Storing and Caring for Face MasksAlthough mask mandates were stopped earlier this summer, the new variants of COVID-19 are bringing them back. Many areas require masks for any indoor public places and some places, like hospitals and courtrooms, have never stopped requiring them. Here are some tips and tricks that may help you keep your masks organized and at hand when you need them.
Satin Hangers With ButtonsI love satin hangers for my lightweight sweaters, but it was always difficult to keep the sweaters on the hangers. To solve this problem, I simply sewed 2 pearl buttons a couple inches from the ends of the hangers.
Sock Storage from the Dollar TreeI am trying to organize my bedroom closet and socks are the bane of my existence. So today I thought of something that really helped.
Hanging a Coat Rack on a DoorInstead of putting screws in your wall or door, use Command strips to hang coat racks. Typically if you put them on drywall they are more likely to tear the wall so it works best to apply them to a door. You will simply need some Command strips and hooks and your chosen coat rack.
Fast Folding T-Shirt TechniqueIt's so easy to just stuff your shirts away after doing laundry. Not so great when you pull them out and they're mixed up and full of wrinkles. I pulled out all our shirts to do some organizing. There were so many! My thrifty nifty mum showed me how to fold them all FAST, and it was a lifesaver. Here is how to do it
Fold Clothes Together for TravelingI have learned a technique of putting outfits together and folding them together for traveling purposes or camping purposes. I iron the two pieces, blouse, slacks or shorts and then fold them together.
Store Leggings in a Shoe BoxI have tons of leggings and I found out that the easiest way to keep them clean and stored out of sight is to put them in a shoe box. I can still see every pair and they stay organized and nice!
Stuff Handbags for StorageWhen you purchase a new purse, usually the first thing you do is toss out the tissue paper and filling. Don't toss it out! It is very useful to keep your purse structured when it comes time to storing it. It will look a lot nicer without all the wrinkles and keeps your bag in good shape!
Easy Bag StorageI don't have a dresser, so my clothes are hung up. One of the things I found vexing was where to keep my socks. This is the idea I came up with. Hang a grocery bag from the little slots you find on most plastic hangers these day.
Simple Homemade Hat RackNo need to spend $20+ for a hat rack. You can easily create your own rack with items you already have around your home.
Storing Shoes Without DustDisplaying a shoe rack in your closet, home or garage is a lovely way to display your collection but it is not practical. If you have several pairs of shoes and do not wear them all on a daily basis, your shoes will sit and collect dust.
Hanging a Long Sleeve Knit TopJust hanging a knit top on a coat hanger may cause it to stretch out of shape. After I saw this tip in a video on the internet, I started hanging the ones I wear a lot. I had to watch the video several times before I caught on to how to do it.
Protecting Scarves Stored on Shower Curtain RingsI used a terrific tip on this site about making a scarf holder with a hanger and shower curtain rings. However, I noticed that two scarves snagged on the rings. Upon closer examination of the rings I bought, I saw some rough edges. I covered them with masking tape and now the scarves don't snag anymore.
Hanging Shoes on a ChainI've been trying for a long time to come up with an idea on how to store my many pairs of shoes. After a long time of thinking, I came up with the idea to store them on a chain.
Organize Clothes by Vertical FoldingMy drawers were always overflowing with clothing until I undertook to reorganize them via the KonMari method. There I learned how useful it really is to fold clothes in that singular way, and not much more effort!
Sock Drawer OrganizersOne of the best ways I've found to organize my socks is using these sock drawer organizer boxes from HomePro Goods. You can use them in several ways depending on the thickness of your socks and season.
Store Seasonal Clothes In Vacuum BagsSave space and view clothes easily by using vacuum bags that come in multiple sizes. Take clean folded clothes and place in vacuum bags then just suck out the air with a vacuum cleaner.
Store Underwear in RollsThe underwear I buy is usually folded and rolled in a neat little roll that can stand up. When I take mine out of the dryer, I fold and roll them the same way.
Have Outerwear Ready To GoIf you've ever been in a hurry in the mornings, you know how much trouble it can be to round up a jacket, hat, scarf and boots to go out. If they all match, it's a bonus. Use this tip to have matching outerwear ready for when you walk out the door.
Space Saver Bags For Stored ClothesI live in the tropics where the air is very damp and mold on everything including clothes, shoes, and other leather goods is a big problem. I have had lots of success using the Space Saver brand plastic storage bags.
Perfume Samples for Scented LingerieI love lightly scented lingerie and socks so I will pull out the nice perfume scented paper samples in magazines and inserts mailed to me to fold into my lingerie drawers! I even add softener sheets or soap wrappers sometimes!
Storing Winter Gloves and HatsI purchased a hanging shoe bag and I use it on the wall behind our back door so that when someone needs a pair of gloves, all they need to do is grab a pair that is conveniently placed in one of the shoe pockets.
Book Shelf for ShoesI had an old book shelf I wasn't using so I decided to use it for the kids shoes instead. It's much easier to find them now.
Keep Socks Together in the WashI was tired of losing socks in the wash so I came up with an easy idea to keep them together. I safety pin together my sock pairs! Most households have safety pins lying around, so put them to good use!
Organizing SocksIn 44 years of being a wife and mother I can honestly say I have never lost socks in the wash. I taught husband and kids to fold socks together when they took them off. I only put pairs in the machine and always at the bottom of the machine.
Storing Out of Season Clothing in SuitcasesTo store my out of season clothing, I purchased sturdy suitcases and store my out of season clothing in them. I add a fabric softner sheet inside the suitcases. I then store the suitcase under the bed or in an extra closet.
Storing Winter ScarvesI make lots of scarves each year, really wide ones, out of fleece from Walmart. We really enjoy them a lot. I have found that they decorate the chair really beautifully.
Hang Mittens in PairsWith 5 kids in the house, we are always looking for their mitts especially for a matching pair. I took some twine and tied it to both ends of the shelf and used clothespins to hang them up.
Organizing Winter Accessories in Pocketed...When I was a preschool teacher, I would use those fabric shoe holders to organize things in my classroom. Every winter at home, I would constantly misplace my gloves, my scarves, etc.
Mold Prevention TipsMold is everywhere in area I live. It is in every closet, under cabinets, and linens. It can ruin everything, if you aren't careful. I have a couple ways I deal with it.
Store Shoes In ShoeboxesGo to Dollar Tree and buy plastic tub size shoe boxes that they have. The bottoms are see through and the plastic lid helps keep shoes in good condition.
Store Summer Clothing AwayMy daughter and I just went through this the other day. All her clothes were in a jumble all over the floor. We took them all out and put them on the bed. Then, we sorted through them.
Buy Sale Clothes Year RoundWhen I come across a SUPER Clearance Sale, I purchase clothing for my son in larger sizes for the following year, usually for cents on the dollar. When summer/school season arrives, I inventory the clothes and then pick up items that he may require.
Organizing Seasonal ClothingAt this time of year, as I do laundry I begin to store 'out of season' clothing. I live on the East Coast so we need to start eliminating sweaters and long sleeved items from our closet.
Hang Clothing Backward In ClosetAll the hooks of my hangers start out the same way; however, when I've worn something once and it is good enough for a second wear before washing, I put it back on the hanger but the hook faces the opposite way.
Organizing EarringsEgg cartons are great for organizing your earrings. I use them in a top drawer and also in one of those plastic drawers that you can purchase from a K-Mart, Walmart or Dollar Store. You just cut the part that the eggs are placed in and organize your earrings, works great!
Storing Belts and NecklacesI received a nice wrought iron coat hanger for mounting on the wall and had it for years, but never seemed to find just the right place to hang it. I finally got the bright idea of hanging it in my walk-in closet, to put my belts on, and it works great.
Lingerie Bags for Keeping Track of SocksThe answer to lost socks! Finally, I am no longer hunting for, sorting through, and matching up socks for my family of five! I just bought inexpensive, mesh lingerie bags that can be found at places like Target or Walmart.
Keep Your Shoes Dust FreeI store my shoes on two kinds of shoe trees; one is the kind that stands up on the floor and the other is the kind you can hang in your closet or back of a door; either way my shoes were getting dusty.
Alternate Direction When Stacking ClothesWhen you stack any type of clothing in drawers, alternate the direction. For example, when folding tee shirts, place one in normal position but top it with another folded tee shirt that is turned around. In other words, that top of the tee shirt should be at the bottom.
Use Laundry Bags to Organize Underwear DrawerTake laundry bags with zippers, use one for underwear like panties, bras, and one for your socks. That way your drawer is always nice and neat.
Number Socks to MatchI keep sock pairs matched so they are worn the same number of times, by numbering them when I take them out of a package. Starting with #1 on a pair, after washing simply match up the numbers.
Buy Family Members Different SocksWhen my children were home we could never match socks for each person. So I decided for my husband and son that one person got the solid white crews/tube sock and the other person got socks with stripes.
Take Photos of Complete OutfitsI enjoy wearing my separates in various combinations. Often when I've put together an outfit I really enjoy, I can't remember the top, bottom, jewelry, shoes, belt, hair accessories, etc. that made the whole ensemble a hit.
Keep Track of Underwear Sizes With DotsWhen you have 3,4, or more children all the same sex and close in age it can be difficult to keep underwear and socks sorted and in the correct drawers. We all know about"Hand-me-Downs".
Sock LocksJust read your newsletter with tips on organizing socks. i use a great product called sock-locks. A wonderful little gadget that fits a pair of socks together - we use them and I never have lost socks.
Roll Sweatpants for a Tidy DrawerI lay my sweatpants flat, fold them in half, then take the bottom of the legs and roll up to the waist.
Store Pantyhose In Toilet Paper TubesI have an easy way to store pantyhose, knee highs or tights. I place them inside an empty TP roll. I can write with a marker on the outside of the tube a description such as "navy tights" or "nude knee highs".
Marking Clothes for ChildrenMy Mom had the perfect solution to labeling those children's articles of clothing. #1 child got one dot of nail polish on the label. The nail polish does not wash out very easily. #2 child got two dots, and so on down the line.
Hang Everyday Clothes Inside OutWhen putting clothes away in the closet, and you have a mix of everyday clothes and nicer clothes in the same place. I put the everyday use tops, blouses, and shirts on hangers inside out.
Fold Kids Clothes Into BundlesI have always folded clothing according to type, pants in a pants drawer, shirts with shirts, etc. Just recently I have begun to fold the kids clothing into "bundles" with shirts, pants, undies and socks, all rolled up into the longest article of clothing.
Basket For SocksI bought one of those mini square plastic baskets that look like a small laundry basket and placed it on the closet shelves above our hanging clothes. I use it for socks instead of a drawer, it frees up drawer space.
Color Coordinated ChildrenSomeone I know, that's a single mom, has her kids color coordinated. Each kid has picked their favorite color and they have their own bath towels and wash cloths, clothes baskets and their own clothing hangers.
Keep Your Children's Clothing OrganizedQuite often when you buy or are given baby or toddler clothes they come in outfits. A matching top and bottom, maybe even with a matching hat. One way to keep these items together is to fold them and put them in large zip-lock bags before putting them away.
Storing Bedding, Clothing, and Soft ToysThis is a great idea to store all your bedding, clothes the kids have not grown into, teddy bears, material your too busy to sew up, and seasonal clothes. Simply take anything soft you aren't using often, place it into garbage bags, fill them as full as you can but make sure you are still able to gather the top together.
Organizing Socks for the FamilyInstead of using those plastic over-the-door shoe organizers for shoes, I use mine to organize our socks! After taking the socks out of the dryer, I just roll them up and place a pair in each pocket of the shoe organizer (I do this with pantyhose and knee-highs too).
Day of the Week HangersBecause of our work schedules, my husband usually gets our 2 year old son dressed in the morning. He's a wonderful father, but heaven help him, cannot put matching outfits together very well!
Storing Childrens Offseason ClothingWhen I change seasons in our kids' closets, I pack up the clothes in a Rubbermaid container and mark the size and gender. When the next season comes around, I can either pass them down or sell them.
Organizing HatsI own and wear a lot of hats and enjoy the beautiful hat boxes that I have too. It can become labor intensive to find the hat for the season. Solution: I photographed every hat and glued the photograph to the outside of the hat box.
Mothball AlternativeA better idea than using mothballs is to take your leftover soap slivers and put them in a vented plastic bag. You place the bag with seasonal clothes before packing them away.
Storing Clothing in Totes on WheelsI bought one of those clear plastic upright totes on wheels. It has 2 drawers in it. I wheeled this into my bedroom closet. I keep my bandanas and sweat bands in the top drawer.
Organizing and Displaying Pierced-Ear EarringsI use a 1 inch wide grosgrain ribbon. Choose a color you like, and tie a knot in each ends to keep the ends from fraying; or hem the ends if you're feeling flush on time and want a neater look.
Quick Way to Sort Kids ClothingInstead of trying all those clothes on my kids each season to see what fits (and my kids get tired after the first outfit), I lay an outfit (pants and shirt) that fit them just right on the bed as a pattern.
Keeping Clothes Smelling NiceIf you want your clothes and linens to smell especially nice all you have to do is use a dryer sheet or some cotton balls soaked in your favorite perfume and put them into the drawers where your things are kept.
Old T-Shirts As Garment CoversUse old T-shirts to cover your suits and coats on hangers. Just slip the T-shirt over the hanging clothes, letting the T-shirt sleeves hang free. The knit T-shirt fabric breathes, allowing air to circulate while keeping dust off your good clothing.
Shop Your Closets and Save MoneyOne of the best ways to save money on clothing, accessories, and shoes is to avoid purchasing duplicates of what you already have. To do this, simply make it a habit to shop your closets and drawers, and anything you may have placed in storage first.
Out of Season Clothing TableStore out of season clothing in a garbage can topped with a round table top and cloth. This can serve as a side table, night stand, etc.
Save Shoe BoxesWhen buying shoes, keep the boxes they come in. This way, they'll be protected from being knocked around in your closet, you won't have to worry about loosing one, and it's great at helping to keep your closet tidy.
Sock Matching Made EasyTips for easy sock sorting...
Extra Storage Space for Out of Season ClothingUse one of those storage boxes that can fit under your bed. I store out of season clothing there. Right now summer pajamas, shorts, short sleeve jerseys, bathing suits are stored in it.
Organizing GlovesEver have trouble finding that elusive other glove? Well, I take pinchey clothes pins, thread a string through the hole and nail them to the inside of my closet door. Then I simply hang the gloves together on these clothes pins.
Organizing Kids Socks and UnderwearI organize kids socks and underwear so they don't get bunched up together. I use the bottom half of plastic coke bottles or liter bottles of other soda to do this. You can see through them, and they keep the drawer neat.
Hang Dresses and Suits Quickly for Less WrinklesDon't toss that suit jacket on a chair when you get home! Hang it quickly and it will help reduce wrinkles. The heat from your body helps ease the wrinkles out of the garment as it hangs. The same goes for dresses.
Organizing SocksI use the dividers in glass bottle beer cases as sock dividers in my drawers. These dividers work just as well as the commercially sold ones in the organizational stores, but they are free.
By MaryME
Mark Names on UnderwearWhen my kids were little, I had four within 5 years, the last three were girls. As the girls started wearing panties, I put their initial in the back right under the elastic.
