Everyone knows that I (Molly) love to write about organizing gear, because I genuinely believe that if your gear is organized well, you get out the door for your workout faster, which means more time on the bike or on the run. So, it’s not a shock that I’m also always experimenting with our setups at Consummate Athlete HQ, aka our condo. And my most recent discovery is that the simple act of folding my clothes has made my getting ready so much easier.
I’ll back up: I had all of my athletic clothing ruthlessly sorted in its drawers, but inside each drawer, I operated on the ‘cram and dig’ approach. I regularly went through and discarded/gave away gear I wasn’t using, but I never bothered with folding.
For some reason, I decided that I wanted my drawers to feel more streamlined. I wanted to care for my gear, to treat it better than I was treating it. I wanted my drawers and closet to have the same vibe as my nutrition drawer, which I ruthlessly organized over the summer. I wanted my gear to feel like when I was getting dressed for a run, I was shopping at a boutique.
RELATED: Organize Your Gear So It Sparks Joy—And Speeds You Out the Door
http://ConsummateAthlete.com/organize-your-gear-so-it-sparks-joy-and-speeds-you-out-the-door/
So, after doing laundry, rather than putting it all away, I actually emptied my drawers out, then folded each item and put them away carefully.
The difference was weirdly dramatic. Clothes that had felt kind of blah suddenly felt like I was seeing them on the shelves at a lululemon or somewhere equally high-end. It’s not that I changed my drawers or bought new clothes, I was just treating them with more respect. And I got more space too: folded clothing actually takes up less space then when it’s jammed into a drawer.
RELATED: Our Best Athletic Gear Organization Tools
http://ConsummateAthlete.com/our-best-athletic-gear-organization-tools/
It doesn’t take much time: Try taking a single drawer out today, do a quick sort through to make sure that you’re actually using all of your gear, then take the time to fold it and put it away neatly. I guarantee you’ll feel more excited about it!
Weird notes on folding specifics:
- Fold bike shorts by bringing the bibs in toward the chamois, and each shorts leg in towards the chamois, rather than folding the chamois—this is better for comfort when you put them on so you don’t get a wedgie instantly, and they stack better.
- Fold shorts in half, leg over leg, and stack
- Fold tights in half, leg over leg, then roll into a small ball
- With shirts, I don’t fold them all the way, since they have weird shapes. I just hold them at the top and bottom to make one narrow line, then fold them over themselves once to fit neatly in my drawer, and line them by cold-to-hot weather
- I actually stacked sports bras lying flat on top of each other, slightly fanned out, in one drawer. I love the stack option, it feels very boutiquey!
- I got a few smaller wire baskets to go in drawers (I actually just grabbed ones from a shower hanger we weren’t using) to put small things like HR straps, goggles, and chamois creams/embrocation in
I love this because honestly, it’s such a low-cost, low-time way to make your old stuff feel new and make getting ride-ready SO much easier. What are you waiting for?
READ: How To Organize Bike Gear
http://ConsummateAthlete.com/how-to-organize-bike-gear/
Want to get more organized? Check out our new book, Becoming A Consummate Athlete, right here:
