Extra or Off Season Clothing Storage

This is the BEST system for storing extra clothes. We do not have big closets in our house, so I have to rotate the clothes we keep in our drawers and closets from winter/ fall to summer/ spring. The off season clothing gets stored in Rubbermaid Roughneck Boxes and put into the attic. They are small enough to transport on those awful pull down attic stairs without a death defying balancing act. Or you can always drop them down from the attic (which I have been known to do) if you are in a hurry and can't wait for anyone to help. They are sturdy enough they won't crack and if you toss them just right you can actually keep the lid on. That takes years of practice, because it's a skill.

I also use these same kind of bins for the kid's clothes. I have kept most of their clothes for the next baby. That means I'm not buying any clothes for Sausage Boy because I have everything left over from #1 Son. It's all stored in the lovely labeled bins. I use cardstock white paper with packing tape over it for the label so it comes right off when I need to change what is inside. The kids' clothes are labeled with "3T Girls Summer” or "12-18 mos Boy" and stored in order so I can find exactly what I need when we are ready for the next size up. I even keep the bigger sizes that people give us in bins for the future.

We also use some of these bins for holiday decorations. I have one labeled "Halloween" and three labeled "Easter". They come in various sizes so I can choose how much space I'll need. Like having big ones for those awkward Easter baskets. I love, love, love the way they stack securely so I can stack 'em high, using my vertical space instead of horizontal. I will stack them four high if they are against a wall and three high when they are free standing.

Rubbermaid bins are:

• Durable, rugged storage boxes are shatter resistant down to 0 degrees fahrenheit (and I've heard stories where they have found them after fires with the contents intact)
• Sturdy, built-in handles allow for easy carrying (and they slide really well on carpet!)
• Snap-on, stay-tight lids help keep contents dry and dust-free
• All units are stackable for saving valuable storage space (even most different gallon sizes)
• Comes in 10, 14, 18, 25 and 31 gallon size

It's great to put your clothes (and the kids' clothes) away for a season because when you bring them out they feel new again. Or maybe they feel dated and you realize it's time to get rid of something. Whenever we take a bin out I always find a few things that can be given away. These bins also made moving a little easier because everything was already boxed up and labeled.