tips, tricks and guides for parenthood
Trying to work out how to store baby clothes after your baby has outgrown them can be challenging. The pile seems to get bigger and bigger very quickly and before you know it, you’ve got a whole other wardrobe of clothes that don’t fit your little one.
Many parents decide to keep clothing from their first baby to save for their second. This is a great idea as it saves money in the long run. However, you can’t just leave them sitting around for the whole time, we’ve got some steps to help you organise and store your baby clothes.
Before you store clothing away for a long period of time, it’s important that everything is freshly washed and whitened. If there are any stains or marks on the clothing when you put them into the drawers, you will definitely not get them out when you bring the clothing back out again. This is why it’s important to try beforehand.
Ensure that all of the clothing is dry before putting them away. The last thing you want are damp, mouldy clothes!
Need some tips of washing baby clothes? Check out our blog here.
There are unfortunately some items that you just won’t be able to keep. This may be because of permanent stains or discolouration. The last thing you want to do is give your new baby clothes that look dirty. Be harsh with yourself when going through clothing. Will you definitely use this item for your next baby? If it’s a no, throw it away. There’s no point holding onto items that will sit in storage forever.
The first thing to consider when sorting by size is that different brands will have different measurements. For example, one shop’s item may be for 6 months and another item from another shop may be 3 months, but they could be the same size when you put them against each other.
Instead of relying on what they label says, go by your own judgement. If an item says 6 months but looks like it could fit a 3-month-old, put it with the 3 month items. You wouldn’t want to go through all of this organising to realise your new baby’s hand me downs are too big or small for them.
Some labels will include a weight range of what baby it will fit. Sometimes this can be more accurate than the age sizing. If you’re unsure about an item, take a look at the weight – it may give you a better idea of where to put it.
You have all of your sizes sorted into the correct categories, now you need to organise them based on the type of item it is. You want to focus on the most important items like bottoms, tops, baby grows etc… Don’t worry about fancy outfits, swimwear or costumes, you can put these aside in another pile. When you’re left with the important items that you’ll use for your baby during day to day life, sort these into their individual categories.
If you also have accessories, keep these all in a separate pile too.
You have all of your piles sorted into size and item type, now it’s time to actually store them away. As a perfect space saver, vacuum pack bags are perfect. These can be tucked away in places without taking up too much room. You can also fit a lot inside them!
If you're struggling with learning to fold baby clothes, learn how to do it the easiest way here. It will save you lots of time!
Put the different organised piles into the bags and label them with the size and item inside. This will make it much easier when it comes to getting them back out. Put them somewhere dry and safe, ready for the day you see them again!