How do you store previously worn clothing that doesn't yet need to be laundered? - YouLookFab Forum

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How do you store previously worn clothing that doesn't yet need to be laundered?

Carla

Veteran

Inge's 'Link Love' has some thought provoking pieces on the impacts of laundering clothes with a nudge to laundering items less frequently.

https://youlookfab.com/2019/08.....-big-thing

My practice is to launder items LESS frequently, motivated by the wear and tear washing causes. However, I am not entirely satisfied with my methods for storing previously worn clothes. I will reintegrate toppers and accessories back into my closet and drawers, Things worn close to my body (dresses, shirts, pants) get hung in a section of my closet apart from the other clothes, even if they originally came out of the dresser. I then tend to 'shop' the previously worn clothes to create outfits until they are ready for the laundry. I'm not happy with this solution, because I feel compelled to recycle the used clothing before reaching for something 'new' since I don't want clothes piling up. DH just piles everything on a chair and re-wears until items are ready for laundering, though he will put previously worn sweaters back on his sweater shelf.

How do you manage clothing items that have been worn, but aren't ready for laundering?

General

48 replies

Latest reply was from ophelia

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I've got a set of hooks on the back of my closet door where I hang lightly worn items to wear again. Sometimes they end up on the back of a chair for a bit first I wouldn't be comfortable putting them back in their 'regular' locations, except for maybe rehanging blazers. I don't find the shopping the gently worn stuff first to be a problem - in fact it helps me focus, but there are times where a particular item hangs out for several days or over a week before it gets reworn, or maybe never reworn if the weather changes, and I finally give up and pitch it in the laundry.

Murph11

Veteran

I hang my worn-but-clean items right back on the same hanger where they were. I see items as either clean or dirty; nothing in between

That said, I hang everything except gear and pajamas, and there’s a little breathing room between; not packed tight.

DH likes to hang worn-but-still-clean shirts the opposite way on the closet rod (ie. facing east instead of west)... And then I go thru and rehang them the “right way.”

Anonymous

I'm of the same mind as Murph. I don't mind rehanging worn pieces in the closet - they aren't exactly *contaminating* my other clothes - lol. I'm not a big washer or cleaner of clothes unless they really need it - for the same reasons as you, Carla.

Christina F.

Veteran

I too put them back... unless it's loungewear that's covered in cat dander. I'm allergic to my cats, so I just keep that stuff on top of my bureau until I put it in the hamper. This is not ideal, but I don't have anywhere else--I have limited space and any clothes I put down would become cat beds. It's a problem.

ETA - I have some hooks on the wall that are already spoken for. Even wall or back of door space is at a premium for me This would be my solution when I move in a year or so.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

I either put things back away or hang them on a series of hooks in my closet. Which one I do is more a matter of laziness than anything else.

Liesbeth

Veteran

You are on a roll for asking interesting questions!
Like you, I feel uncomfortable hanging worn clothes back into my wardrobe because most of them at least need to air out some...
I have a standing mirror with a clothes rod at the back which I love for hanging those pieces on. Only problem: I also still toss stuff on a chair AND on my bathroom shelf that SHOULD be reserved fornext day’s outfit.
So okay, maybe I’m just too neurotic but this current system is both too cluttered and leaving too many clothes in that in between state for weeks on end - because I also crave variety. Mind you, focusing on rewearing something so I have a full load of darks in time for laundry day, brings up a bout of creativity in its limitations :).
So all in all I wouldn’t advocate my approach but I haven’t changed it in a while either, so probably it just works fine enough and I should relax into it.
Sorry if this answer is more confusing than helpful.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I hang them back in the regular way if they are a hanging item, after maybe an overnight hanging on the pull-out valet rod in my closet.

For folded items (jeans, shorts), I hang them from a belt loop on the rod for a little airing out and then refold, but put them on the top of the pile on the shelf facing in the opposite direction from the freshly cleaned stuff. I started doing this almost unconsciously but it really works to help me see whether I want to get another wear out of something that will need to be laundered soon or break in something that has gone unworn.

Tina

Veteran

Dressier skirts, blouses, and dresses get hung back up in their spots or they go in the laundry. Every day wear generally gets repeated until it’s laundry, if not then it is folded and placed on an ottoman. We have hooks on the back of our closet door, we’re supposed to have 2 each but I gave up, DH uses them for his still-good-to-wear-again clothes plus his seemingly endless supply of hoodies.
ETA I do a version of what Janet does with my sweaters, I fold them differently and set them atop the pile.

cherylm

I have hooks on the wall for around the house wear. Other items I put where they normally go except I leave them inside out, that way I know it it has been worn before. I have no problem wearing an item several times before it is laundered - except when I travel, I want it to be “fresh”.

Christina F.

Veteran

Oh, I should have added that I do let the clothes air out by hanging them over a chair before I put them back where they belong.

Toban

Veteran

I hang it back in as clean. However, if I am doing a seasonal storage, I will often wash items that have been worn but not laundered before storage. This is especially true for handwashed sweaters that I rarely launder.

nemosmom

Veteran

Most of the time I will hang mine on hooks on the back of my bathroom door. I am paranoid about putting clothes that could have food on them back in my closet (moths) and I tend to be a big snacker at my desk. I keep a separate laundry basket for worn-not-dirty items where DH throws most of his stuff, and I'll often steam those pieces or pop them in the dryer for a few minutes before returning them to their hanging place in our closet. Tumbling probably doesn't help the "wear" bit, though...

kerry

Veteran

I have two hooks in my closet for bras. I wear two to three times before laundering (except in summer!). Drawer is for freshly laundered, hook one is worn once, hook two is worn twice and after the third time is goes in the hamper.

I also have a railing in my bedroom where I hang clothing that’s been worn but not ready for laundering. After hanging out there for a day, I put it away again.

Loungewear hangs out on top of our laundry hamper (it has a hinged lid). PJs (worn twice before laundering) hangs on a hook on the back of the closet door (we have a walk through closet).

My system easily rotates/launders bras, loungewear and pjs. It’s not so easy to keep track of how many wears other clothing items have had. Not sure how to fix it!

Diana

Veteran

I put it back in the closet/cabinet if it's something like a jacket or skirt that doesn't really get too sweaty or grimy. If it's something that is worn close to the body (like a bra, or t-shirt, or some pants) I'll drape it over the wardrobe door (it really should be hooks on the inside of the door, but the hooks in that particular wardrobe keep falling off because I can't nail them in, so I've kind of given up). This has the double benefit of allowing the item to air out, and to remind me that I should wear it again before tossing it in the hamper. It also prevents me from accumulating too many items there, as the door stops being able to close if too many things are on it.

Anonymous

Our closet has two very large fabric-lined rattan built in laundry baskets. I use the bottom one for folded things worn that can be worn again and DH uses closet hooks for this purpose. Ideally I would hand my worn items on s designated spot. Maybe that will happen this year. Laundry that is ready to wash gets taken directly to the laundry room, as I do not want the closet to smell of soiled clothing. This is an excellent question.
Dresses are often only worn part of the day so get sprayed with Dawn wrinkle release and are returned to their hanging spot. Those that need dry cleaning go into a bag for that purpose.

cjh

(website)

Veteran

For shorts or pants, I fold them on a closet shelf. Originally they were folded in a drawer (shorts), or hung on hangers (pants and jeans.) My shorts need laundering more often than jeans or casual pants.

More dressy items, like pants worn to church, dresses, sweaters and jackets are returned to normal storage, as I can keep track in my head on how close they are to needing to be laundered.

Everyday tops are hung back in the closet, but in front of my lounge cardigan instead of behind it in their usual order. It’s not uncommon that I’ll change outfits sometime during a day, depending on activities. So I can select and rewear an outfit that only had a partial day’s use later in the week for similar activities.

Anonymous

I just started to try to wash less often, and will just rewear toppers, bottoms, and dresses. Since I work in 2 different offices, I just plan to wear the same bottom 1x to each office and wash the same week. All my outfits of the week are hung on a bar on my closet door to make my mornings easy.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

If it needs airing out, I hang it outside the closet overnight. Otherwise I’m of the Murph school of thought. If it’s still clean it goes right back in the closet. I don’t have so many clothes that I am at any risk of forgetting when something is lightly worn. I’m also one who does not launder with every wear unless of course the item is dirty!

Marilyn

Veteran

If it still smells fresh and looks clean it goes right back into the closet wear if came from.

If it's a sweater I swish it around for a bit of an airing then put it away.

I don't launder with every wear unless it's an item that needs it. Your clothes and the environment will thank you.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

I have a stool with a massive pile of worn clothes on it at the moment.When the pile falls over I go through it and allocate to laundry bin,back on stool or if it’s a jumper or jacket it goes back into storage unless it’s genuinely dirty.Like you I do not feel that this is a satisfactory way to deal with laundry so am taking notes on this post,

RobinF

Veteran

I'm of the Murph-school also. It's either clean or dirty to my mind and either gets put back away or put in the dirty wash hamper. I have never even thought about it before, interesting to read different methods.

Kate

Veteran

I’m another member of the Murph school.

Anonymous

Once I've worn it, I consider it "used," and don't let it mingle with the clean. I usually hang it on a rack in the laundry room until I'm ready to wear again. Or on the back of the closet door if there's room.

missvee

Veteran

I’ll often hang something up on a hook behind the door overnight just to air it out, and then hang it right back in the closet. If I think I’ll get one more wearing out of something then I’ll reverse the hanger so I know to put it in the laundry after the next wear. I have a small wardrobe though, and it’s easy to keep track of what’s what. For bras, I hand wash them in the bathroom sink when I take them off, then hang to dry overnight. It takes about 30 seconds. Not that I’ve timed it lol.

rachylou

Veteran

I let things air for a day. Hang hanging things back, fold folding things inside out and put them back in their drawer/ shelf.

smittie

Veteran

At the end of the day, I just fold or hang back up my clothes together with the clean stuff. I almost never just put stuff in the laundry after 1 wear.

Sara L.

Veteran

I'm also with Murph - things are either clean or dirty. They either go in the laundry hamper or folded/hung back in the closet. I'm finding it fascinating how different people deal with this - I've just never thought about it much.

Helena

Veteran

Team chair here!

Jane

Veteran

Good question! Everything goes away or in my laundry bag. Hang up dresses and wash every two or three wears. Always wash work wear tops after 1 wear. Two washes per weekend, one dark one light, my stuff only, cold wash, 40 mins. Take out straight after. Dry outside. Iron the 2 or 3 items that need to be, everything else back in it’s place. It’s taken me a long time to get quite so organised and I’m so thankful for the wisdom of ylf in getting me to this stage.

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