How to Make Your Kids Clothes Last

In celebration of Earth Day, we’re spotlighting smart ways to extend the life of the clothes you love. We turned to our friend Molly Epstein, founder of Owl Tree, a secondhand retail and e-commerce business for women, maternity, and kids ages 0-16 years. With three kids and deep experience in resale, she knows exactly what helps clothes last. We asked her to share her best tips for caring for pieces so they can be worn, loved, and passed on again. 

The seed for Owl Tree was planted when I was pregnant with my third daughter, digging through racks of secondhand clothes and wondering, “Where are all the good resale shops for kids?” Eight years later, after raising three girls and running two Brooklyn stores (with a Manhattan shop on the way!), I'm very aware of just how much we buy for kids, and how much of it could have a second life. I’ve learned that longevity is everything. If you want clothes to be passed down or consigned, how you care for them matters.

Laundry Done Right

Whether you’re saving for a younger sibling or hoping to consign, the longevity of clothing is heavily impacted by how you launder them. 

• Start with thoughtful stain treatment. For greasy spots, I use a few drops of Dawn dish soap. For stubborn, set-in stains, I spray Oxiclean and let it sit for a day or do. Bleach pens are effective for yellowing whites (but make sure to only wash with other whites!). 

• Wash on cold.  Heat is known to break down fabrics and cause pilling. I wash almost everything in cold water and air dry whenever possible. This prevents shrinking and fading, and it’s better for the environment. I dream of having an outdoor clothesline behind a pretty herb garden, but as a New Yorker, I’ve settled with a few large drying racks jammed in a hall.  

Keep Up With Your Closet

Kids outgrow things overnight! When my kids put on something that doesn’t fit anymore, we do a quick clean-out within the next day or so. 

• To keep this manageable, I recommend tackling one category at a time: shorts one day, PJs the next, and so on. 

• Each piece goes straight into a hand-me-down bin, consignment bag, or donation pile, and I make a list of what’s needed next. 

If you’re focused on consignment, acting quickly will help you catch seasonal resale windows and keep clothes in circulation while they still have value.

Store It Smartly

Proper storage is what makes all that effort worth it! When stored well, you can pull clothes out months later and expect them to be fresh and wearable.

• Clean everything before you put it away, especially sweaters and outerwear to prevent mothballs and odors from setting in. 

• Make sure the bins you store your items in seal properly. After years of storing off-season clothes as Owl Tree, I swear by these! 

• Pop in a few cedar lavender blocks to keep your pieces fresh and protected. 

Caring for clothes means they’ll last longer, look better, and stay in rotation, whether that’s within your family or onto the next one.

Thank you so much, Molly! Owl Tree accepts items from across the US—if you’d like to consign with them, sign up here.