Before storing summer clothes, be sure each garment is clean and free of stains. If not, wash or dry-clean anything you’ll want to wear next year. If you plan to hang stored clothing, use plastic or wood hangers that won’t rust. If you plan to fold and box items, invest in quality plastic storage bins to keep moisture and vermin away from fine fabrics; polypropylene (stamped “PP”) is best. And while you’re sorting and rearranging your clothing, Garde Robe says, take advantage of the time to clean and dust drawers, shelves and closets to ensure that bugs such as clothes moths won’t get at your fashions.
Tag: fall cleaning
Now’s the Time for a Great Garage Sale
Most people stage garage sales in the spring — right after they do their spring cleaning and neighbors start to emerge from their houses to enjoy the warmer weather. But the end of summer and beginning of autumn can be an equally favorable time for your effort to declutter and make a few bucks off the things you no longer need.
So, with the autumnal equinox coming up on Friday, Sept. 22, and the weather still warm in many parts of the country, now’s the time to plan a late-season yard, garage or tag sale!
The more temperate the climate, the longer the garage sale season, says Household Tips Guide blogger Lynnette Walczak, who had her most successful sale in late October in Tennessee. Warmer areas also favor Friday sale hours, she adds, but no matter which days one chooses to hold a sale, the “early bird” hours of the morning will be busiest.
To take the hassles out of having a late-season sale, you should have a garage-sale “stash” at the ready by decluttering continuously throughout the year, says the Money Saving Mom. Set aside unwanted stuff on a regular basis and designate containers and a place to collect it all — maybe in the garage itself. When you’re ready to have a sale, it will be near-ready to sell.
You may still have stuff left over from a spring garage sale that’s still saleable, too, and some of these items — sweaters, blankets, skis, etc. — may have added appeal ahead of the cold winter months. A late-season sale will also benefit from a new set of customers, since many people won’t have seen your fliers and signs on the first go-round.
Older shoppers are out looking for deals in the fall, says My Divine Concierge. “Those kept inside by the heat of summer now find cooler days to go garage-sale shopping. And don’t forget the snowbirds who are preparing to leave for their annual migration south in a few weeks. They are out looking for a few last-minute items they need for their winter homes.”
To attract bigger crowds, enlist a few friends or neighbors to contribute items to your sale, or enlist the whole block or neighborhood and make it a multifamily sale. Multifamily sales attract an estimated 50 percent more customers, according to tips appearing in the Duluth News-Tribune, and more traffic means more sales.
Our Organizing Blog has many more tips on staging, pricing, and advertising a successful garage sale that apply throughout the year. And don’t forget: If you need to get rid of any unsold items following a sale (or just don’t have the time or energy to devote to staging a sale, but still want to declutter), contact ClothingDonations.org to schedule a pickup. It’s easy, tax-deductible and helps veterans programs nationwide!
Help Kids Stay Organized
Once you complete your shopping, wash and store the new items in a fashion that will help your children dress themselves. Get your child into a habit of picking out an outfit the night before to reduce any stress in the morning when there is typically no time to waste.
Share the Labor
If you have older school-aged children, you can create a plan and work together to clean out and organize their closets. Remember to create piles to keep, to donate and to repair. From there, you can create a list of what each child will need.
It’s Time to Winterize Your Closets!
It’s officially time to clear the last of your summer-to-fall transition clothing items out of your closet. As we move deeper into fall and closer to winter, there is an unmistakable chill that’s set in, and it’s here to stay.
When it comes to winter, many of us have different jackets and coats that are worn for different temperatures. That being said, many of these jackets are big, bulky and difficult to fit into a closet that’s already housing sweaters, pants, and other clothing items and accessories. Once you’ve neatly packed away the rest of your summer clothes, you might stare into your still full closet and wonder where to put it all.
One idea we’ve discussed before is to group like clothing items together. This allows you to keep track of the clothes you own, without letting smaller pieces get swallowed up by thick winter coats and sweaters. Another suggestion is, if you have the storage space, use certain closets for certain pieces of clothing. For example, if you have a closet right near your front door, use this for all of your winter coats and accessories, such as winter scarves, hats and gloves. This way, you’ll know exactly where these items are, saving you time as you get ready in the mornings.
Remember, not everything has to hang in your closet. Sweaters often lose their shape when they’re on hangers. Consider folding them, and then rolling them so they stay wrinkle-free. Then, put them on shelves in your closet, or in a dresser. This will, again, free up more space in your closet for bigger pieces.
You might find, after trying the organizing tips above, that you just have too many coats or jackets. Instead of throwing some away, donate them to us! We’ll make sure someone stays warm this winter with your donation. Simply fill out our online donation form, and we’ll pick it up for you.
Be ready for winter—start winterizing your closet today!