Until that happy day arrives, I’m afraid I’m stuck with the status quo…sticky tubes of crusty toothpaste and scary kid toothbrushes that look as if they’ve never encountered running water.  In the past, I’ve used plastic baskets inside the drawer in a feeble attempt to protect the wood.  Of course the big problem with this solution is that it assumes your kids will actually put their dental supplies in the baskets and not just shove them in the back of the drawer, like mine seem to do.  Plus, every now and again you’re actually obligated to clean those sticky baskets – gross.  I needed a better plan.

Last week, as I was lining my cookie sheet with aluminum foil to avoid having to wash it later, it dawned on me.  Why not get rid of the baskets all together and opt for an easier, disposable solution.  I grabbed the foil and headed to the kids’ bathroom.  Ten minutes later (nine of which were spent trying to clean the old toothpaste off the bottom of the drawer) I had a sparkly-clean drawer that was toothpaste-proof.  Now, when the goopy mess starts to build, I just toss out the foil and add a new sheet.  It’s cheap, easy, and totally kid-friendly.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

First, I bought an inexpensive drawstring mesh laundry sack for each of my kids.  I found them in the laundry aisle of WalMart for around $2.  Next, I used a sharpie to label the loop at the top with the size and season (ie Girl sz 5/6 Spg/Sum).  At our house the bags are stashed in their closets right next to their drawers so they’re easily accessible.  If your kid’s closet is short on space, you could hide them under the bed or hang them on the back of the closet door.

When laundry day rolls around I divide the kids clothes into their baskets and then pull out any clothes that are out of season and put them in a separate pile.  The kids put their regular clothes in their drawers and then add the out of season pile to their mesh bag.    Once the weather has permanently changed (and the chances for short sleeve weather are slim to none) I take the entire bag down to the basement and store it in a labeled Rubbermaid container.

The really nice part about this solution is that it’s totally kid friendly.  If we have really warm day, it’s easy for the kids to pull open the drawstring and dig around in their bags for a pair of shorts.  Likewise, it’s even easier for them to put the shorts back in the sack the following week.  It also makes finding clothes for younger siblings tons easier.  Since the bags are labeled with size and season, when my younger daughter grows into my older daughter’s size all I have to do is find the right size bin, choose the right season, and bring the entire bag of clothes upstairs.

Granted, it’s not the prettiest solution.  If you’re the kind of person that hates looking at a sack of unfolded clothes this may not work for you.  If you’re like me, however, and you don’t care how your kids closet looks as long as it’s functional – this solution might be just the right fit.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

My kids have a tendency to dump everything out when they’re digging for socks, undershirts, tights or other little items. I created these easy dividers for their underwear drawer to help them keep things organized. I bought a sheet of foam-core posterboard and trimmed it to the size of my drawer. I then used clear packing tape to affix them to the front and back of the drawer. I also covered the cut edges (on the top and bottom of the divider) with packing tape to keep them from getting worn.

I’ve used these drawers for years and think they were worth every penny. My kids are 3, 4 & 6. Thanks to these simple drawers, they’re all able put away their own laundry and pull out the clothes they need. Just thought I’d pass it on.  You can find the free file downloads for the various colors of drawer labels below.