Keep on top of the clothing challenge this school year

(ARA) - Keeping your children's clothing in good shape during the school year can leave any mom floundering. Besides sports and other after-school activities causing clothes to look dirty, you have to deal with growth spurts and your children just being kids, being a little tough on what they wear.

Here are some tips to stay on top of the clothing game and save a little money, so you can send your son or daughter off to school with pride:

* Buy in bulk - Kids tend to be very tough on clothes, so consider purchasing socks, underwear and other essentials in bulk so you don't have to take a trip to the store every time holes appear. Limit the items you do purchase, though - your children are probably growing like weeds, and you won't want clothes you've purchased to be outgrown before they're worn.

* Shop online - With all the activities on your calendars, you don't have time to coordinate a shopping trip to the mall or retail stores. Instead, shop for clothes online, and consider using coupon sites to save money on the clothing purchase or shipping of what you buy. If you work away from home, have your purchases shipped to your office, so you don't have to worry about the packages sitting outside your house.

* Keep the clothes clean - With a regular swirl through your washing machine using Cheer brightCLEAN laundry detergent, you'll be able to keep your children's clothes looking bright. Cheer brightCLEAN is not the most expensive detergent either, so it provides a great value.

"It may seem like a no-brainer, but switching to a wallet-friendly detergent, like Cheer brightCLEAN, will save you oodles of money," says Amy Clark, Cheer spokesperson and founder and creator of the MomAdvice.com, a community where she shares advice on parenting, money-saving ideas, recipes and solutions for work-at-home moms. Visit www.cheer.com/savings.html to find laundry detergent coupons as well.

When you use this alternative to bleach laundry detergent, you'll be able to easily remove dinginess from clothes, so both whites and colors are sparkling bright.

* Be creative with hand-me-downs - Your younger children probably dread their siblings passing on hand-me-downs, but you can creatively change that attitude. Patches, tie dye, buttons, scissors, fabric markers and basic sewing are all tools you can use to turn something "old" into a piece of fashion. Add a lacy ruffle to a skirt, cut jeans into shorts or turn a long-sleeved T-shirt into a tank top with buttons decorating the collar.

* Host a clothes swap - While your children might be tired of clothing they weren't able to wear out, there's a good chance one of their friends will find it "cool." Host a clothes swap with some friends, and let the kids try on and trade for new outfits they can enjoy.

With these tips, you don't have to let the busy school year and your children's clothes run you ragged. You can send them off each morning, sparkling bright.