Those of us with kids know all too well how quickly kids outgrow their clothes. It seems like every moment, they’ve grown two inches and a clothing size! After a while, all those clothes and shoes start to pile up. The good news is that there are a few things you can do to cut down on the clutter! The time for spring cleaning is among us, so here are some tips for decluttering kids clothes!
The first thing to do is to sort the clothes. What still fits and what doesn’t? Are there any styles your kid has gotten “too cool” to wear? Making a sorting pile of keep vs. toss is the first step. The keep pile is simple: make sure they’re clean and put them away.
Arranging the “keep” clothes by season can definitely help keep order to your kid’s closet. This way, you won’t have to spend forever digging through clothes trying to find something weather-appropriate for your child to wear, and you’ll know that whatever you grab will fit. You can put away most of the fall and winter clothes for now and bring the spring & summer clothes closer to the front of the closet. When autumn comes, you can sort through them again and bring the autumn & winter clothes to the front.
Next, take a look at the toss pile. Now, we have to sort those down. What clothes are still in good shape? Are there any that still have the tags on them? Place those in a pile and clothes that aren’t in good shape (such as ones that are ripped, torn, stained, worn out, etc) into another.
The clothing that isn’t in good shape is best tossed, recycled, or repurposed if it’s beyond saving. The clothing still in decent condition (such as a small rip you’re willing to sew or a small, unnoticeable stain) can be donated to charity. If there is any mold, pest, or smoke damage on a piece of clothing though, throw it away. Those can be unbelievably difficult to fully remove and can trigger respiratory issues in both adults & children.
So what to do with the clothing left? It’s in good condition, but just too small or out of style for your kid to wear. You could have a yard sale, but those take a lot of planning and are kind of a headache to orchestrate. Do you really want to spend an entire day or two sitting outside hoping people might show up? Do you really feel like spending the money to advertise it? What will you do if it rains? Do you know if there are any restrictions or ordinances in your location that might require a permit? Are you ready to get a bunch of change from the bank and process cash payments all day long, then keep track of them so you can file it with the IRS? There’s an alternative to a yard sale, and that’s where Motherload comes in!
Motherload is a semi-annual consignment event, dedicated specifically to children and maternity items! What is a consignment event? Basically, Motherload operates like a retail store where your items are for sale, and Motherload processes the transactions. That means shoppers can use credit, debit, checks, or cash to purchase your items. Motherload takes a portion of the profit from your item, and the majority of it goes back to you! This event attracts people from all over the area, so there is a much larger audience than what you’d ever get selling your kid’s clothes from your porch. Click here to learn more!