Something Accomplished... Finally

I did not take a before picture.  It would have been too mortifying for me to show the world my clothing disaster zone.  Suffice to say it was a minimalist project I did not think I could tackle and I felt guilty downsizing my kids clothes.... seems mean somehow.  But in the end my desire for organization and a more manageable amount of clothes won out.  I know for us that if a person has 16 shirts, that is how many shirts will be dirty at one time before the laundry situation reaches the "URGENT MUST WASH CLOTHES TODAY" stage. If you take that same 16 shirts and multiply them times 12 people (we actually have16 people here right now but 4 of them pretty much do their own laundry) and add in the underwear, pants, socks, towels, bedding... well you know what my laundry area looked like.  Once every couple weeks I would spend a marathon two days in the dungeon catching it all up (I know, shameful.)

These two shelving units were previously filled top to bottom and side to side with cardboard boxes containing summer clothes for 10 kids. Every spring, as a changing of the seasons ritual, we would sit down in the dungeon, take down box after box and sort out and try on clothes to be divided between all the kids.  In front of these shelving units I had other shelves (bookcases really) where 10 kids had their clothes.  My younger kids are especially challenged in the area of keeping their clothes neat.  After several attempts at dressers, I abandoned them altogether and the shelves in the dungeon (with a lock on the dungeon door) became my solution to that particular disaster. 

I was ruthless as I downsized, keeping only what was really useful, and in very good condition.  Notice that the shelves in the front are no longer there.  And summer clothes, beach towel, swimsuit, sandals, baseball cleats, for 10 children are in those plastic bins on the right, each with the name of its kiddo on it.  :)  No more giant clothes sort in the Spring.  And I can see at a glance who may need a shirt or two or perhaps who DOESN'T need a shirt or two. 

On the other wood unit are winter clothes for 8 kids (I let two older, hopefully neater-by-now kids take their clothes to their room).  Each bin is labelled with the child's name.  Every piece of clothing (except outwear) they need is in this bin.  Each kiddo has several pairs of pants, several shirts, sweaters, socks and underwear.  If something new comes along, and their bin is full to the brim, said child can pick something to pass on or say goodbye to.

At the end of the winter season I will have 10 more bins.  Into each will go each child's coat, snowpants, boots, mittens, hat, scarf, ice skates and ski boots for the NEXT winter.  No more searching through boxes and boxes of winter stuff to see if there is something for each child. --Perhaps most of you are already this organized.  If so, God bless you and please keep it to yourself ;)

I ruthlessly went through the blankets and sheets and used one of the old shelves for matched sheets and an old TV cabinet thingy for blankets and mattress pads. The purple sheet you see in the background is covering a rod filled with hanging type clothes, girls dresses, boys dress shirts, etc.

And now my laundry area looks like this: 

 

And that is truly all the laundry I have had at the end of the day for this whole week.  Now to see if this plan has staying power...