Time-saving school uniform hacks that every parent should know about
With four children running around at home you can bet that I’ve had a lot of experience when it comes to school uniforms. But throughout the years of buying clothes for my kids I’ve learned a few things on how to cut time and make wearing uniforms easy again. If you’ve also struggled with sorting out your kids’ school uniforms, here’s a few time-saving hacks that will really be a life saver.
Buy the right material
This is a big one. If you choose the right uniforms from the get-go you might never have to do any ironing. You heard me right – there are several non-iron and wrinkle resistant fabrics out there that will make your life a whole lot easier. Look at the tags when shopping and make sure the items are made of either polyester, wool or 100% cotton. These fabrics are much less likely to need any ironing.
Of course there’s also new developments in the fashion industry. Tu at Sainsbury’s non-iron technology means you can buy school trousers and shorts from their School Shop that will never need to be pressed – a huge time-saver when you have a lot of kids like I do.
Stock up on tops
If you know that your child is going to be wearing virtually the same item everyday it doesn’t hurt to buy multiples of them. When I say multiples, I mean five tops for every day of the week. This may seem like over-kill but if you have an especially messy kid, it means you won’t be needing to do the laundry half way through your week. Music to my ears.
Don’t lose those buttons
Sewing isn’t an activity I enjoy and it’s always on the bottom of my list of things to get done. One way to eliminate the need to do any mending is to pre-empt it. You can avoid losing those shirt and trouser buttons by putting a dab of clear nail polish over them, which will help to strengthen the thread and keep those buttons staying put for longer.
Secure those name labels
There’s nothing worse than labelling uniform only for the labels to fall off in the wash a few weeks later. I sew all of mine in which, although more time consuming than iron transfers, lasts far longer. I can easily get through all of the uniforms on my sewing machine and even get the kids to help me with the sewing. The girls adore their sewing machine and you can see the full range available at Mostcraft.
Keep your shoes good as new
This is a hack I learned a few years ago when I ran out of shoe polish and had to quickly look in my cupboard for something else to use. If you have moisturiser sitting on your bathroom counter – or even a tub of Vaseline – both will do the trick to making your kid’s shoes shine. Just use it like you would regular shoe polish. If you don’t have either in your house, you’ll be pleased to know that there are a whole range of kitchen and bathroom shoe polish alternatives.
Do you have any time-saving school uniform hacks that you think I should know about? Share your tips in the comments below! I’m always looking for ways to make our busy life a little bit easier.
*** This is a collaborative post ***
We have to polish shoes?! god help me, i cant remember the last time I even saw a thing of polish let alone used it! haha! Loving that nail varnish trick though, definitely going to do that when I iron all the labels on!
Hahah I know right? There is so much to learn! xx
I stock up on clothes, supermarkets sell them so cheaply these days that is a win win for me. Can’t believe we are at the end of the school year! x
I know! How is that even possible?? xx
ooh shoe polish alternative!! My son is 12 now so thought I knew most tricks.. clearly not! 😉 thank you.
I know!! Mind blowing, ahah! xx
We have at least five tops and even then it’s never enough – I never seem to have enough clean and they’re terrible for staining them. I’m definitely going to get more this year.
Haha I know, I’m not sure my washing machine will survive when all four are in school next year! xx
Luckily I don’t have this expense to think of yet but my brother and sister and law spend a small fortune on school uniforms. They’re forever having to replace ruined and lost items
With three school age children, and another starting next year, things are very expensive! School uniform that actually lasts is so important! xx
This is great! not being a parent myself I showed this to my mum and she wishes that this post had been around when she was running around after us and our school uniform. Having triplets, she says wasn’t easy and it made getting school uniform was very expensive and time consuming!
Wow triplets must have been hard work! Your mum deserves a medal! xx
I love the shoe tip! That’s an amazing tip for all of us! Four kids, that’s amazing!
I know, it’s not just for school shoes either! xx
Now, this is so true. When my little ones were in school I had to have extra everything for them. It was great when I was able to find wholesale uniform supply stores. One thing I have to comment on is the shirts. You can never ever ever have enough shirts or socks for their school uniforms. I still have no idea where the socks go.
Haha yes socks!! We lose hundreds of socks over the course of a year!! xx
It’s a smart idea to buy multiples of the same clothes when your kids are wearing uniforms, but it might make laundry a little bit harder. Uniforms are a topic of controversy for some, but they are time-saving.
Laundry is always tough in our house with four children! My washing machine takes a serious battering! xx
I love that idea of dabbing clear nail polish on the buttons of school uniforms. When my kids were young, it was almost everyday they’d come home missing a button. I almost became a stockholder for those little while buttons when they were kids! Sharing this post with my cousin who has three young daughters, all of school age.
Thank you for sharing! The clear nail polish trick is a good one, it really works! xx
I will start buying uniforms next year so thanks for these tips. They would come in handy for a newbie like me.
It’s a whole new world when they start school, good luck! xx
Really great tips. Not long till I’ll be buying uniforms now. So scary. I definitely agree with buying the right material. I remember one year I had a school top that made my skin so irritated. x
Yes the last thing you want is for the kids to be uncomfortable! xx
These sounds like such nifty tips! I will definitely keep some of these in mind when I have my own kids x
Thanks Whitney! xx
That’s a cool post. I am a mom of two, but I think my mom is better than I am when it comes to this things.
Oh mine too, I’m still learning! xx
I remember when my kids were the age of yours, and I can definitely relate to five tops for every day of the week. I could never figure out how they went through so many clothes in one day! Once we became empty nesters, the biggest thing I noticed was that I didn’t hear the sound of the washing machine all day anymore. x
Ahhh I bet!! My washing won’t know what’s happened when these four stop spilling their lunch down their shirts each day! xx
I went to public schools my whole life and never had to wear uniforms. Although I was sometimes jealous of those who did. You could sleep in 20 minutes longer because you already know exactly what you were going to wear. Also there was no pressure to buy expensive or “cool” clothes since everyone wore the same thing.
Yes that’s so true. I’m a big believer in uniforms. xx
I always buy non-iron these days, it is so much easier
Oh me too, I NEVER iron! xx
The nail varnish trick is a great one, I do it on all of mine now! xx
Love the idea of school uniforms for kids. These are great tips you shared, and I have someone I will send this to today!
Ah I hope it helps them! x
The clear nail varnish idea is great! We will definitely be doing this when I start school for the first time in September x
Eek exciting times!! Nerve wracking for Mummy though! xx
Some really great ideas! I love the sticky labels for clothes and drinks bottles, saves so much time and I can’t sew!
Nor me! Anything that means I don’t have to iron or sew is a win with me! xx
You took me back to my uniform wearing days. Definitely easy wash and wear fabrics help a lot and having a few extras make a difference.
Nice article, this is so practical – It definitely shows the experience and being mindful mom for her little ones needs. Thanks for sharing all this tips.
Thank you for reading! xx
The button hack is brilliant. I am gonna try that next I iron my clothes and also using moisturizer as shoe polish is great as I always have a moisturizer at my home.
It really is, I do it on everything now! xx
School Uniforms
Interesting post. Thanks for sharing!