Babies grow fast.
So many parents have felt the aggravation and slight pang of sadness when they find that outfit they’d forgotten about shoved into the back of the dresser drawer when getting their baby dressed.
Never worn, and now too small.
We also have favorite outfits on our little ones that make us think of that trip to the park, the first time they had ice cream, their first Easter, and so on.
What do we do with these items when they’ve been outgrown? How to store baby clothes? Even more pressing: How do we better organize baby clothes so that we can try to avoid those experiences of pulling neglected and now outgrown clothes from the back of dresser drawers?
Still, other parents go through baby clothes after the baby has outgrown them and wonder if they should try storing baby clothes for the next baby.
Outgrown baby clothes can be held onto and have a second life when the next baby comes.
However, it takes space, and if we don’t know how to store outgrown baby clothes properly, it can be challenging to create a storage area, especially if you live in an apartment or small house.
In this article, we’ll talk all about baby clothes storage.
From tips to better organize baby clothes that your child fits into now to how to store outgrown baby clothes, we’re going to cover all of the bases.
It may not be the most riveting parenting experience, but it concerns all parents.
One thing’s for sure; we don’t have to find ourselves overwhelmed if we know how to store baby clothes.
How to store baby clothes that can still be worn
Those tiny clothes don’t look like they’d demand much space, but you soon discover that you’re wrong about that notion.
Baby’s clothes seem to take over every bit of space you have for them, and then some.
Because they are so small, they can end up bunched up and shoved into the recesses of a drawer, and of course, we seem never to find those items until they’re too small to be still worn.
With just a few tips and tricks, we can better utilize the space in a room so that they can accommodate all the baby clothes.
This way, there’s less chance that the room will look like a department store that imploded, and your little one will (hopefully) get to wear everything.
We’ll break things down by the storage area you may have for clothes.
Not everyone has the same resources and budget. Hopefully, you’ll find the storage method available and can finally get organized!
The trusty dresser
If you are sharing a room with your little one, or if your children are sharing a room, you may only get the storage area of a dresser or chest of drawers for your kiddo. And that’s okay.
Some methods can help you organize this space to utilize it in the best way possible.
Nursery drawer organizers
When you organize baby clothes in a dresser, you may find a lot of dead space because you’re just dealing with a series of boxes you can fill.
Stacking clothes in drawers can lead to clothes being shoved into the back of the drawer, forgotten about, and lost.
That’s where nursery drawer organizers come in. You can get them in a variety of designs and shapes. From baskets that fit into the drawers to dividers that go into the drawers, you can insert these into the drawers and better utilize the limited amount of space you have.
Dedicated drawers
Make each dresser drawer dedicated to one or two sorts of clothes. For example, the top (usually smaller) drawer can be for socks, mittens, hats, bows, or plain undershirts and onesies.
Another drawer can be dedicated to pajama sets, play clothes, dresses, rompers, outfits with several pieces, swimwear, pants, shirts, one-piece outfits, etc.
When you dedicate a drawer to a particular type of clothing, it is easier to build outfits, keep track of what does and doesn’t fit, and rotate through everything to get as much use out of baby clothes as possible.
Baby closet ideas
If the baby has closet space for clothing storage, keeping everything hung up may seem like a hassle. What do you do with pants, socks, tights, and items you just can’t put on a hanger?
What to hang up
Storing baby clothes can be complicated when you only have a closet to utilize. However, you can do this. It just takes some organization and a little creativity.
You can hang up pajamas, onesies, shirts, dresses, and all those baby clothes with shoulders, including coats and jackets.
You can also hang up baby blankets. It’s not just clothes that can go in a closet.
You can also hang pants and tights by draping them over the long flat bar at the bottom of the hanger. Depending upon size, you should be able to fit two to three pairs of pants on each hanger.
Organize baby clothes by size range in the closet.
You can get closet dividers and hang them between sizes to help you keep track of what you have in what area. You can purchase these made or download free printable labels to put onto these dividers.
This will help you keep all those cute outfits separated and all baby clothes organized.
Upside down hanging tip
To use as much space as possible and get the most benefit, flip a onesie upside down and snap it around the long straight bar of the hanger, rather than hanging it traditionally.
Depending upon the size of clothes your child is in, you should be able to get about three onesies on one hanger.
You can do this randomly, by color, season, or theme. This will save you a lot of hangers and a lot of space.
Baby clothes storage bins
Everything that you can’t hang up can be stored and organized either on the shelf of the closet or on the floor of the closet.
You just need some storage containers. You can use plastic bins, pop-up bins, or stackable bins.
All the clothes you can’t hang up can be divided among these bins to help organize and store items like pants, shorts, socks, hats, and more.
Just make sure you clearly label each storage container so you don’t forget what is in them.
You can also use a storage container to house baby toys.
Storing outgrown baby clothes
If you don’t want to get rid of outgrown baby clothes, you can store them so that they can be used in the future for other children you may plan to have.
This seems like a huge chore, but with some tips and patience, it doesn’t have to be a nightmare.
Vacuum storage bags
If you are limited on space, invest in some vacuum storage bags to keep outgrown baby clothes organized.
Organize by size, but all the clothes of that size into one of these bags, and then vacuum it to seal and shrink it.
These bags can then be labeled and stored under a bed, in a closet, in a large box or tote, or anywhere you have space to put them.
You can write on them with a permanent marker or download free printable labels to keep them easily identifiable.
Diaper boxes
Storage solutions don’t have to be expensive.
If you want to save money, you can store clothes in diaper boxes or other similarly sturdy boxes around the house.
You can store your baby’s clothing from the baby’s nursery in neat piles in cardboard boxes, seal them up with clear packing tape to preserve the clothes inside, and either make your labels or get free printable labels to identify what is inside the box.
You can also do this with clothes that may still fit but are in the wrong season.
Any clothing items that cannot be worn now can be placed in these boxes.
You can then store the boxes wherever you have space: your bedroom closet, the nursery closet, basement, or attic.
Storage totes and storage bags
Outgrown clothes don’t need cute receptacles to go into.
They will sit and be utilized as hand-me-downs for your next child or given to a new baby that someone else has.
A family member in need of baby clothes won’t care whether you had fancy organizers when all they want is baby clothing.
A storage container can include storage totes or bags that you can stack in a basement, attic, or top shelf of a closet.
You can quickly grab the one you need for your current baby for future use, or if you have more children, you can grab what you need as you go.
When it comes to bags, just make sure that you look at the recycling triangle on the label to make sure that there are no chemicals that will break down the baby’s clothing and compromise the quality.
Not all plastics are created equally, and learning what the numbers mean on the triangle will help you decide which plastics are okay to use.
What to do with stained baby clothes
Kids are messy.
They get food, spit-up, dirt, mud, and who-knows-what all over themselves.
You can wash the clothes and know they’re clean, but what do you do when they stain?
Some stain removers can emit fabric damaging chemicals, so if you plan to use a stain remover, make sure that it’s the correct type that won’t further damage the clothing and won’t harm the baby’s delicate skin if the dress is reused.
Play clothes
You don’t have to throw out stained clothes.
They can be stored in storage bins or boxes so that you can easily access some play clothes when you have the next baby and don’t want to ruin a new outfit.
Use less space by deciding only to keep one bin of stained clothing for the baby. Then store baby clothes that are less than pristine in the top of a closet or under a bed.
Cleaning rags
If you have more stained clothes than you know what to do with and don’t want to throw them out, cut them into rags to be used for cleaning.
Baby clothing is often soft and not abrasive, which makes the scraps perfect for cleaning delicate surfaces.
Happy organizing!
It doesn’t take a lot of money if you want to store outgrown baby clothes or utilize the space you have for baby clothes storage.
It simply takes a good system.
Look at the space that you have and decide what sort of organizers are best for your space and your budget.
If you have to spend hundreds of dollars on containers to store outgrown baby clothes, then just what sense does it make to keep those baby clothes?
You can store baby clothes in any sturdy cardboard boxes. You can use bags. You can use bins.
You can use tissue paper to help preserve delicate baby clothing. Just always make sure to use labels.
Donate what you can’t store
If you just have more clothing than you have space for, then keep what you like best, and donate the baby clothes you don’t have room for.
Maybe you got a ton of newborn outfits from your baby shower, and your little one only wore half of it, but you can no longer return them.
If it’s in decent shape, consider donating it to charity, a shelter, or a church with an outreach program.
There are a lot of mothers out there who need help, and doing this can make you feel good, and you will have made a difference for someone in need.
Organize baby clothes while having fun
It doesn’t have to be a stressful endeavor to store outgrown baby clothes.
Take the time to smile when you go through those old outfits. Smell them and see if you can still smell baby on them.
Reminisce. Involve your partner or your kids.
Get friends or family to come over and make a day of it.
It’s only as frustrating as you allow it to be.
Little ones grow so fast. Make the most of every second you can, and enjoy the ride.