There is nothing quite like an organized closet, but if yours is feeling chaotic and you don't have time for a full overhaul, I have six transformative tips to help get yours sorted quickly.
As a professional organizer and certified KonMari Consultant, these are the simple tricks I swear by, including prioritizing what you organize first, having matching hangers and using opaque bins. With my expert hacks, your closet will be feeling functional and streamlined in no time at all.
Getting on top of closet storage ideas that maximize your space is the smartest thing you can do to help kick-start each day well, and best of all, you can put these tweaks in place with just a few hours this weekend.
1. Decide what you need organized
In this case, I’m talking about deciding where to store your clothes. There are many ways to organize your closet, and the best way to do it is the way that works for you. You can scroll Pinterest for inspiration but don’t assume what works for one person will work for you. Our closet organization ideas delve into many options you can consider.
If your seasonal clothes are out of reach of mostly packed away, prioritize this. If your storage is overflowing, set aside time to figure out what you don't want or need anymore. A good rule of thumb is to ditch anything you haven't worn in the last year. You can still organize your closet even if you don't have seasonal storage.
When organizing your closet, prioritize the types of clothes you wear the most or want to wear more. If you want your daily style to be more elevated, ensure those elevated clothes and accessories are the most accessible.
2. Declutter
If you find yourself searching for things or forgetting you have things, then you likely need to declutter to allow for more space to help you see what you actually have in your closet.
We’ve worked with countless clients who purge a large percentage of their clothing only to feel like they have more clothes than when they started! This happens because their closet is full of things they love rather than stained, too small, or dated pieces.
There is no magic number of how many pieces of clothing you should have or how many items you should get rid of, but be ruthless when parting with things you don’t love. This is especially relevant if you're organizing a small closet with lots of clothes.
Sure, you may need to buy a few things to fill some gaps, but you will be much happier with your refreshed wardrobe if you avoid hanging on to things that you don’t love.
3. Hang versus fold
Sometimes, our storage dictates how much we can hang or fold, but I always prefer hanging clothes when I have the option. The individual pieces are more visible and less likely to wrinkle.
I prefer to use individual hangers rather than the ones that hold five shirts or pants on one hanger. The space between clothing on individual hangers makes the pieces easier to see and less likely to wrinkle.
I use velvet or non-slip rubberized hangers so clothing does not slip and stays nice and tidy. If you love wooden hangers or plastic hangers, then use those. The goal is to use one style for a cohesive look.
For the items you fold on a shelf or in a drawer, use bins, drawer dividers, and file folding to keep them neat and visible. If you don't have any rail space, you can still organize your closet without hangers.
These premium non-slip velvet hangers sell in the tens of thousdands every month and are an Amazon Bestseller. The metal head spins 360 degrees, and you can choose from 13 colors, and buy in packs of 20-300.
Customers love this item, rating it 4.8/5 stars on average, and it;s no surprise with customizable sections and extra dividers, this is perfect for everything from socks, to bras, ties, T-shirts, folded jumpers and more.
Choose 20 or 30 quart capacity for these handy clothes storage bins. They comes with mesh side panels so you can see what's inside without having to pull it down from your shelving.
4. Seasons
I like to trade out the seasons in my closet, such as organizing a closet for fall. I find seeing all my clothes at once distracting, and I love the fresh-start feeling of hanging up a new season of clothes. If you keep all of your clothes in the closet all year, then at least move the current season to the space that’s easiest to access.
Ideally, out-of-season clothes are stored in a temperature-regulated space in your home, such as a spare closet or under a bed. If you have the 6.7 inch clearance, try the Yecaye under-bed bin on wheels with window from Amazon which can hold up to 66 lbs and has rotating wheels that spin 360 degrees for ease of movement.
Depending on your climate, attics can get hot and may damage delicate clothing. Ensure your clothes are clean and dry before storing them. Use mothballs (such as the Enoz mothballs from Amazon that leave no fragrance or odor on your clothing) and ensure your storage container seals to keep pests out. Vacuum sealing in specialized plastic bags such as the bestselling Jumbo ones on Amazon will help store bulking items, but I do not recommend vacuum sealing delicate items.
When you do this varies greatly depending on where you live. I live on the coast of North Carolina, where it’s hot and humid until October and still warm through December. I tend to do a seasonal clothing swap in two batches. During the first batch, I bring out the transitional pieces and pack up the true summer items. During the second batch, I bring out the heavier items and pack up anything else that I know I won’t wear until the weather warms up again.
5. Sorting
When it comes to closet questions, I’m most often asked how I sort the clothes in my closet. The foundation of my organization is by sleeve length, pants leg opening, and dress length. Tank tops and camis are together, followed by short and long sleeves. I tend to dress for the season more than any other factor.
Sorting clothes aesthetically in rainbow colors is also trendy and makes for a beautiful closet. If all of my tops in one color are together, they are hard to tell apart, so I prefer them to be separate, but I realize I’m likely in the minority here. If colors speak to you, then go for it!
Another great way to sort your closet is by occasion. This is great for people who have clothes for every day, work, nights out, etc. Your work options will be in one section, which will help decrease early morning decisions. If your clothes overlap different functions, such as a top that you dress up for nights out or dress down for errands, this method may be less helpful for you.
Play with how you sort your clothes. When you think about getting dressed, what is the most important factor? Weather, activity, creativity. Start your organization with that in mind and build off of it, and you'll realize failing to do it before was making your closet look cluttered.
6. Clothes hanger tricks
It’s funny how something as inexpensive as a clothes hanger can impact your closet’s organization and tidiness. Here are my three favorite tips for clothes hangers.
Use the same style of clothes hanger. Your eye translates clothing on mismatched hangers as clutter and noise. When you use the same type of clothes hanger, such as these matching classic wooden hangers from Amazon, your eye glides over the hangers on the rod and the noise quiets significantly. It’s incredible what this one change will do for a closet! If it’s not in your budget to change your hangers, you likely have a few different types, so group the same types in the closet.
Keep clothes tidy on the hanger. Take an extra moment to ensure your clothes hang neatly on the hanger. This one is incredibly small, but we see the impact over and over. Ensure shirts are hanging evenly without a sleeve hanging off the end, hang pants with a consistent amount of space at the end, and fasten buttons on tops and jackets.
Have a space for your empty hangers and move the hangers there for clothes that are being worn. I love this tip for two reasons. The first reason is that a closet looks untidy when there are a lot of empty hangers mixed in with the clothes. It goes back to that visual clutter. Your eye is expecting a row of clothing, so when it comes to empty hangers, it reads it as jarring and cluttered. The second reason is that putting away clothes will be faster when all empty hangers are in one space.
Learn more about organizing a walk-in closet.
7. Storage containers
There’s often more to closet storage than hanging clothes, so you’ll need to think about how you use shelves, bins, and labels. Here are some tips to ensure your non-hanging storage stays organized.
Avoid putting large things on the top shelf. You may have to store things on the top shelf, which is fine, but ensure the items on the top shelf fit easily and do not touch the ceiling or hang over the shelf. If the items on the top shelf are oversized, the closet may have a cave-like feeling, making the entire space feel cluttered and small.
Keep the floor space clear. If you must store things on the floor, use opaque large floor bins to keep the floor neat and tidy, such as these Amazon collapsible clothes bins with lids that comes in different colors.
Clear bins, such as these Iris stackable lidded storage bins from Amazon are great if you need to see the items inside, but the downside is that the items inside may look cluttered. Lean toward using opaque bins with labels so that the bins will create a clean look and the labels tell you to know what’s inside.
If your closet is fairly organized but still cluttered, these small tweaks will make a big impact. Next, learn how to use capsule decluttering to streamline your closet.
