The Spring Clean

Last week’s warm weather here in Toronto was definitely a tease that spring is here, or at least just around the corner. The snow is definitely gone and with that comes another round of organizing for me (it never really ends at my house somehow). It’s the big winter-to-spring seasonal switch-up and I am itching to get started on it.
The kids’ cubbies in the back hall are bulging with winter coats, our dining room is filled with skis and hockey bags and the stacks of clothes in our closet are definitely looking more like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. So I plan to get back to my 20-minutes-a-night de-cluttering program this week and hope to clear up some of the messes that have magically appeared in all the corners of the house.

But it’s the kids’ clothes that seem to take more work this time of year—sorting through what still fits and storing the winter clothes away. I’ve developed a few tips along the way that seem to help:

• Instead of having the kids try on every single article, find a shirt and pair of shorts that do fit, and hold the other ones up against their profile to find ones that are too small.
• Don’t store articles of clothing that are going to be too small by fall—wash them and give them away now.
• Similarly don’t store things that need repair—take the jacket to get that new zipper now so it’s ready for when you need it in the fall.
• No matter how much you think they should, kids’ winter boots really don’t last more than one season.
• Sort clothes by type, store like with like, and label the boxes clearly—one cool, crisp autumn day you will need those mitts in a hurry and finding a box named Mitts & Hats will be a lot more helpful than one that says Sarah’s Stuff.

So if you’re looking for me for the next few weekends, you’ll likely find me with a head in one of the kids’ closets, or in the basement washing and storing ski clothes. I have to get it all done before soccer season starts!