Tips and Tricks for Consignment Sale Prep and My Healthy Home #shop

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I started spring cleaning in January. And I’m still not finished. Spring cleaning with four kids under five in tow turns into all year cleaning. My biggest accomplishment was sorting and organizing through about twelve to fifteen bins of assorted clothes and accessories to sell in a Moms of Multiples consignment sale. I was absolutely sick of all the clutter in the house, in the garage, in the attic, and in the basement. I wanted to regain my healthy home. Most of it was baby and child things. I had saved all my daughter’s clothes in the event that we had another girl, and, of course, we beat the odds there and had all boys the second time around. I decided to try my luck at a consignment sale in an attempt to de-clutter. It was my first time participating in a consignment sale, and I discovered several facts that I wish I had known before the sale. We have consignment sale season early here in the south, and I’ve noticed many of my friends in other parts of the country are just now having consignment sales. If you are cleaning out the clutter for a consignment sale, read on for my tips and tricks for consignment sale prep!

I honestly thought about giving up on the entire idea of participating in a consignment sale because I broke the number one rule of consignment sale prep: properly storing the items. I believed that I was super awesome for keeping everything in an assortment of boxes that were unlabeled except for the word “consign” that I had managed to scribble on the top of the box in very light pencil. For the record, this is NOT how to store items. Consignment sales are divided by season– typically a spring sale and a fall sale. So clothes should be stored by season, too, for easy preparation. To make your life even easier, box the clothes according to gender and size.  If I had made this extra effort when storing my clothes, I would have saved myself literally hours of time in prep before the sale.

I turned my breakfast nook table into a cleaning station for a week before the sale. Consignment sales are particular over the items being sold at their venue. Most of the time, the rules of the sale state that there could even be a fine for selling stained or dirty items. My recommendation for getting rid of the clutter and bringing top dollar for merchandise is to thoroughly clean it all before tagging and selling. For de-cluttering my home and prepping items to sell, I use Ology products from Walgreens. I know that Ology products are free from harmful chemicals and are 100% tree free. My household Ology staples for consignment sale prep are Ology All Purpose Cleaner, Ology Spring Lavender & Vanilla Detergent, Ology Paper Towels, Ology Bath Tissue, and Ology Dish Detergent.

I have bouncy, messy boys, and all my baby things need a thorough cleaning. But it’s important for me to clean them with safe products. For consignment sale items, this has an even greater significance because I am cleaning merchandise that is potentially going to another person’s child. I want to clean the items I sell the way that I would want them cleaned for my kiddos. Ology products from Walgreens are endorsed by Healthy Child Healthy World, which is an organization dedicated to creating healthy environments for children. Ology is free from artificial dyes, fragrances, and 1o major harmful chemicals. Yet thanks to plant based power, the products still have cleaning power for my kids’ messes.

After thoroughly washing clothes to be sold, hang them on hangers and tag them with your unique seller number as assigned by the Consignment Sale Chairperson.  I can’t believe my boys used to be this little! Can they seriously not wear these clothes any longer?

Clean all equipment and gear to be sold. I often clean items outside so that I can see all the grime in a natural light setting. The light in my house doesn’t always display any, well, gross baby leftovers like natural light does. Once again, I’m using Ology Paper Towels and All-Purpose Cleaner to make this baby entertainment center spotless.

Once all clothing, equipment, and gear is cleaned and tagged, it’s time to load the car. I load my vehicle the evening prior to the sale when possible, especially if I have many items. Fitting large baby gear in the vehicle can be like a trick puzzle. When all else fails, have the hubby do it. Aren’t they good at puzzles?

I recommend packing a car kit with scissors, a pen, extra hangers, safety pins, and cleaner. This covers me for little consigning emergencies that occur while unloading the car and sorting the items at the sale. Tags pop off, hangers break, and dirt appears as soon as the consignment sale begins. It’s inevitable. So be prepared with a car kit!

Of course, what goes out typically comes in. Part of the fun of selling at a consignment sale is getting to shop the pre-sale! I try to not purchase more than I take with me. For my Instagram followers, you know that I’ve been scoring a few excellent consignment sale purchases here lately. Remember the cleaning station from above? This comes in handy once again! I’m even more particular about what comes into my house than what leaves. I never know what germies are being brought into the house by consignment sale finds. I need to clean these items but in a way that is safe for my babies and the environment. Babies mouth objects, and kids touch everything. I can’t trust a cleaner that is full of harmful chemicals to maintain my healthy home. Ology products are an excellent resource here, as well. I recently purchased a nice selection of clothes and baby bowls from a consignment sale. I grabbed my Ology Laundry Liquid and Dish Liquid, and they were thoroughly cleaned in a snap!

Interested in finding Ology items at Walgreens? Ology items are an affordable option for a healthy home environment. Here are a few photos from our recent shopping trip! I had a little helper with me.

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For more information on Ology products, see this short video.

Do you participate in consignment sales? What tips and tricks would you add to the list? Would you try Ology Products to clean the items coming in and out of your home?