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Fall Closet Changeover Checklist

Easy 22 items · 3 hours
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testuser Published 1 week ago
Lifestyle

Pull the winter coats out before the first cold morning, not on it. Trying everything on in October leaves time to replace the boots a child outgrew in March, fix a broken zipper, and reproof a jacket that leaked last spring.

The list does two jobs in one afternoon. It gets winter clothes and gear out and checked, and it puts summer clothes away clean, dry and labeled so they come out in good shape next year. If you want to clear out the whole wardrobe at the same time, the Organising Your Wardrobe checklist covers the full sort.

Wash everything before it goes into a bin. Sunscreen, sweat and small food stains you cannot see yet can set and yellow over months in storage, and a stain that washes out in October may not come out in May.

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  1. Bring out the winter storage bins and the coats from the back of the closet
  2. Check stored wool for small holes or webbing as it comes out — Both are signs of clothes moths. Wash or dry-clean the affected pieces and vacuum the closet before anything goes back in.
  3. Try on every winter coat
  4. Try on boots, with the socks that will be worn in them — Thick winter socks can make last year's boots too tight.
  5. Check the kids' snow pants, waterproof mittens and snow boots — The first snow gives no notice, and kids who play outside at school or daycare need the gear that morning.
  6. Pair up gloves and mittens, and match hats and scarves
  7. Check zippers, buttons and seams, and set aside anything to mend
  8. Reproof waterproof jackets and boots — Spray and wax proofing wears off with use. If a boot let water in last winter, it will again.
  9. Write a list of what needs replacing or buying
  10. Donate outgrown coats and boots that are still in good shape — Coat drives usually collect in the fall, just before people need the coats.
  11. Air out sweaters and coats that smell of storage
  12. Move winter clothes into the drawers and rail you reach every day
  13. Set up a spot by the door for coats, boots, hats and gloves — A boot tray catches meltwater and road salt before it reaches the floor.
  14. Leave a few light layers out until the cold settles in — Early fall can swing from warm to frosty within a week.
  15. Sort summer clothes into keep, donate and mend
  16. Wash or dry-clean everything you keep before storing it
  17. Empty every pocket
  18. Clean and dry sandals and summer shoes
  19. Pack summer clothes into lidded bins or breathable fabric boxes — Take off the dry cleaner's plastic bags first. They trap moisture against the fabric.
  20. Label each bin with what is in it and the sizes — Sizes on kids' bins tell you next spring what a younger child can wear.
  21. Store the bins somewhere dry, not a damp basement or a garage floor — Damp storage brings mildew.
  22. Add a reminder for the spring changeover
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