How do you keep track of all the clothes?

jalaiaa

I feel like I always have a bin of next-size up clothes in my living room to sort through and a pile of "too small" clothes in their bedroom and I spend half my life sorting through clothes. It is partially a space issue too. Their room is tiny and we just have a single 3 drawer dresser so I don't have tons of room to organize with. It's driving me crazy! Feel free to share any systems you may have to keep your life organized. Otherwise, on my part, vent over thank you for listening. 

Temp6313048411121614

Bins and hangers.  All current stuff hangs in the closet.  Stuff that's too small gets hung on wire hangers for the MOTC sale and put in the basement waiting to be tagged (probably won't be able to start tagging until February or March).  Stuff that's too big, I have in a Rubbermaid tote in their closet.  I think you need to have DH watch LO's one weekend day and get it all sorted out and be done with it (every time they switch sizes/seasons).  I know it sucks dragging tasks out.  I still have a box that I need to completely empty from our MOTC sale from late August (they're going to outgrow some stuff before I even get a chance to empty the darn box).

AlishaMay

UGH!  I hate keeping track of the clothes!  Here's a couple of things I do:

1. If something gets bad spit up stains, I throw it away - I won't pass it along, sell it or keep it, so why bother having it around.  Besides, we still have so much clothes, that we can do with some downsizing.
2. I got a bunch of those long skinny space saver bins that fit under their cribs. Under 1 crib I have clothes that they have grown out of. Stuff that is barely worn, in super good shape, or I think will just sell well, I put those in one bin to sell at my next MoM sale.  I've started putting these on hangers right away and tagging them too, so I don't have to do it at the last minute.  Everything else goes into another bin to pass along to friends or donate.  Which I do as soon as they are completely out of that size
   Under the other crib is bins of clothes that are beyond their next size up.
   
3. For clothes that they are growing into, I keep them either hanging in their closet on the right side, or in their drawers on the right side...this more of a means of communication for DH and I.  I find that this keeps them in the front of my mind so they don't outgrow something before even wearing it.
   
4. As soon as something seems to be getting a little small I treat it as it's been grown out of - but like I said, we're still swimming in clothes.  As our stock starts to dwindle I'll probably keep them around longer.
5. I keep a bin in our basement of the sentimental stuff that I want to keep - like their preemie clothes, their Halloween outfits, and holiday dresses etc.
   

arobert123

Great Question!

I struggle with this constantly - and as soon as I get organized, someone goes and outgrows a size and I have to start all over.

Looking forward to the replies!

missfire

For my DS, we have lots of hand-me-downs from friends, and I kept most of his clothes as hand-me-downs for the next baby.

His current clothes and too-big clothes are in a rolling wire drawer cart in his closet. The too-big hand-me-downs we take in, I wash right away, check for any egregious stains or damage, and then put into the bottom two drawers by size.

As he grows out of things, I throw them into a fabric bin in his closet. When I consider him "officially" in the next size, I empty the overflowing too-small bin into space bags, and put them on the top shelf of his closet for his siblings. As soon as I get the nursery ready, they can go in the twins' closet instead.

 

 

 

Kindle

I am so glad you asked this question.

Haven1

Great question.  My problem is one baby is going up a size while my peanut remains.  Now I have to keep track of who can wear what!  Uggggg.

jalaiaa

Thanks for the suggestions. I do need to take a day and just figure it all out. I like the idea of bins in the closet and putting clothes that I will sell on hangers right away. 

babydontforget

I have this same problem. Luke is bigger, so he hits next sizes first, and there's a period of time where they're in different sizes. Then there's a period of time when they wear the same size, and then it repeats.

One problem I have with clothes is keeping outfits together. So, for example, sometimes outfits come as a pant/shirt set, or even include a bib, include a hat, and so on. I don't store these things all together in one drawer when they're in use--the hats go with he hats, pants with pants etc. So, as I sort the retired clothes, I have trouble remembering which things have other pieces that go with them, and retiring them together as a group. And I'd like to remember and group them together, because selling/passing on/keeping as a grouping will be better.

As an example, I have socks in my sock drawer that go with outfits that I've long ago retired and stored away. And every time I see them I think, I have to go dig out that outfit and keep these things together. But who has time for that? 

Haven1:

Great question.  My problem is one baby is going up a size while my peanut remains.  Now I have to keep track of who can wear what!  Uggggg.