Here are some tips if you switch out clothes for the season.  When storing away your summer clothes only pack up the ones you actually wore and donate the rest to Goodwill, Salvation Army or other charity, sell them in a yard sale or put them in a consignment shop and make yourself a little cash.  Storing clothes that you have not worn for the season takes up valuable storage space.

Use colored containers for storage and place an index card on three sides of the container and on the top listing its contents.  Be cautious storing them in attics or basements due to humidity, dampness, bugs or rodents.  Place wooden cedar pieces inside each container which are available at most home stores.  If you do not have a lot of storage space but you do have a garage, you can purchase overhead ceiling hanging shelves for your garage.  They are very durable and can hold up to 300lbs.

Use the “hanger trick” to decide if you should pack up an item this spring.  When you pull out your winter clothes and hang them in the closet, place the hangers on the rod with the opening of the hanger facing out towards you.  Once you wear the article of clothing and go to hang it back in the closet, place the hanger on the rod the normal way.  At the end of this winter season any clothes that are still on the hanger with the opening facing you, it is safe to assume you did not wear the item through the season and you should be able to donate it.

1) Decide The Goal
Example- I want to be able to easily locate my tools, picnic items, camping gear, sports equipment or possibly make room for my car.

2) Devise and Write a Plan
Ask yourself:
A) What is it going to take for me to accomplish this goal (money, help form others, etc.)
B) How much time am I going to devote to this project (an entire weekend or break it down into smaller projects)

3) Mark it in your Planner
If you do not mark it down in your planner, it is less likely that you will carry out the plan. If you are breaking the job down into smaller projects, decide when you are going to do each one and write it down.

4) Sort and Purge
Put like items together and have separate areas for donate, trash, belongs somewhere else or to someone else.

5)Take advantage of wall and ceiling space
Use Shelving units, add cabinets or overhead hanging shelving units. Cabinets are for storing chemicals such as pesticides and vehicle maintenance items such as grease, oil and gas because you can put locks on them if you need to keep young children from reaching them or store them on upper shelves.  Overhead hanging racks can be used to store camping gear,  holiday decorations or tubs of clothing.  Visit www.garagetek.com for garage storage ideas or products.

6) Dispose of the unwanted or not needed items quickly.
If you are worried about how to dispose of the junk or items that you no longer want or is not recyclable, Junk Genies will come and pick it up. Many local nonprofit organizations will pick up items you want to recycle or donate for a reasonable fee.

7) Finally reward yourself!
If you have chosen to break the job down into smaller projects, reward yourself after each part of it is completed and definitely reward yourself after the entire project is finished. You deserve it!!