Is there anything quite as frustrating as opening your closet each morning, gearing up to get dressed for the day ahead, and immediately being overwhelmed by a blur of jeans, dresses, shirts, and jackets? We all know the feeling. Whenever I tentatively open the doors of my closet, I find that searching for a particular outfit feels like helplessly looking for a needle in a haystack. No matter how much I attempt to organize my closet space into some sort of rational system, it evades me.
So I’m sure you can understand my relief when I came across this viral organizer that virtually triples your closet space and makes for a seriously satisfying (and stylish) aesthetic. It's an ingenious way to overhaul your entire clothing system, and all it takes is a simple $30 purchase. Keen to find out more? Let’s dive into the solution to your closet organization woes. I promise it will make the process of choosing an outfit to wear a whole lot easier.
Now, as obvious as it might sound, the best way to optimize your space and streamline closet space is by decluttering, but not all of us want to wave goodbye to half our clothes just so they'll fit inside our closets. If your small closet is extremely cramped and you find that you have limited space even post-declutter, this hack could be the solution for you.
In a viral video posted to TikTok, content creator Sarah Elisabeth (@sarahhelisabethhh) uses hanging storage shelves to store her folded clothes, saying goodbye to regular hangers which take up much more space. These aren't the unsightly canvas hanging shelving systems you've seen before, though. Instead, they come in the form of stylish wire baskets that looks seriously chic.
With five separate compartments, the suspended shelves make the perfect storage solution for Sarah's vests and T-shirts. What's more, the wire mesh design makes your clothing so much more accessible and it's easier to see what you're looking for, making it that much simpler to get ready during stressful mornings. Priced at just $30 from Amazon, this shelving system is super affordable, too.
@sarahhelisabethhh ♬ Flowers - Miley Cyrus
There are a few caveats you'll want to know about, though. Professional organizer Melissa Gugni believes that while this metal shelving unit could be a useful addition to your closet, it might not be one of the best closet organizers out there. ‘Metal is heavy and you would need to make sure that the closet rod was very well installed,’ she warns. ‘I can also see these types of shelves having sharp little metal edges that could snag knits and delicate items.'
Professional organizer Ben Soreff agrees that this hack, while great in theory, could be more fussy in practice. ‘While structure in a storage solution is important, so is ease of use,' he says. 'These hanging baskets can be good but they do come with risks.'
Ben adds that because they're not fixed they could potentially swing and fall apart. 'However, if used properly they can provide needed storage in a small closet,' he notes. 'They work best when storing large items like sweaters, t-shirts and sweatshirts. If you use them to store shoes or purses it may get messy quickly.’
So, while this hack is a worthy method for improving your closet organization, it's definitely not a fix-all solution - it undoubtedly streamlines your clothing storage, but it might not be wise to overhaul your entire closet organization system quite yet!