Know How to Fold ‘Em: How to Store Your Clothes to Save Space

BY LYNDSEY TYM

One of my absolute favorite tips to share with clients is how to save space in dresser drawers. How many of you, or your kids, end up with tons of casual t-shirts? I know I end up with a lot of them from participating in 5k’s, fundraisers, and all kinds of other places.  ese are great to keep on hand for the casual wear or the gym, but these shirts take up space in drawers and the ones on the bottom of the stack always end up forgotten. Not anymore!

When implementing this tip, take all of the shirts out of the drawer. You may want to take the opportunity to wash them all while they are out and wipe down the drawer (or drawers) they were stored in. When you are ready to put the shirts back into the dresser drawer, try folding them in this new way for optimal space saving: lay the shirt  at and front side down, fold it in half matching up the sleeves, fold the sleeves over top of the rest of the shirt so it now forms a large rectangle, from the bottom of the shirt fold in half, again from the bottom fold the shirt in half so it is now forms a small rectangle.

Here is the best part and the most crucial: rather than stacking the newly folded shirt in the drawer laying it on its largest surface area, lean it up against the drawer front (or back) with the fold facing up. Continue this process with the remainder of shirts so they are stored like  les in a  ling cabinet rather than a stack. While starting out, you may need to lean the shirts a little to

get them to stay fold side up until you have enough shirts to keep them in place.

Storing shirts like this not only saves space, but makes all of the shirts visible and you should be able to see which shirt is which by the folds facing up.

I started folding t-shirts like this a few years ago and cannot tell you how easy it was to remember how to fold the shirts and store the shirts like  les. Ultimately this trick has saved so much space in my dresser that I ended up freeing up a whole drawer, and now store leggings and pajama pants the same way using similar folding techniques. Once you fold the t-shirts this way a time or two, you will remember it easily. Try teaching your kids or try it out in your own dresser!

Happy organizing!

Lyndsey Tym, owner of Simple Spaces, desires to help others declutter and simplify in their homes to free up time for the things they love. Learn more at facebook.com/ simplespaceslyndseytym.

COURTESY OF MCC

The season for fresh fruits and vegetables grown right in the backyard is upon us. Warm weather breathes life into fresh berries, tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, and many other delectable fruits and vegetables. Home gardens can be supplemented with delicious  nds from the supermarket or farmer’s market, including melons, corn and more.  e bounty of the garden can be made more abundant and fruitful with the addition of the right soil amendments. Compost is a key element of rich, nutritious soil. Scraps from items that have been grown in the garden can then be reused in the production of the compost that feeds that same garden. It’s a continuous circle of garden life. Getting started with compost is relatively easy. Homeowners should choose an outdoor space near the garden but far away from the home so that it won’t be disturbed by kids or animals. Some people opt for an open compost pile, while others choose closed bins to contain the possible smell and to camou age the compost. A sunny spot will help the compost to develop faster, according to Good Housekeeping.  e next step is to start gathering the scraps and materials that will go into the compost. Better Homes and Gardens suggests keeping a bucket or bin in the kitchen to accumulate kitchen scraps. Here are some kitchen-related items that can go into the compost material: • Eggshells • Fruit peels • Vegetable peels and scraps • Co ee grounds • Shredded newspaper In addition to these materials, grass and plant clippings, dry leaves, bark chips, straw, and sawdust from untreated wood can go into the pile. Avoid diseased plants, anything with animal fats, dairy products, and pet feces. A low-maintenance pile has an equal amount of brown and green plant matter in the compost plus moisture to keep the bacteria growing and eating at the right rate. Aerating the compost occasionally, or turning the bin when possible, will allow the compost to blend and work together. Compost will take a few months to form completely, says the Planet Natural Research Center.  e  nished product will resemble a dark, crumbly soil that smells like fresh earth. Compost will not only add nutrients to garden soil, but also it can help insulate plants and may prevent some weed growth. It is a good idea to start a compost pile as a free source of nutrition for plants and a method to reduce food waste in an environmentally sound way.