Challenge #15 – The Coat Closet

The cold weather is fully upon us today! There is no better time to have a look at the family’s coats.

Let’s recall the process we are using throughout the month:

THE PROCESS

• Gather your supplies:
  • Boxes or bags labeled with:
    • “Donate”
    • “Elsewhere”
    • “Store”
  • Trash can/recycle bin
  • Damp rag/wet wipe

• Empty challenge area for the day. And by empty, I mean EMPTY.

• Once the area is empty, wipe it clean with a damp rag.

• Now sort the items into these categories: (The Seana Method’s R.E.D.D.S. system)
  • R- “Restore”: items to go back in
  • E- “Elsewhere: items to keep, but which don’t belong in this space
  • D- “Donate”
  • D- “Dispose”: trash or recycle
  • S- “Store”: items to keep for sentimental reasons, or perhaps for a long-term future use, but which are not regularly used. (These items will eventually need to go into a bin/box in an attic, basement, or closet.)

• As you are sorting, put items into the boxes/bags you prepared.

• Once you are finished sorting, put the “Restore” items back into your designated area.

• Carry the “Elsewhere” box/bag around your house and redistribute its contents.

• Move the “Donate” box/bag to the car to be donated.

• Trash/recycle the “Dispose” items

• Put the "Store" box aside for now. When the month is over, these items will be packaged for long-term storage.

THE TASK

Frequently, as time passes and our families grow, we accumulate coats and jackets. Once a year or so, we need to take all of our coats out and sort through them.

Gather a large bag for donations: coats are a terrific item to pass on! Now take all the coats out of your closet/cubbies/hooks, etc. Put them on a large, clear sorting surface, such as the dining room table. Stack the coats in piles by wearer. You may have some “easy hits” that you know right away are no longer needed in your family. Put these in the donation bag.

If you have children, and you aren’t sure if an item still fits, set their coats aside with a nametag on the top of each pile and have the children try them on after school.  Likewise, ask your spouse and other family members if they are willing to donate any of the coats in their pile.

Then consider the cost of what you are keeping. Having a “coat for every occasion” is wonderful if you have sufficient space. But keeping a coat in an overcrowded closet which you wear only once a year is probably not. There is a carrying cost for every item we own. If you have removed every item you can and are still tight on space, consider moving out of season outerwear to a long-term storage location, such as an attic, basement, or under-the-bed box.

If you have put together a bag or coats to donate, put it in your car and schedule a time in your planner to donate it.

Submitted by Seana Turner, founder and President of The Seana Method