The first rule of #storing #summer #clothing? “Don’t saddle your future self with stuff you don’t need,” says Wirecutter, “even if your past self spent a lot of money on it.” Everyone has clothing that they hold onto out of guilt the hope that they will somehow wear them again. Take a look at your available #storage #space and make a assessment of how much clothing you can realistically #store. Ruthlessly eliminate the things that won’t fit that space and you didn’t wear recently or won’t in the future. You can #donate those items to ClothingDonations.org and enjoy a pared-down fall wardrobe — and lots of extra space. #StoringSummerClothes
Tag: sorting clothing
Clean Your Clothes Before a Wardrobe Swap
A #closet clean-out is the ideal start to a fall wardrobe swap. Pull out every item and decide if it’s still something you will wear in the future based on size, lifestyle and other needs. Make sure everything that makes the cut is washed or dry-cleaned before storing it, since stains and residues can attract #clothes moths. Do the same for any articles of #fall clothing that that need refreshing after several months of disuse. “#Donate or recycle anything you haven’t worn in a while,” Mulberry Cleaners says. “You’ll free up space and give your closet a refresh.” #StoringSummerClothes
Sort and Swap out Your Summer Clothing
As fall begins, the weather starts to turn from hot and wet to cool and breezy, making it an ideal time to swap out shorts and skirts for sweaters and pants. Gather a few supplies: plastic bins, space bags, and shoe bags for the keepers. Then, sort your #clothing, pulling out “anything you can get rid of” and putting it in a trash bag for #donation and grouping #garments by type for #storage. “If it won’t be worn in the next six months, it goes into the storage pile,” says Apartment Therapy. “#Organize your off-season stuff in the predetermined storage space and marvel at the amount of empty hanging, #drawer and #shelf space.” #StoringSummerClothes
Sort Your Clothing According to the Season
In places with variable weather — and especially those with four distinct seasons — one must adjust their wardrobe to match the atmospheric conditions. That means keeping a variety of #clothing of different weights to wear for different purposes.
Even if you live in a place with relatively steady temperatures, you’ll need to prepare for variations in heat and humidity. Or perhaps you vacation in another climate — going skiing or to the beach, for example. You need to have different clothes.
Most months, you know what to expect and which clothes to have close at hand. The problem is when the another season’s clothing is getting in the way of the current season, making it difficult to put together an appropriate outfit.
Sorting your clothing by season is a good way to keep your wardrobe #organized, How Stuff Works says: “There is no good reason your heaviest winter sweater should take up residence next to a summer tank in the prime real estate of your closet.”
Rotate your clothing by season to make better sense of your wardrobe. Start with your shoes, sorting them by season and purpose. Return only the current season’s to your closet or shoe rack, with the most frequently used at the front.
Do the same for clothing. Review each item for fit and wear, sorting it into at least two piles (hot and cold weather) or a pile for each season. Then sort those piles into everyday clothing, special-occasion clothing, clothing to #donate and clothing to #trash.
Return only the current season’s clothing to your closets and dressers; off-season clothing can be stored safely in (labeled) plastic bins. Where you put the bins is another question, but getting off-season clothing out of the way will streamline getting dressed.
Sorting clothing into seasons will also help you reduce your overall inventory by helping you discover which items no longer fit or don’t match your style. Put those times in a box or bag and contact ClothingDonations.org for a free #donation #pickup.
You’ll be glad you did. Whether you’re getting ready for a new day or a special event, you’ll no longer have to hunt for the appropriate items to wear!
Observing Boxing Day Traditions
The Organizing Blog’s favorite holiday is nearly here, and it isn’t Christmas, Hannukah, Diwali or Kwanzaa. It’s the day practically everyone pays attention to how much stuff they have and where they’re going to put it — Boxing Day!
Observed on the day after Christmas, Boxing Day got its start as an occasion for wealthy English landowners in to present servants and tradespeople with #holiday #gifts. The box — filled with seasonal delicacies and trinkets — was a gratuity recognizing their contributions over the year.
Boxing Day continues to be a holiday in many parts of the former British Commonwealth such as New Zealand, where anyone working gets time-and-a-half. And retailers in the United States use the occasion as an excuse to mark down merchandise and shore up holiday sales figures.
We regard Boxing Day as having a meaning that’s arguably closer to the original and more literal: a day to box up your holiday decorations and extra merchandise and give it to a worthy service provider or charity.
You can observe Boxing Day on Dec. 26th or any day of your choosing. Have some empty boxes ready to collect extra decorations and household goods, clothing that didn’t quite fit this season, books that have been read — whatever you no longer need.
Sort those things out as you bring a close to the holidays. As you see the boxes fill up, set them aside in a special location. As the boxes start to pile up — and this will happen faster than you might imagine — #schedule a #free #donation #pickup at ClothingDonations.org.
Put anything you will continue to use back into their proper, designated places in closets, drawers and bins. And know that you will be getting rid of some of the #clutter that has built up and be able to start the new year more #organized.
Your #donations go to a good cause: supporting programs that help the nation’s #veterans. And thanking #veterans — those who served — by giving merchandise is about as close to the original meaning of Boxing Day as you can get.