Step-by-step method for storing winter clothes

Although we are fortunate in Quebec to experience a variety of seasons each year, the change in temperature often complicates our task as parents when it comes time to dress the children! To make sure you save time and money in managing clothes for your children, follow the following steps, which will allow you to efficiently organize the winter wardrobe of young and old alike !

1- Clean

To increase the lifespan of clothing and save you from having to rush to clean the snow pants or mittens of the little ones during the first snowfall of winter, be sure to wash all clothing and accessories thoroughly before put them away until the cold season.

2- Sort

Gather together all the clothes and accessories that have been used by children during the winter and sort them out .

• a bag/bin for clothes and accessories still in good condition that can be reused by the child next year or by a smaller sibling
• a bag/bin for clothes and accessories that are still in good condition but will no longer be useful to your family and can therefore be donated to people you know or to charity
• a bag/bin for clothes and accessories that need to be repaired and that can eventually be taken to the tailor/shoemaker
• a bag/bin for clothes and accessories that are unusable and must be thrown away (mittens with holes, damaged boots, etc.)

3- Store

Now is the time to put away all those clothes! Print out our size labels and first classify all coats, all seasons combined, as well as all snowsuits on hangers in a wardrobe provided for this purpose. ( Don't have a closet available? Large bins stored in the garage, basement, or other open space will do the job just as well!) Then store in well-labeled bins by season (find our labels here ) mittens, hats and scarves that can be reused next year. Finally, do the same job with all the boots in the household.

4- Anticipate

Now that the sorting is done, it's time to anticipate the needs for next year ! Arm yourself with a pen and paper and take a moment to write down what each of the children will need for next winter. Shop the sales now to find the items you need, or keep this sheet handy so you can easily find it in the fall when winter items appear in stores.

For more tips and tricks for efficient storage of winter clothes, watch Dominique's video right here !