What To Do With All Those Kids’ Clothes

I have four children, one only was with us until he was three, but that doesn’t mean he and my three girls don’t have a ton of clothes. For my son, that was the only practical gift for him, and girl clothes can be really fun! Oh, and let’s not forget two of them are twin girls.

Having all these clothes can become a big task. Besides the everlasting laundry, my kids also need to change sizes of clothes at least once a year, and in the infant stages, it was several times that first year.

So how do we keep up? What is still good so someone else could use it? What do we do with stuff that has seen better days? Luckily there are several options to help move those outgrown clothes, besides passing down to family and friends, of course!

Donate

There are several shelters and bins around Fairfield County that accept donations. When donating clothes, please make sure they are gently used and in wearable condition – something you would be comfortable with your children wearing if they still fit. 

Take a look around your town for donation bins, some are for non-profits, and some are for-profit, just so you are aware. These are great options once you know where to drop-off.

Some local shelters that are accepting kids clothing donations but may have limited drop-off hours are:

• Bridgeport Rescue Mission – Bridgeport
• Clothes to Kids Fairfield County – Stamford
• Open Door Shelter – Norwalk
• Person-to-Person – Darien  

Recycling

If those clothes have seen better days, stubborn stains and rips from crawling so fast or falling off of bikes, then the best option is to recycle them. There are several towns in Fairfield County that partner with Bay State Textiles and have bins in their towns. See if your town is listed here.  

Consigning/Selling

Two other options that can be really helpful, especially if you need to purchase clothing a size up or new seasonal clothes, are to sell or consign them. When you get money back for your items, you can then shop and put that money or credits towards the new items you need. The clothes to consign need to be in good wearable condition. They can be new with tags too. Be sure to fully disclose if they have any imperfections to potential buyers.

There are a couple of ways to consign or sell clothes: some in-person and some via websites and apps. There are a few stores within Fairfield County that consign, and you can drop-off. They will take what fits their needs and usually take what is seasonally appropriate. There are several sites and apps that help you consign, too. A big place to sell or donate is on Facebook either within mom groups, tag sale sites, or Facebook Marketplace.

Some great shops in Fairfield County are:

• Around the Rosy – Westport
• Consign Envy – Ridgefield
• Once Upon a Child – Danbury
• The Children’s Attic – Darien

Some great consigning apps/websites are:

• Kidziden
• Poshmark
• Shop Tomorrow’s
• ThredUp

Make a Quilt

This was something I had done with some pieces of my son’s clothes that had good memories. I have also put together a “sentimental bag” so that I have pieces from my daughters to make another quilt in the future. I had it made locally in Norwalk by Christie’s Quilting Boutique, but there are several online options as well.

As “spring cleaning” begins and you start to change seasons of clothes, I hope you find these different options helpful in figuring out what to do with all those kids’ clothes!