how do you keep all their little socks together?

i just did my first load of laundry in preparation for my girls' arrival, and i've got all these tiny socks. how do you keep them 'matched' and together? surely you dont fold them back over themselves like you do for adult socks? wouldn't that wear out the elastic? any advice is appreciated. any other laundry-type advice is welcomed too. like for example, i once read that you should fold up onesies in pairs so that you can just grab a 'pack' and have 2 ready to go, so i'm doing that. what else?
amy

 

Wash the socks and other little things in a mesh bag or you will lose some! I do fold the socks. I sort onesies by size since my girls are about 2 lbs apart, Sofia goes to the next size before Maya. I fold everything unsnapped so I can just put it on them. I don't fold in pairs since I don't dress them alike- I just grab 2 onesies, usually the first 2 on top of the stack.

 

I, too, am washing clothes today in preparation for the babies! My mother suggested using a safety pin to keep a pair of baby socks together...they are still in the wash, so I will let you know how that trick worked (I am a little worried about it being too rough on the tiny socks). I did pin the toes together to avoid the elastic.

Folding all the onesies is cute now...I am sure the novelty will wear off in the weeks after they arrive ^_^

 

We have B/G twins and I just try to buy gender neutral on most things with a few special outfits for when I know people will see them.

My tips on Laundry -

- Have lots of pajamas, bibs, washclothes (things you will use a lot of) so it isn't a "required laundry" every other day.
- buy all the same/gender neutral of most things - you won't care trust me.
- Buy all white socks that match or only 2 different kinds so you don't have to search for a match.
- Have a place to dry wet things apart for dry/dirty so that you don't end up with a whole wet pile. And another to drop poop exploded clothes so that you can wash them out in the tub right away.
- Sort your closet/drawers by who can wear them/warm/cool etc. so that then you can just grab from the top of the pile. We use plastic shoe bins and one size up from that since we have a walk-in with shelves in the nursery. With those we don't really have to "fold" as much as just stack them flat.
- keep towels and washrags where you bath them until you start needed washrags for solids then keep most in the kitchen.


Pajamas, shirts/onsies, bibs and washrags are what we go through the most (6 bibs a day and at least 6-8 washrags!)

It isn't so bad once you get used to the constant sorting and putting away.

 

Ditto the mesh bag suggestion. That's what we do to keep socks from getting lost. When they're clean and dry, I just tuck one sock inside the other to keep the pair together.

 

QUOTE(foppa2102 @ May 25 2008, 07:18 PM) [snapback]792606[/snapback]
i just did my first load of laundry in preparation for my girls' arrival, and i've got all these tiny socks. how do you keep them 'matched' and together? surely you dont fold them back over themselves like you do for adult socks? wouldn't that wear out the elastic? any advice is appreciated. any other laundry-type advice is welcomed too. like for example, i once read that you should fold up onesies in pairs so that you can just grab a 'pack' and have 2 ready to go, so i'm doing that. what else?
amy


I have a pail with a lid that I put OxiClean in and fill with water to put clothes that are soiled or have been spit up on. It really gets the stains out. I don't do anything special with the socks, I just put them in the wash and in the drawer, I haven't lost one yet. I buy gender neutral onesies.

Jen

 

i dont know how to edit my own post, but i want to clarify my question about the socks.
how do you keep them together after they're washed and dried? in the drawer... do you just lay them together, fold them up, etc? thanks.

 

I fold top over other top like I do with adult socks. I have a basket on the floor with all of their socks.

 

QUOTE(esaesa @ May 25 2008, 08:50 PM) [snapback]792763[/snapback]
I fold top over other top like I do with adult socks. I have a basket on the floor with all of their socks.


How about using a clothes pin to pin them together- I do that for my dd mitts.

 

QUOTE(nifer @ May 25 2008, 08:39 PM) [snapback]792683[/snapback]
I have a pail with a lid that I put OxiClean in and fill with water to put clothes that are soiled or have been spit up on. It really gets the stains out. I don't do anything special with the socks, I just put them in the wash and in the drawer, I haven't lost one yet. I buy gender neutral onesies.

Jen


DITTO! The stuff works miracles.

 

QUOTE(ChelleBadger @ May 25 2008, 10:11 PM) [snapback]792905[/snapback]
DITTO! The stuff works miracles.


okay, sounds like a good trick... how big is this pail with the lid? and how long do you soak the soiled clothes in it before washing them? do you still just wash with regular detergent or wash with oxyclean?

 

i don't worry about it, cuz the socks fall off their feet all the time and we just replace them w/whatever sock we can find. so, their socks never match! that's the easiest for us.

 

I started with the clothes pin but now I just lie them together in a wicker basket. I only have "that size" they are in Now so there isn't a ton of socks. I don't fold them over because I find it stretches them out. I use the mesh bags in the washer/dryer.

I have all their clothes downstairs in our livingroom in wicker baskets on book shelves. Their closet is next to empty except for next toys. I have their clothes in XXXLarge ziplock bags the HUGE ones so I get it out early and wash up that size so I don't miss anything. This was great when people were giving us things, I could just drop it into a bag with the correct size. When they grow out of the size it goes into these bags as well. LOVE IT !! I also put masking tape on the items and wrote on there who gave me the clothes and I'm "trying to take pictures" to send to those who gave the items. The wicker baskets were also a way to start to baby proof my livingroom and remove all items from the bottom 2 shelves. The various wicker baskets looks better then empty shelves. I have a large one for toys and I rotate the girls toys so they don't get bored.

Yes obessive...

heather
g/g twins 6 months old

 

I used to use a lingerie bag to wash their socks. Then when they came out of the drier I just put one sock inside the other. Now their socks are bigger and I don't use the bag anymore, but I still stuff one sock into its match. GL with the rest of your pg!

 

I never did anything special when washing or folding the socks, but to put them away, I use an over-the-door show hanger with clear plastic pockets. I never folded the socks together, just threw like pairs in a shoe pocket together. It has been a HUGE time saver!

I also keep their tights, babylegs, slippers, and headbands in there too.

 

When folding sleepers.. I snap up the legs.. when i get them dressed i put their legs in first and then snap the rest and go. Its much easier.. and keeps them from getting cold.

I did fold over the socks like adults. But i also stopped using them.. I lost so many little tiny socks. They dont need them when its hot anyhow.

DItto on the mesh laundry bag in the washer.. Its a great idea! I wish i had thought about that!

 

Ditto to the mesh bag...

I went and got 2 big packages of socks that are size 6-18 months... their dresser has 8 big drawers divided by 4 small drawer and I just put socks in one drawer, never both to fold them... DF and both hate folding socks.... which explains why all of ours are thrown into a laundry basket on the floor of our room...lol

Shannon

 

Ok this drove me nuts as well....we dress matching down to the socks....socks are what were slowing me down most when getting dressed. SO....here is what I did I put all 4 socks in snack size zip lock bags....when we get ready to get dressed, I just go to the basket on the changing table and grab the color socks we need, they are all safe in there! I love it! I then put the empty bag back in the basket and refill them after they come out of the wash!

Good luck

 

We got only one kind of sock - plain white ones. That way, with 50 socks, I don't worry about which ones match. And it only takes a few minutes to fold them, not worrying about finding a match.

 

when mine were very little, i used empty wipes boxes to sort my socks. I kept several in the drawer and put white ones in one box, etc. You may not have a lot of empty wipes boxes now, but very soon you will be over run with them. Might as well find a good use for them!

 

Our socks never match.

We have a big basket full of socks on top of the dresser. Another one full of bibs, and a 3rd one kinda full of shoes.

I have a bottle of Perma-Press on the changing table. When I change the kiddos, I grab the PP, squirt it on the food stains, and toss into the hamper.

And I second the lots and lots of bibs. At first you'll only want the ones without plastic backing, but once they start eating, you'll need to get some of those as well.