apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

squiggle,

I, too, don't like throwing 'slightly used' clothing into the hamper. Fortunately, I have a large enough closet (or too few clothes) that I can dedicate a space in it for my once-worn items separate from my clean clothes. Perhaps you can dedicate a drawer, basket, shelf, or closet space for this purpose?

If I re-wear an item from this space I know its a second time worn and can than throw it into the hamper without guilt.

For those not quite soiled items, you might want to hang them inside out in your regular closet. These enables them to breathe and you can easily remember you've worn them once since they are inside out and therefore, stand out.

Sorry for typos - part of what I do as a "real job" days is work with documents and editing. It amazes me that on AT I can't get a post out without an error!

I do about the same as Maryja--dedicating a few hangers to worn, but not dirty clothes. I also turn the clothing inside out before I hang them, so I don't forget that they're on their second go-round.

there's no reason to clean your clothes if you only wore them for a couple of hours. i mean, unless you were sweating or near smoke. that'll just ruin your clothes!

i put a hamper in my closet under the hanging clothes for those. you can still fold them & if they are clean, hang them up. i put fabric softeners on some hangers to freshen things up a bit. having the "clean clothes" hamper in you closet is also good for when you come home really late & just wanna toss your clothes somewhere. you can tidy it up in the morning.

I hang them on hangers and on the closet door over night. In the morning when I dress I can throw them inside, as they have aired out.

I guess that means my system depends on my remembering what has been worn once...

I, too, am a happy member of the Coat Tree Fan Club for this issue. It's great just to be able to "hook" jeans, etc up by the belt, and it feels like everything airs out (vs. having all the "worn once" clothes all mingling together in a hamper).

I have this one: http://www.dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=1870
but there are obviously many many to choose from!

I had this same problem. You could buy a nice ladder and prop it against the wall.

OR

You could go overly-enthusiastic and build a ladder that hooks over your wardrobe door. I still need to put little 'feet' on the backs of mine so it sits out from the wardrobe door a little better, but it's an excellent solution, esp if you are really tight on space.

this is my problem exactly! I'm driving my boyfriend nuts! I think I will try all the solutions (except the ladder) because one of these has to work!! thank you! any other ideas?

If you have a closet door, try this: install hooks or get one of those over the door multiple hook things. You can hang clothes on there from a hanger or just throw them on the hook then close the closet door and everything's out of the way. Hanging up the clothes also allow them to air out.

Go for a coat rack/coat tree!

I have one for this very purpose and it's been ideal - keeps everything off the floor and contained all in one spot, but still much easier to use (and therefore much more likely to BE used). Mine fits in my closet, but I don't think one would look too bad in the corner of your bedroom if your closts won't accommodated - and certainly an upgrade from the piles (with which I am very familiar)!

Mine is an antique, but they make some cool looking modern ones these days, too.

Thought it would be helpful to provide an example. I have this on my closet door and it works great: hang clothes from a hanger, toss a sweater on the top rack, hang scarves or bras from the hooks.

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15597&catalogId=10103&storeId=12&productId=74844&langId=-1&categoryId=16308&chosenPartNumber=80059628

I use wreath hangers over my bedroom doors (no closet doors in this house) because I can reposition them constantly. I have them on each bedroom door, one for PJ's & robe, and 1 more for airing out clothes (up to 3 clothes hangers can fit on 1 wreath hanger). They were 50 cents each at the dollar store.

I keep mine in a specially designated laundry basket under the bed. I just slide out the basket, pop clothes in, and then slide it back out of site. Our bed is on risers, so there's enough room for a full size laundry basket to fit underneath.

I reserve one of my dresser drawers for this purpose. Of course, I had to get rid of some stuff to make that possible.

I had a similar dilemma until I found this great, elfa storage basket with hooks at the Container Storet: http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?PRODID=71154&CATID=158&searchId=7852252&itemIndex=55. I put one up on both sides of my closet, and they WORK LIKE A DREAM! Especially good for things that have belt loops or loop tags from which they can be hung (so as to avoid damaging the article)

my husband has this problem- i bought a tension shower rod from bed bath and beyond and hung it in our dressing area- he hangs his clothes that aren't ready for the laundry there.

So glad you asked this question! So glad I'm not the only one with this dilemma. Some good answers here.

I don't think I understand this dilemma. Either clothes are clean enough to be worn again, or they aren't. I either put dirty clothes in the laundry hamper, or re-hang/re-fold clothes that can be worn again. Putting them in some sort of in-between storage space seems pointless.

I've been looking to buy some sort of a 'blanket/quilt' stand that would be gentler than hooks for delicate silks and sweaters. Here's one I found online:
http://www.carolinarustica.com/cart/catalog/Charleston-Forge-Quilt-Stand-p-53876.html

A cheaper option, especially if placing inside a closet is a dryer rack, like this one from BB&B:
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=11818528&RN=389

I don't mean any disrespect, but honestly... there are only two categories of clothing:

(1) clean (incl. once worn but still clean)
(2) dirty.

If it's in category (2) it goes in the hamper. If it's in category (1), I fold it up and put it in a drawer or hang it up in the closet. Jeans and trousers that are once worn go on a hanger and get hung overnight on the shower rod to air out, then they go back in the closet.

If it's too dirty to be put away with freshly laundered clothes, it's too dirty to wear again.

I am glad to not have this dilemma. I too believe in clean and dirty. That's it. But I do tend to extend the "clean" time as long as possible...hehe.

I agree about clothing being either clean enough to wear or not. If there is no smell, no stains, (and it isn't stretched out), then I generally put it back in the closet. Why not?

Thanks for all the responses, everyone. Some great ideas! I will definitely put some to use.

I knew there would be some backlash after that post about changing the sheets yesterday (every few days? you must have a housecleaner and your own washing machine!) but was glad to see some others think like me. I'm not going to hand wash a wool sweater after wearing it a few hours indoors, or get a dress dry cleaned, but I want to remember I've worn it once so that's why I don't put it back in the closet.

Anyway thanks for the ideas!

I don't get it either. If it's clean enough to wear again, hang it up; otherwise, put it in the hamper. If the issue is that you don't want to mix machine-washables with hand-washables or dry-clean-onlys, get a second hamper or a compartmentalized hamper.

perhaps the two categories should be the disciplined put-things-away crowd, and the undisciplined group. My boyfriend is in the first catagory, and I, unfortunately, am in the 2nd. He calls me 'la tormenta' (Spanish for "the storm") !!

I'm inspired by this post tho, and am laughing at how some people see so many shades of grey, and others are clearly seeing black and white. Such is life!

I have this problem too. In my life, there is a third category. I guess because I have a constantly shedding dog (so if I sat on the floor or any piece of furniture in the house, the article of clothing has dog hair on it) and an allergic child who shares my bedroom, closet, and dresser (so I'm constantly washing his clothes, and paranoid about contaminating his freshly laundered, allergen-free clothes). Also, I just don't like the idea of previously worn clothes mixed in with my nice clean ones, which is odd, because I'm generally kind of a slob. (See, e.g. the piles of previously worn items on my dresser and closet floor.) Anyway, that's my reasoning. Good ideas here, think I'll try the extra hamper or the ladder.

I had this same problem! I bike every day, and in the winter I have to layer. Of course I wash the inner layers after each wearing, but the outer layers are incredibly expensive and I've only been able to afford a couple sets, so I wash them after every two or three wears. Because the outer layer is exposed to dirt, I don't want to put these items with my clean clothing. I have a folding closet door, so hanging things off it wasn't an option. I ended up moving the bar 12" down in my closet and putting a shelf above it for these wear-again clothes. Hanging them up wasn't an option, as the closet is only a few feet wide and I didn't want the dirt transferring onto my nicer clothing.

We have a bench at the foot of the bed where we fold and stack "in-between" clothes. The only drawback to this approach is when those clothes include a cashmere sweater. The "in-between" clothes pile turns into a cat bed in about .3 seconds.

I LOVE THIS THREAD! I am a total believer in wearing slightly worn clothes again and I never know what to do with them. Threads like this are why I love AT!

Having been a vintage clothing collector for a number of years, i can testify that clothes that seem "clean" can degrade from minute amounts of skin oils, etc, left on them for a long period of time. I've learned my lesson on this the hard way, too, having put away clothes that i thought were still 'clean' only to find that they had gotten stained from sitting with the minute residues on them for months.

I have a limbo zone, too, on one side of my closet. I'm too much of an eco-nut to feel that you have to wash your (outside layer) clothes between each wear, esp. if you just sat in a chair all day. But i like the idea of turning them inside out, b/c i do sometimes forget what i've worn once already.

so my recommendation would be to keep a limbo zone, but don't let something sit in that zone for over a month.

i stack neatly folder once used clothing on a chair, but that chair's on it's way out so i'm glad to hear these ideas.

i just want to throw out there to the folks that wear once and wash, that in the long run, holding off until a second wearing can save energy, as well as prolong the life of your wears. every little bit helps. think green...

I love the Limbo Zone idea, the mister has a separate laundry basket for once-worn and relatively clean stuff. Mine usually gets folded and put on top of my dresser because nothing ends up sitting there for more than a couple of days. I like the drawer idea, I might try and clear one out for that stuff.

My question, though, what about outerwear, like coats and jackets? This has its own coat tree in the front hall but how often do you remember to wash your jackets? They definitely get exposed to dirt and wear (and snow and mud) but at what point do you just wear the bejesus out of it because it's just going to get dirty again? I am having difficulties with this for some reason...

Anne (Reno) - don't you just wash when your jackets & coats are visibly dirty?

I'm in So CA so I usually just take the coats and jackets to the dry cleaners after the "winter" season is over...which is in a few weeks. :) Unless it's really dirty from food spills, muddy pet paws, etc., I wash/dry clean right away.

With my current set up, what works best for me is hooks in the closet for limbo wear. You can get "rod hooks" that hang right on the hanger bar and there's a hook or multiple hooks on it. The logic of keeping track of something that's been worn a little is that it's not fresh, brand-spanking clean, so I might want to wear it for only part of a day or for shlepping around on errands, or something like that. I also hangs sweats/jammies on this type of thing, rather than folding, so they can air out.

Here's two types of rod hooks at Container Store:
http://tinyurl.com/3xmsvk

i think you should treat your laundry like you see every other aspect in you life... black or white. gwb

why don't you hang a few hooks on the inside of your closet door. it's an easy way to separate clean and sort-of-clean clothes, and you don't need to see them all the time

ttt - it's not necessarily visible, I just kind of start to assume it's there after a while since I am out in the mud and snow, if that makes any sense. It's all bulky black bad-weather stuff, not nice wool coats or anything so you don't really see the dirt. I just wonder if there is a statute of limitations on "I've worn this so long it must be dirty".

I rehang in my closet, but instead of turning the whole garment inside out, I just cuff up a sleeve or pant leg. Less work, and I'm less likely to wear something inside out on a sleepy morning!

I also do the hang-'em-inside-out routine. I also have a chair in my bedroom, where I sit to put on shoes or sometimes read. Hoodies drape over the back and get worn off and on throughout the day.

I have a blanket chest at the foot of my bed that i just toss my clothes into at the end of the day. Really dirty stuff still goes in the hamper.

Hanging clothes up is probably a better idea, less wrinkles, but I know myself well enough to know that I wouldn't do it. It would all end up in a pile on the floor. At least this way it's in a pile in a chest that no one can see.

I use a drawer

you can buy those drawers with wheels to drag underneath your bed and put 'the not clean not dirty' clothes there, I have this ones:

http://www.tokstok.com.br/cgi-bin/WebObjects/TSVitrine.woa/6/wa/mostraVitrine?idObap=41441&wosid=rideiX8l3rxlQzE1AtntiM

Shirts and sweaters do need room to air out if you are going to wear them again. Wool can (and should) go many wears between washings, but it needs air.

I gave up pretending it isn't so and I have a chair next to my dresser that is devoted to exactly that. It is where I stack clean laundry that I haven't had a chance to put away yet, where I lay out outfits when I've got an early meeting and I don't want to spend the morning trying to sort out what is appropriate.

I also sometimes have trouble deciding what to wear and a lot of clothes end up on that chair that I was going to wear but decided against. If I was perfectly tidy I'd never leave them lying out for days, but I'm not and I do and the chair is isolated enough that I never feel like my bedroom is swimming in flung clothes.

I also have a hook in my utility closet for my gardening clothes. I don't want to scandalize anyone, but I don't wash my jeans everytime they get muddy. I hang them on the gardening hook for a few wears.

I like the ladder idea, I think it is a nice variation on my chair.

I was intrigued by this post. I have the ABSOLUTE, same dilemma. My bedroom carpet is invisible due to heaps of gently worn clothes tossed all over the place.

For me, it's a laziness issue. Instead of turning jeans and sweaters right side out, Febrezing them (this should be a verb), de-cat-hairing them, (this too), and re-hanging and folding at the end of a long work day- Aaaahh, there's the floor- WOOSH.

Now I have a pile to deal with at the end of the week. A little more patience would help me. Good solutions everyone!

in my house, clean clothes get put away, dirty go in the hamper, in between clothes go where they should, on the floor!

I have a chair near my hamper that ends up being used for this purpose. It's odd, because dry clean only things like dresses/suits/sweaters, I'll put back in the closet/drawer, so that pile ends up being mostly cotton/washable things like jeans, sweatshirts, etc. I like everyone's ideas.

Finally, someone airs out her dirty laundry. I had this problem for years, but was too embarassed to ask anyone about it. I thought everyone only wore their clothes once and I was the only one who was doing the "inbetween thing." I use one of those cotton lined baskets that I keep in the corner of the closet.

I wash my clothes pretty frequently, but do people really only wear their drycleaning clothes once or twice? Seems like it would get very very expensive....

This thread is great! I've always used the chair technique, but I don't like it. The chair takes up too much room and anyway, its a chair.
For those of us with small closets there isn't the option of hanging or storing things in the closet. I dream of a walk-in. But for now...
I like the hook idea for some clothing but not for delicates.
I think a special piece of furniture needs to be designed for those of us with 3 categories of clothing!

I have actually found a solution that I really like for this and works remarkably well for me. Near my chest of drawers I have a three tier shelf that has canvas baskets in it and I use those to sort "slightly-used" and "dirty" clothes into (SU in the top, light in dark in the other two).

Click on my name for some gorgeous over-the-door hooks from an AT Chicago thread (Umbra).

One shallow wide-mouth basket to toss outfit 'rejects' and still-clean end-of-the-day clothes into. One hook on the wall for the current hoody, and one for the pajamas.

I rehang the stuff in the basket every couple days. This has worked for two years because tossing clothing in takes zero effort. It was a revelation in sharing our bedroom, as minor as it sounds.

Tracking what I've worn once already has never crossed my mind; I'm in the clean-or-not group, I guess!

oh, if life were only so simple that a black & white approach would work. I find that the shades in between are what makes life interesting.

I had to deal with this dilema upon moving to my current apartment, where there is no laundry in the building.

My solution was not to hide anything, but to show it off and embrace the reality with a little organised chaos... I went with a towel rack/tree similar to this (not that I condone shopping at Ikea):

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15553&catalogId=10103&storeId=12&productId=14357&langId=-1&chosenPartNumber=60047896

p.s. nice idea with the ladder.

I think that gently used clothes - like shirts worn only for a few hours need to be hung up. Jackets, pants, and skirts need the same thing.
If I don't intend to put a garmet in the laundry or dry cleaning pile fter I wear it, I hang it on a hanger on the back of my door - I leave it there overnight so that it can air out.
The next morning I move the clothing back into the closet.
In order to track the number of wears and conserve items, I recommend keeping a group of tags to place on the hangers. The tags could be like coat service tags that hook over a hanger - with different colors corresponding to how many times you have worn something. Off-white for something worn once, blue for something worn twice, red for something worn three times and brown for the fourth time!!!!
When you put the shirt on in the morning you take the hanger out and hang it on the back of the door! When you take the clothes off at night, you put the new tag on...

I have a two-part system for "limbo" clothes:

- a coat tree, as previously mentioned;
- a different set of hangers (coloured plastic for limbo, wire drycleaner's hangers for clean).

I'm not sure why noone else has mentioned the separate-hanger system. It's so much easier than turning inside out, turning up a cuff, or keeping tags on the hangers.