Caring for clothes

So I have experience in selling used baby and maternity clothes.  In order to sell at a good consignment pretty much all clothes must be  perfect. When I buy clothes I inspect and separate.  I have a perfect pile, needs help pile, and a donate pile.

Perfect pile: I lucked out and got pieces that are ready to list!

Needs Help Pile: Clothes that are nice styles and I feel will sell.  But maybe they have a small tear, piling or stains.  When my son takes his bath I keep this pile in the bathroom.  Under my sink I have my stain gear.  Several Carbonas, spray bottle of spot lifter and a toothbrush.  In between giggles and playing I sit on a stool and work on the stains.  Then I wash the clothes I treated.  For piling I have a little fuzz shaver and work what I can out. For all other defects it is case by case.  After I wash I NEVER put the clothes in a dryer.  I air dry them and see if the stains come out.  If they do I put them in the perfect pile.  If not then I determine if I try a different solution or just donate it.

Donate pile:  Sometimes you just have to buy inventory by the lot.  Many times when you buy cheap from a seller they don't allow you to cherry-pick.  I don't blame them.  So I take the risk.  So far I haven't had much to donate. Actually I started saving these clothes to tear into strips and make rag rugs! 


One day I hope to make a video showing you how I can get stains out. Sometimes I really impress myself. I have bought maternity clothes that had questionable stains and I went ahead and bought them cheap because I think I can get it out.  I say I have about a 75% success rate.

Lessons learned:

1. Turn lemons into lemonade!  Some people pass on anything not perfect even though it is used.  I use this to my advantage and buy the items cheaper!

2. Time Management.  It's easy to never have time to do things but if your have the will you will have the way!

3. There are always risk. You must determine how much risk you can take.  I am a 'GO FOR IT!' kinda gal.  However, I am not a compulsive gambler. "You must have Bhaw-lence Danielson"

Fiddler out......