Organizing your children’s clothes is one of the toughest things. Hopefully, these tips on kids’ clothes organization will help both you and your child to keep the closet from overflowing! Because children grow all the time, which constantly results in new clothes to add to the closet. And what to do with the clothes that no longer fit them?
By the way, children aren’t particularly tidy as well. My five-year-old just throws his clothes on the ground wherever he is unless I keep reminding him to put them in the laundry hamper. If you have more than one kid, your challenges in this department will be even bigger.
6 Kids’ Clothes Organization Guidelines
But before I dive into the step-by-step guidelines of kids’ clothes organization, I will share my own ‘system’ that really works well for me. Considering I live in a small home and work 5 days a week when my son is at school. Therefore, I had to come up with a system that allows me to have enough clothes without overstuffing the closet. And that also makes sure I don’t have to launder his clothes every few days.
But I guess it might work for you too, especially if you are saving clothes for a smaller (future) sibling, or if you save stuff you’re not able to part with yet because your child grows older so quickly and it keeps reminding you of those early years. Therefore, even if your home is bigger, you will still have to battle the number of clothes you have to organize and store.
Here are my own 6 ‘rules’ in a nutshell:
- I only use available storage space in my son’s room. In my case, that is one small, tall closet and 3 drawers on wheels stored under his bed. If his closet is overflowing, something has to go.
- If I purchase a new item, another one has to go.
- I only keep 8 items of clothing per type and size. For example 8 t-shirts, 8 pairs of trousers, 8 pairs of shorts, 8 long sleeves, etc. This way I have a clean pair of clothes for every weekday, while I’m still able to combine tops and bottoms depending on the weather. Plus I have a spare set of clothes in case of spills or accidents. I only have to make sure to do my laundry once a week.
- I only keep 2 jackets or coats for a particular season.
- I make sure to have at least 16 pairs of underwear and socks in a particular size. Because nothing is worse than having no clean underwear after a little accident. As for the socks, I don’t know about you, but in my home, I will find a hole in a sock every other week!
- If my son grows out of a particular size, I will immediately remove these clothes from his closet and follow the instructions of step 4 (see below). I will also make sure the next size is available in his closet (with 8 pieces of each type of clothing). This way, I declutter and organize every few months, and it’s more like an ongoing process.
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6 Steps To Follow For Kids’ Clothes Organization
STEP 1 – Empty Closet
Empty your child’s closet completely and check other storage areas for clothes.
STEP 2 – Create An Overview
Collect everything you’ve found and spread it out in a larger area, for example, the floor, or use your living room instead of your child’s room.
STEP 3 – Clean The Closet
Now, take this opportunity to give the closet a good cleaning. Also, make sure to clean other storage areas where you usually store the clothes.
STEP 4 – Sort Into Different Categories
To help you sort your child’s clothes into different categories, you may simply follow the instructions below.
- First, skim the lot and look for damaged or too-dirty-to-wash clothes that are beyond repair. Put them in the throwaway pile.
- Next, see which items are too small. Decide if you want to donate them, keep them, and hand them down to a younger sibling or if you want to sell them if they’re only gently worn. Put them on the respective piles.
- Now, select the out-of-season items and put them in the keep but store away pile or decide if your child will be grown out of the next season and you’d rather donate or sell the item. Make sure to wait to sell out-of-season items until right before that season starts, and everybody is looking for a good deal.
- The next thing is to pick the clothes that are still too big for your child. You also put those on the save pile.
- Now, you will have a pile of clothes left that you want to keep in your child’s room.
Different Categories For Kids’ Clothes Organization
- KEEP
This pile should have all the pieces your child actively wears, that still fit, are in good shape and that suit the present season. - SAVE
You may save out-of-season clothing, items you will want to save for a smaller sibling, and the clothes that are yet to big for your child. It is best to store items in this pile away, preferably outside of your child’s room. This way, you may use all your storage options for the clothes your child actively wears. - THROWAWAY
This pile now contains all damaged, torn, overly worn and ripped clothes. You may opt to change those into cleaning rags or you may discard them. - DONATE
Make sure the items in this pile are only slightly worn and washed before you donate them. Ask if anyone else in the family wants the item, donate to your local preservation society or donate to thrift stores such as Salvation Army or Goodwill (often, larger thrift stores will pick up items for free). Or you can donate the items to a charity auction. - SELL
The items in this pile must be in good shape in order to sell them. Sell items via classifieds, eBay, Amazon, Facebook, or Craigslist. Or have a Yard Sale (here you’ll find 10 Yard Sale Tips to make this a success).
NOTE
After dividing the clothes into the different categories, you may box the piles up (except for the Keep pile) or place the clothes in garbage bags. Make sure to label the boxes/bags, to prevent yourself from doing the categorizing all over again later on. You may discard the Throwaway box right away, and perhaps store the Donate and Sell box in your garage. And don’t wait too long after categorizing to take action!
STEP 5 – Organize By Type And Size
You may now store the clothes from the keep pile back into the closet and the other storage solutions you have in your child’s room.
- Use drawers for folded clothes like T-shirts, shorts, pants, pajamas, underwear, and sweaters.
- Hang dresses, button-down shirts, polos, and jackets.
- Use drawer dividers to store socks, underwear, and other smaller items.
- Here are my favorite folding techniques for kids’ clothes.
STEP 6 – Store Keep Pile Clothes: Solutions For Kids’ Clothes Organization
Under The Bed Organizers
The Low Profile Under Bed Shoe Storage Organizer (Amazon) is a 30 x 24.5 x 4.5 inches adjustable divider where you can store up to 12 pairs of your kid’s shoes. It is made of polyester which is an extremely durable fabric material with a zippered clear covering for easy access. If your shoes are not stored properly, they can fall apart and get damaged. Investing in this organizer will prolong the lifespan of your shoes by keeping them safe and clean while in storage.
The Underbed Storage Bag Organizer (Amazon) is a 42 x 18 x 6 inches storage box that features reinforced strap handles and a see-through cover in a slim and flat design. It is the ultimate storage solution for your seasonal clothing, beddings, comforters, linens, and more. The organizer can store your items while keeping them clean and away from dust so that you can have a clean sheet every time you need one.
Over Door Hanging Organizers
The Clear Window Pocket Organizer (Amazon) is a 52 x 13 x 4.5 inches shelf type wall and door mount that features 6 large pockets for storage. It is a perfect solution to keep smaller items such as toys, diapers, and other accessories in place and organized. Since it comes with clear windows, it will be easier for you to find any item when you need them.
The SimpleHouseware Crystal Clear Over The Door Hanging Organizer (Amazon) is a 64 x 19 inches storage solution for your shoes, toys, beauty accessories, and other essentials. It features 24 clear pockets that are very easy to install for it does not require a rod or any hardware. This clear organizer will not only keep your things in place because it also offers maximum protection while in storage.
Closet Organizers
These 4 Pack Closet Basket Shelf Storage Bins (Amazon) offer a multi-purpose solution for your storage needs. It comes in a collapsible and stackable design to fit your desired storage combinations whether in your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, or office. There are certain areas in your home that are just difficult to organize and these stackable bins offer a great solution for you to finally sort out to keep everything look neat and in place.
The Whitmor Closet Organizer (Amazon) is a 10.75 L x 10 W x 35 H inches hanging shelves with a durable metal frame. It features 5 easy to access shelves where you can store shoes, bags, clothes, toys, accessories, office supplies, and more. This is an easy-to-install closet organizer that you can hang from the closet rod or garment rack.
Secret Storage Solutions
The Storl Organizer Storage (Amazon) is a 12 x 13 inches kid’s stool and secret organizer that features a beautiful tree design perfect for kids’ bedrooms. With this organizer, you can easily declutter your kid’s room and keep everything organized in no time. On top of that, the design of the stool is so realistic that it actually looks like a real log making you feel that you were able to incorporate nature in the room somehow.
The Milliard Wooden Toy Box (Amazon) is a 21.65 x 6.3 x 33.46 inches storage chest that features a comfortable seating bench for babies and kids. It is a safe, durable, chic, and multipurpose storage chest that can last through years of use. The best thing about this product is that it can be personalized since it comes with a bonus sticker pack that allows you to place your child’s name in the box.
Decorative Storage Solutions
This GRANNY SAYS Decorative Storage Bins (Amazon) are 19.7 x 11.2 x 7.9 inches organizers that feature 3 handles for easy transport. It can be placed under the bed, inside the closet, or can be arranged neatly as shelves to provide extra storage for books, toys, seasonal items, and more. These bins are made of beautifully designed polyester material which offers a storage solution while keeping in style.
The LANGYASHAN Square Storage Basket (Amazon) is a 12.6 X 12.6 X 12.6 inches waterproof canvas organizer that features a fun dinosaur design. It offers a simple solution for your storage needs for it is made of light material which makes it easy to place the clutters in the canvas then hide them inside the closet or under the bed. With this organizer, you will have enough storage for your kid’s hamper, toys, craft supplies, and more.
Wrap Up On Kids’ Clothes Organization
Hopefully, after reading these tips on kids’ clothes organization, you have found a workable system for both you and your child to organize its closet and clothes. If you want more inspiration on how to organize a small home, or how to organize your life with kids around, check out these related articles below.
MORE ABOUT ORGANIZING WITH KIDS:
- Organizing With Kids: How To Declutter And Organize Toys
- How To Organize Kids’ School Papers And Art Projects In 4 Simple Steps
- Small Kids’ Room Organization Ideas To Maximize Space
- 12 Inspiring Home Office Ideas for Small Spaces
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