Post Summer / Pre Fall Organizing
Summer vacation is over. Labor Day is over. Even though fall doesn’t officially start until the 3rd week in September, “meteorological” fall started September 1. Meaning, we all think it’s fall now.
This is my list of organizing tasks that mark my official end of summer/ start of fall season. You have to close out the last season before starting the new one. Even though we may still have warm days, we’re pretty much done with summer clothes, shoes, pool towels, and beach bags.
I bet a lot of. you have already done these so feel free to feel smug as I list these off.
Assess your footwear. Toss any flip flops or sandals that you’ve worn out this season. Make a note in your Notes app of any you should replace.
Take any summer shoes that need repair to the cobbler for repair & cleaning. This way, you’ll start off the next spring/summer season ahead of the game. Clean any residual sand or dirt off of any other summer shoes worn on vacation.
Give your pool and beach bags a good cleaning. Start by dumping everything out and shaking out any sand or dirt.. Toss any expired sunscreen or other trash. If you won’t be using it for a while, store it on a higher shelf.
Clean beach & pool towels. Fold and put away until next season.
Clean off any beach toys, chairs, coolers, or anything else that may still have sand or dirt on it.
Assess the summer clothes that you didn’t wear this season to determine why. Didn’t fit? Didn’t have the right occasion? Don’t love anymore? Donate or give away anything that didn’t make the wardrobe rotation unless you have a really good reason to keep it.
You should keep the clothes that you love and actually enjoy wearing. Pass on the ones that don’t really fit, are uncomfortable, or just don’t suit you anymore. Supporting a local charity is always a good option.
One easy way to consign AND donate is to use ThredUp. They make consigning and donating clothes and accessories so easy. (Plus they take kids & maternity clothes.)
Clean any clothes you are ready to put away. Putting away clothes that aren’t 100% clean is a recipe for stain disaster. Even for summer clothes, I love The Laundress Signature Detergent. The Delicates Wash is perfect for linen and more delicate fabrics. I’ve recommended their products for cleaning sweaters prior to storing after wearing them all winter and I use them myself to take care of my clothes.
Also, making sure they are clean means they’ll be ready for any last minute getaways that may pop up!
As much as we enjoy summer and the change of pace it brings us, getting ready for the next season gives us something fun to focus on. Bask in the joy of the happy summer memories and let’s go on to create some fun times this fall!
Happy organizing!