Tips for Making Kids Clothes Last Longer

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Garanimals. The opinions and text are all mine.

I love for my kids to look cute regardless of what we are doing or where we are going, but we also live life on a budget and need their clothes to be affordable. Beyond that, I want to maintain their clothes so they last until the children have long-since outgrown them.

Four kids ages 11 and under PLUS four seasons in a year EQUALS a lot of kids clothes. Potentially, a TON of clothing. But, if I make wise choices and take care of the clothes I purchase, I can make them last longer and pass them down from child to child.

Over the last decade, I have learned a lot about clothing the children comfortably and making the clothes last.

Check the pockets

In the last eleven years, I cannot begin to count the number of crayons, markers, stickers, and toys that I have laundered with the kids clothes.  And catching the brightly colored offender AFTER removing the clothes from the dryer… Oh my!

Always, and I repeat, “Always!” Check the pockets.

Train children to sort clothes

From the time my kids are old enough to know their colors, I have trained them to sort their clothing. I even made printables to hang on our laundry bins and motivate them to keep four separate piles: towels, lights, darks, and reds. Sorting laundry this way allows me to wash each load with its best water temperature and cycle.

Do not over-soap or over-dry

Using too much detergent and revving the dryer up to high heat is not only wasteful, it can ruin your clothes. So, use the recommended amount of detergent and/or softener for your machine and the type of load as well as the appropriate heat setting on the dryer.

Treat stains immediately

I am the queen of lazy moms, but if I toss a stained shirt into the laundry pile and think I will remember to treat that stain later, that article of clothing is destined to be backyard playwear forever more. I am not the mom to carry a stain stick in my purse, but I do make sure to treat stains before tossing clothes into the hamper.

Check before you dry

If something is stained and you placed it through the wash cycle, do not assume that the stain is completely removed. Pull that shirt out and look at it in the sunlight. Verify that the stain is completely gone before putting the clothing into the dryer. Once you dry a stain, it will haunt you for eternity.

Remember that expensive does not mean better

Choose quality clothing with fabric that is not delicate because kids can be tough on clothes.

If you dig through our boxes of clothes packed away for the next child, you might be surprised at the brand labels. The majority of the clothing that has lasted through the rough and tumble toddler years without tremendous wear has been the Garanimals I purchased at Walmart.

Available up to a size 5T, Garanimals are super cute, comfortable for play, and very sensibly priced. Plus, I love how you can mix and match the styles to build an endless variety of possibilities from a small wardrobe.

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{Sigh} My youngest is wearing a 5T now. But when she outgrows Garanimals, I can promote her to 365Kids that goes to size 8 and still maintains Garanimals comfort and quality.

>>See Garanimals and 365Kids exclusively at Walmart and Walmart.com.<<

Your turn…

What is your best tip for making kids clothes last longer?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Garanimals. The opinions and text are all mine.