How to Purge & Organize Kids' Clothes

Wait one week after you last did your child's laundry before you begin to purge and organize the clothing. This will give you a starting point for items that your child regularly wears and lessen the amount of clothing you have to go through. Wash the clothing and set it aside until you have gone through everything left in the closet or dresser.

Gather all your child's remaining clothing from the closet and dresser and separate them by item: undergarments, pants, tops, dresses, coats, etc.

Go through each pile item by item. Make sure the item still fits your child by having him try it on and then check the item for any stains or holes. Toss too-small items in a pile for donation and stained items in a separate pile for either the trash or use as household rags. Remove all the too small and stained clothing from the room to give yourself space. You can throw out or donate these items later.

Separate the clothing by season. Separate heavy sweaters, long-sleeve shirts and coats from T-shirts, shorts and other warm-weather clothing.

Pack up the clothing depending on the season. If it is summertime, neatly fold heavy coats and sweaters and place them in a large plastic bin for storage. Keeping out a few long-sleeve shirts or lightweight sweaters can be helpful if your child is out on a cool morning or evening. If it is wintertime, pack away all the warm-weather clothes in plastic bins for storage.

Label the bins with a stick-on label. Avoid writing directly on the bin so you can reuse it when you switch out your child's clothing. Place the bins in a storage area: a garage, basement, attic, closet or under your child's bed all tend to work well. To protect the clothing, place a cedar block in each bin.

Organize your child's remaining clothing, including those you previously washed and set aside. For hanging items, grouping together each type of clothing can be helpful. For example, keep dresses, pants and shirts all together. For further organization, group the clothing by color or outfit to make getting ready in the morning easier for both you and your child. If your kid's clothes go in a dresser, choose a different drawer for each item and fold them neatly before placing them inside. For example, one drawer can be exclusively for undergarments, while another can hold all your child's shorts.