Hand-me-down organizing made simple

Kids grow so quickly that it is difficult to keep up with their changing sizes. All moms inevitably end up with hand-me-downs. Kids are messy and many moms struggle to keep their belongings organized. Whether you are giving or receiving hand-me-downs, you want to try to make sense of them.

Begin by washing all of the children’s clothing. Yes, it’s the only way – you’re going to have to go through everything. Either stack folded clothing or use laundry baskets or containers as sorting bins. Go through all of it with a critical eye.

As you box up clothes and accessories for later, or maybe for your younger child, always consider a donation box. Clothes you don’t think anyone will ever use should be given away. Let someone else enjoy them. It is a good deed to give a friend or relative some clothes their kids can use or donate them to a non-profit.

Do some pieces have stains that just won’t come out? Those should be tossed. Don’t take up your precious space with clothes that will never be worn and are not nice enough to give away.

When you are organizing hand-me-downs, or even changing clothes for a new season, it is a good idea to mark down what is in each box or storage container. Get see-through plastic containers, if possible. You can put an inventory list in the front of the container that you can see without opening the box. If the list is inside, it won’t get damaged when you move the box around. Cardboard or opaque containers, can have the list taped to the front of the box on the outside. Aim 4 Order has a free download you can print and attach to your containers to list the contents.

You may find that there is not enough clothing of one size to fill an entire box, so multiple sizes might have to share a container. Print extra labels if you need them. It’s better to have two labels than none.

Once everything is sorted and stored, and if you have space, set up a donation box. When your child outgrows something, just toss it into the box. You will stay more organized, and your next hand-me-down session will be a breeze.

A lot of moms feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff their kids accumulate and don’t know where to begin. If you feel like you are in too deep with clutter in your home and think this task is too much for you, please contact Aim 4 Order. We are here when you need us.

Thanks to Cindy Bernstein and Aim 4 Order for sharing this blog.