While less is more when it comes to #stuff, there are a few things you might want to have at the ready before #winter if you want to be #prepared for the worst. You might need a good snow shovel, de-icer, flashlights and batteries, a weather radio, an emergency car kit, food that doesn’t require preparation, and extra pet food. Even if you aren’t completely snowed-in, you might like to stock up on #winter staples such as flour and sugar for #holiday baking. In many areas, you’ll need a good winter coat and waterproof boots — and you can find a lot of lightly used winter gear at the #thrift stores supplied by generous #donations to ClothingDonations.org.
Tag: winter clothes
Store Outdoor Goods for Next Year
If you enjoy #outdoor living when the temperatures are warm (we at The Organizing Blog certainly do), you’ll want to protect your #garden, deck, furniture and other equipment. Start by preparing your garden, says HGTV. #Winterize irrigation systems and mulch the flower beds. Protect outdoor furniture by covering it or storing it in the garage or basement. Likewise with metal outdoor amenities such as barbecue grills and firepits — store them inside or cover them with a waterproof tarp. You may also wish to water-seal wood fences and decks to make them last longer against the snow and sleet. #HomeWinterization
Winterizing Tasks for Your Home
#Winterizing your home is important if you want to catch any issues and make repairs before they become more costly or disruptive. Clean the gutters, cut back overhanging trees, caulk windows and doors against drafts, reverse your ceiling fans, and schedule an inspection and tune-up for the furnace. Also inspect your roof and clean the gutters to keep moisture out, Kiplinger says. And if you want to avoid frozen and burst pipes and they damage they can cause, disconnect all garden hoses, locate shutoff valves for outdoor faucets, drain those faucets completely and insulate them with an outdoor faucet cover. #HomeWinterization
Prepare Your Closets for Winter
One part of prepping your home (and yourself) for #winter involves swapping out #summer #clothing for heavier flannels, sweaters and coats. “With these cold-weather clothing staples about to take up significant closet space, now is the perfect opportunity to stage a clean-out,” says Martha Stewart. “Toss items that are damaged beyond repair, #donate what you no longer wear, and store pieces like swimsuits and sundresses where they’ll be out of the way for the winter season.” You’ll have more room in your closets — and probably several #bags of #donations for a ClothingDonations.org#pickup.
How to Store Your Off-Season Stuff
If you live in an area where the #seasons change, you probably have multiple wardrobes based on the outdoor temperature: shorts and T-shirts for #summer, corduroys and coats for winter, and multiple layers for everything in-between. That demands a lot of #storage #space.
If you’re a person who is blessed with giant walk-in #closets dedicated to different seasons, you won’t have any concerns. But in terms of #clutter, it never hurts to pare the #wardrobe down to the things you actually wear and have them at the ready when the weather dictates.
Many of us perform a biannual swapout to prepare for the new season — or at least we should. Otherwise, you’ll need to sort through your swimwear in order to find your favorite sweater, and vice-versa. Take advantage of the change in seasons to #organize and edit your #clothing.
“Before you put anything in storage, you must take stock of your current off-season inventory,” says The Home Edit. “Editing will give you the opportunity to reevaluate your wardrobe to clear space and start fresh.”
Set aside anything that doesn’t fit, doesn’t fit quite right or fits uncomfortably. Set aside any items you haven’t worn in more than a year. Now’s the best time to get rid of any summer #clothes that didn’t get worn since the season and what you wore is fresh in your mind.
Next, sort the #stuff you want to wear during the #fall and #winter into the easiest-access #storage real estate — those shelves, hangers and hooks that you see as soon as you open the closet door. Do the same edit on the incoming fall goods, setting aside anything you can’t envision wearing.
Store the off-season “keepers” separately from the incoming season’s must-haves. That might mean a high shelf, under the bed or in the basement; just try to make sure those garments are protected from moisture, mold, mildew and insects.
Finally, bag your lightly used set-asides and #donate them to ClothingDonations.org by scheduling a #free #donation #pickup. Any damaged or stained garments can be thrown directly into the trash or shredded into rags.
#Streamlining clothing storage with the change of seasons will pay off by keeping your drawers and closets #clutter-free. What’s more, you’ll save lots of time by being able to find what you want to wear when you want to wear it, all season long.