Having well-organized closets is the first step to leading a well-organized life. When you’re able to locate all of the clothes and accessories you need at a glance, you start each day with a sense of order that positively influences other areas of your life. Keeping your closets organized also helps control clutter throughout the home, making daily house cleaning easier. Best of all, getting your closets in order doesn’t necessarily require the purchase of an expensive closet organizer – There are many easy, affordable DIY strategies you can use to optimize your closet storage space.
In this article, we’ll break closet organization down into six simple steps that can be completed on virtually any budget. You can also ask our professional maids in Louisville for clutter management tips after booking a house cleaning appointment with us.
6 Steps to Organize Your Closets Properly
- Start by cutting down on clutter.
If you own more clothing and accessories than your closets can realistically accommodate, keeping things organized will prove challenging – if not impossible. As such, the first thing you should do is cull items you no longer need.
Before you start developing a new storage system, pull everything out of your closets and set aside any items that don’t belong there. Closets should only be used to store clothing, accessories, linens, and utility items. (Don’t use them to hide old books, exercise equipment, office supplies, etc.) Once you’ve removed items that shouldn’t be stored in your closets, take inventory of your clothing and accessories. Consider getting rid of any items that no longer fit you, that appear worn, or no longer suit your style. As a general rule, if you haven’t worn a garment in two years, it should be discarded or donated. (You can, of course, make exceptions for irreplaceable items with high sentimental value, like graduation and wedding gowns.)
After you decide which items you want to keep, group them by type. Create separate piles for belts, shoes, pants, tops, skirts, sweaters, jackets, and so on; this way, you’ll be able to quickly organize “like with like” when you’re ready to put things away.
- Clean your closet.
While your closet is empty, take a few minutes to wipe down the shelves and closet rods inside. Then, dust the closet floor with odor-absorbing baking soda and let it sit for an hour before vacuuming the space.
- Figure out how many hangers you’ll need to store your clothes.
As a general rule, one foot of closet rod can accommodate 16 to 18 clothes hangers (depending on the thickness of the garments you’re storing). If the amount of clothing you’re keeping will exceed this limit, you have a couple of options to keep things tidy and organized: Either purchase several magic hangers (vertical hangers designed to stack garments over one another) or make your hangers do “double duty” using soda can tabs. Just slip a clean soda can tab over the neck of one hanger, then insert another hanger in the bottom hole of the tab.
When your hanger setup is complete, hang up your clothes and assess how much storage space is left in your closets. This will help you select appropriately-sized storage bins for your accessories.
- Use closet drawers or plastic bins to store accessories.
To keep your belts, hats, gloves, sunglasses, and scarves tidy, create dedicated storage areas for each type of item. Depending on your budget and preference, you can either purchase a set of closet drawers or use clear plastic bins to house accessories. (People who own a lot of accessories may benefit from using both methods of storage.)
If you live in a region with distinct seasons, consider storing winter and summer accessories in different bins. This way, you’ll be able to quickly rotate items according to the weather: In winter, store bins full of warm-weather items in a discreet location, like the space under your bed. In summer, switch things around – And say goodbye to the days when you had to dig through piles of mitts, scarves, and hats to find your sandals.
- Install a shoe organizer.
Different occasions often require radically different footwear. Between dress shoes, work shoes, sandals, boots, sneakers, and gardening shoes, the list of footwear we need to keep on hand is often lengthy. In fact, research shows that the average American woman owns 17 pairs of shoes, making footwear one of the most common sources of closet clutter. Fortunately, you don’t necessarily have to part with your shoe collection to keep your closets looking neat; instead, you can buy (or make) a shoe organizer. Shoe organizers can be placed at the back of your closet, outside your closet (e.g., near the front door), or hung over the back of your closet door to keep shoes tidy and protected from premature wear.
- Use leftover space to store jewelry and other small accessories.
If your bedroom closet still has a foot or two of unused wall space after you’ve organized your clothes, shoes, and accessories, consider turning it into a “jewelry wall.” Use towel hooks or a coat rack to hang necklaces, bracelets, and decorative scarves; your jewelry will be easier to find, plus it will never get tangled up again.
Struggling to Keep Your Home Clean and Organized? We Can Help
Keeping your closets organized can free up precious time, helping you better manage your busy schedule. Still, even the most orderly housekeepers sometimes find themselves overwhelmed by commitments. When this happens, hiring our professional residential cleaners in Louisville, Kentucky can help you keep your life manageable while leaving enough time for relaxation. To learn more about our comprehensive maid services, contact us online or by phone at (502) 230-6735.