How to Store Children's Clothing for a Younger Child to Wear in the Future

Children outgrow clothes almost faster than Superman can change his in a phone booth. Saving clothing for a younger child is beneficial for the child and your pocketbook. Follow these steps to keep outgrown clothes organized and ready to use.

Things You'll Need

• Children's Clothing
• Large White Trash Bag, Zip-Top Bag or Space Saving Bag
• Permanent Marker
• Large Plastic Storage Container

Instructions

1. Look through your child's closet and remove clothes that are out of season.

2. Wash these clothes if they are dirty. Try to remove stains if possible.

3. Gather accessories that specifically belong to these clothes such as head bands, belts, bibs or socks.

4. Place these clothes on a spare bed or table. Put sets together and accessories with matching garments. Stack the clothes one on top of the other, spreading each item as flat as possible.

5. Select a large plastic bag to store the clothes. A clear trash bag, zip top bag or space saving bag would be appropriate.

6. Transfer the stack of clothes into the plastic bag and remove excess air while sealing the bag.

7. Use a permanent marker to label the outside of the bag with the size of clothes, gender and appropriate season. An example would be "Size 3T, Girl, Summer."

8. Stack the bags side by side in a large plastic storage box. These should be placed in order from the smallest size of clothing to largest, with the smallest size against one end of the container. As you add more bags, they should go in order by size.

Tips & Warnings

• Sort out any unisex clothes that can be used for a second child of a different gender. These should be placed in a separate bag and labeled unisex as the gender.

• If storing multiple sets of clothes that are different sizes and seasons, be sure to separate them by size, gender and season before placing them in the plastic bags.

• Don't forget shoes, pajamas and socks that may also be too small. These can be placed in plastic bags and labeled according to size, gender and season.

• When placing the bags in the storage container, do not lay them one on top of the other. They must stack side by side so that you can get to the smallest size of clothes when you are ready for them. If they are stacked on top of one another, then the smallest size clothes would be on the bottom of the pile.