Summer to Winter Clothing Switch-Over

Spring clothes in laundry basket      Spring clothes in plastic container

It’s that time of year again – summer’s over; fall has begun, and it’s time to bring out your winter clothes!  Do you, like me, procrastinate over completing this task?

I started my sorting in mid September just before my housemate and I held our annual ‘Women’s Clothing Swap and Afternoon Tea’. Going through my closets, (I’d already gone through the clothes in the attic while fighting the moth infestation) I pulled out spring and summer clothing that I either didn’t care for anymore, looked awful on me, and hadn’t worn in a year. I donated these items, including scarves, jewelry and other accessories to the swap.

Now it was time to pack away the remaining warm weather clothing to make way for those cold harsh days and nights of winter. So, I pulled out the summer shirts, shorts and dresses, and piled them on my bedroom rocking chair with intentions of bringing them up to the attic the next day to store in plastic containers . I think I might be the Queen of Procrastination. I may be an organized person, and a good Organizing Coach, but do I procrastinate!

About five days ago, I rolled up all of the clothes piled on my rocker and stacked them in a laundry basket to bring to the attic. You guessed it!  The laundry basket was still sitting on my bedroom floor waiting to go upstairs while I began to write this blog post. Full speed ahead, before publishing the post, I transferred the spring wardrobe from the basket to a container in the attic. (see photos above) And then brought my winter clothing to my closet.

We have busy lives and not a lot of time to get things done. Give yourself a break; don’t beat yourself up if you’ve been putting off the clothing switch-over. Just make a commitment to set aside enough scheduled time soon to sort and store your clothes, so you will be prepared for cold and snow.

Seven Tips for Clothing Switch-Overs:

1. Discard items that are torn, stained, stretched out, really old. Let go of clothing you haven’t worn for a year, because you will most likely never wear it. Donate the clothes you don’t want that are in good shape, or not in style any more.

2. If you have lost weight during the past year, and have bought new smaller sized clothing, don’t hold onto the bigger sizes. Letting go of those larger sizes gives you incentive to keep the weight off.

3. If any of your clothing needs to be washed or dry cleaned, do this before putting it in storage. Dirt or odors can affect clean clothing that is packed away.

4.  Pack silks, wool, and leather fabrics (protein-type) together in containers such as canvas or mesh which allow access to some air flow to prevent cracking or drying out. Pack fabrics such as cotton, linen, and rayon (plant-type) separately.

5. Pack clothing in tightly covered plastic storage containers, Spacebags, or waterproof hanging zip-up-bags to protect them from moisture, mildew, mold and moths. If possible, put these containers in a cool dry place such as a closet, under a bed, or up in the attic

6.  When switching over, use your winter clothing storage containers to hold the spring/summer things. A good way to save money!

7. Have a family member, or good friend help you make the switch. Make the switch into a fun task and not a chore.

Follow these helpful tips for a successful seasonal clothing switch-over.

And, let me and my blog followers know any switch-over tips you have to share!

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