size (not what the tag says), and summer/winter. Then I put them in bins and I label the bins clearly with a marker or a huge label. Then I arrange them so the next size/season to be used is easy for me to see and access. Otherwise I have opened a bin of too-small clothes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3lilreds in NC Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Hee hee - I was just going to say, Yes! I have a system! I put the clothes in Rubbermaid boxes and put them in the attic! :D I try to sort the clothes by "real" size, like Jen said, so that next time the season rolls around or the next girl needs the clothes, I know where they are. Sadly, sometimes I get in a "MUST GET ALL CLOTHES PUT AWAY" snit and they go wherever they fit so I just don't have to look at them anymore. I do label the boxes, too. I tried using my fabulous label maker, but the heat in the attic made the labels curl and fall off. Now I try to use clear packing tape an index cards. That works pretty well, usually. Once Abbie has outgrown them, I try to send them to my sister, so I do try to keep track of the sizes. Now that they're bigger, they have fewer clothes, thankfully, so it's getting a little easier to keep track of them by size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMW Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I had a storage shed and I had a large box/bin for each child (labeled, if I was on top of my game). In that box were clothes for the next season (top layers) and larger clothes to grow in to (bottom layers). I got the boxes out twice a year, took out the next outfits to put away and put into the box hand me downs from older sibling. This generally took an entire week, because I had to have the laundry done to sort the clothes! Then the boxes went back into storage. Hooray for progress... my girls aren't really growing anymore, no more boxes there... they are allowed to purge their clothing and I try to buy them a few things each season. I have 3 boys all wearing the same size and I only keep one storage bin now - hand me downs for the youngest kiddo and out of season items for others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrianne Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I organize by size/season. For example, I have one box/bin for size 3. If there are too many clothes and I need another box, I then organize by season. 3 summer/spring in one and 3 fall/winter in another. This works well with us. Half my attic is full of clothes boxes too. Its crazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Rubbermaid bins! I sort by real size, type (ie. t-shirts, pants and shorts, sweaters and sweats, etc.), and sex. For any unisex clothing I put it in the next bin where it is most likely to get used. I never keep socks or underwear (ok-I keep truly infant socks and those cute one that match outfits a la Gymboree). Don't forget to weed out anything to old, too used, too dated (will that cartoon themed tee still be in in the next x number of years), too stained etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gretchen in NJ Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I organize by size/season. For example, I have one box/bin for size 3. If there are too many clothes and I need another box, I then organize by season. 3 summer/spring in one and 3 fall/winter in another. This works well with us. Half my attic is full of clothes boxes too. Its crazy! :iagree: This method works very well for us also. I am more concerned with sorting by season since sometimes the sizes they are labeled with are not quite the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie in Oh Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I organize by size/season. For example, I have one box/bin for size 3. If there are too many clothes and I need another box, I then organize by season. 3 summer/spring in one and 3 fall/winter in another. This works well with us. Half my attic is full of clothes boxes too. Its crazy! Changing over clothes makes me a crazy mother, but I try to keep them organized by size and season so that when the seasons change, it isn't the job from he!!. The problem comes when we get hand me downs and they need to be sorted and put in the appropriate bin. That really makes me crazy, but I know I should just be thankful to get them. It just gets very overwhelming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Dominion Heather Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 Thank you! This is all very helpful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I put them in a box, and label them with the size, gender, and season: Girl clothes 3T Winter Then, I stack the boxes in the storage space, with the label pointed out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Dominion Heather Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 Just how big are these bins y'all are using? I think my bins are too big... As in, I can't lift them once they are full. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I use space bags and keep them in the closet of who its going to be given to. Jet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I don't use Rubbermaid bins. My boxes are stored in my basement on shelves off the ground. I use the boxes that size 3 diapers come in- the biggest club pack size. Once they are full and sorted, I just use packing tape to shut and then seal off the handles with packing tape to keep bugs/dust out. I find these are the perfect size for the amount of clothes I have. I sort clothes by gender and size (actual, not what is on the tag). If the box is too small, then I will sort by seasons. I label the top and end of the box and shelve the boxes, labels out for easy access. My kids are 7 and under. I guess in the coming years I will have to find bigger sized boxes to accommodate the larger sized clothes but this system has worked great for me so far. I like that I'm saving money by reusing all those diaper boxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I have a different method altogether: I don't keep anything! I have had it SO much easier since giving clothes away as "we" outgrow them. I figure "you reap what you sow" and have seen this to be the case -- we are given so many clothes that I usually can't keep them all. I also shop at Goodwill and the consignment store when any of the kids need something we haven't been given. I know this won't work for everyone, but I wanted to mention it as an option, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muffinmom Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Well, this isn't much different than you're doing, but I sort the clothes by real size (not what the tag says), and summer/winter. Then I put them in bins and I label the bins clearly with a marker or a huge label. Then I arrange them so the next size/season to be used is easy for me to see and access. Otherwise I have opened a bin of too-small clothes! This is what we do--but I sort by size and gender, not by season. Ds has his own bins and dd has hers (you could do one color for boy/one for girl). Lately we've been buying the see-through bins, which has been helpful too. But the key is labeling clearly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Dominion Heather Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 I have thought seriously about doing this... if they weren't so close in age, I'd do it in a second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen500 Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Just how big are these bins y'all are using? I think my bins are too big... As in, I can't lift them once they are full. LOL. I make my husband lift them. Now, as my boys get older, more of the kids clothes actually get worn out so I don't save as much. And I just keep the stuff that I know youngest ds will wear. I've learned that elastic-waisted shorts worn a zillion times will be worthless in a few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto5 Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I too store most things by size and gender. There are certain exceptions however. My exceptions are that I store the following things by type and not size (one box for each of the following): * summer dress shoes * winter dress shoes * swim suits * Easter dresses/ good church dresses * Christmas dresses/ winter church dresses * coats and snow pants * winter boots * I can't remember the others off the top of my head I have 5 kids so this system works well for us. For example, when I need Easter dresses and white dress shoes - I pull out the Easter dresses and white dress shoe boxes and we all go shopping. It would be difficult for me to pull out all the different size boxes for each kid to look for one Easter dress in each box. Good luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Yep. That's what I do too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 how, if you had kids of the same gender close together, you'd want to keep stuff. I guess I *will* be going through that for the first time in 10 years very soon: Our youngest is a 3mo boy and next "up" is a 2yo boy. So I could see where I'd keep stuff of the older for the younger. In this case, I will just keep one 66 quart Rubbermaid type container to put the bigger clothes in until the baby needs them. Then I'll sort and purge again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 I put all mine in bins by size. So all size 8 things are together, all size 10's, etc. Shoes, socks and underwear can go in separate bins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsdrcook Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 I put them in diaper cases (sturdy and with handles) and label something like this... 3T G summer/spring; 2T B fall/winter. We have had both genders and are expecting another so have to hold on to all clothes. Its taken me 4 + years to get something of a system down. We started out just stuffing them in grocery bags. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommylawyer Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 This past seasonal change, I spent a weekend (yes, an entire weekend), reorganizing all the Rubbermaid tubs of clothes and labeling them. I have each size sorted, then I sub-categorize each size into seasons (Winter and Summer). Then I write on all 4 sides of the tub the gender of clothing, the size, and the season. Finally, I try to arrange the tubs according to the tubs I am going to require the next go-round. It seems to work, but it's still hard to move all the tubs around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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