Simply Organized: Laundry Organization & Clothing Storage

Is doing the laundry a bit of a production at your house?  It is at mine!  With two little girls, we have a lot of laundry to do and are constantly having to rotate the items in their drawers with hand-me-downs, and package up older clothes for the next (Lord willing) baby.  Here are a few tips for how we manage to keep up with it all:

• Designate a Specific Day for Laundry - in our weekly chore schedule, we have designated Tuesday as "Laundry Day", which means that no matter what, I will wash, dry, fold, and put away at least a few loads once a week.  Often, I have to do a few loads throughout the week, but if I don't manage to complete it, I don't stress over it - because I know that Tuesday will eventually roll around and it will get done.

• Make the Laundry Easily Accessible - we keep a hamper bin for dirty laundry next to the washing machine so that I can toss in a load at anytime, and am reminded easily when I see it pile up.  This is especially important since both of my kids still nap during the day and I want to be able to do the laundry when they're sleeping.  I don't have to get frustrated that I forgot (again) to grab their dirty clothes out of their rooms before laying them down.

• Organize Your Supplies - we have a lot of laundry related freebies that stack up.  To help keep my laundry area clean and tidy, I keep these products in a small basket on top of the dryer.  This way, the free samples are easily usable and always organized.

• Organize Your Drawers - we bought these great little drawer dividers from Ikea when Bella was born.  I have since gone back and purchased more because we love them so much!!  Especially with little ones, they are a must-have item to keep those tiny socks, bloomers, hats, undies, stockings, etc all organized and in-place!  They make these types of drawer organizers for adults as well, with spots for ties, socks, leggings, etc.  I definitely recommend them!

• Collect Outgrown Clothing for Storage or Donation - we keep a plastic storage bin in each of the girls' closets as a "collector bin" for outgrown items.  This way, when I go to put Gigi into a pair of pants that don't reach her ankles, I can take them off and toss them in the bin, ready to be folded and stored for the next baby.  Once the bin is full, I sort it for items to donate and items to store; rewash as needed, fold, and organize for a later date (or donate immediately).

• Sort and Store Hand-Me-Downs - we package up our kid's clothing into reusable bins, label them, and store them for the next baby.  Bella's outgrown clothing is stored in Gigi's closet right now, waiting for her to grow into each bin, and Gigi's outgrown items are packaged in bins and put in the attic for the next baby.  Here are a few things to keep in mind when storing your kids clothing:
• Make sure all items are CLEAN
• Properly fold your items to avoid damaging the clothing and creating complicated wrinkles
• Sort and store items by size (and gender, if necessary)
• Properly label all of your items so as to eliminate frustration later
• When you're ready to use those stored items, wash them before use - even though they were cleaned just before you stored them, be sure to wash them again; just to be safe.
• Don't keep items you know you won't use again - throw away anything badly damaged or worn, donate what you're done with, or consider reselling the items at a local consignment store or online.  You can also look into a kids' clothing swap service.

What tips do you have for keeping laundry organized & storing kid's clothing?