How to Organize a Closet On Any Budget
Bring order back to your closet.
Learning how to organize your closet is a key part of bringing order to your daily routine. An organized closet can help you properly utilize your closet space and make getting dressed all that much easier. If you are looking for clothing organization ideas to help declutter your closet, then it might be time to invest in some storage solutions.
How to Organize Your Closet
Steps to Organizing a Closet
Closet Organizational Systems
How to Organize Your Closet in 5 Easy Steps
The journey to organizing your closest starts with editing. A messy wardrobe not only makes it tough to get dressed but also often means that there is a lot of valuable space in your closet that is unused. Learning how to organize a closet can help you make the most of this untapped real estate, but first you need to start by paring down.
Step 1: Do Your Laundry
This may sound strange, but once your full wardrobe is clean and ready to be sorted, you will be able to take inventory of everything you own.
Step 2: Empty Out Your Closet
Once you've emptied your closet, begin going through each item of clothing. You may even find garments you forgot you had. Give away, donate, or sell anything you haven't worn in a year and discard anything that is beyond repair. This is also a great time to give your closet a good wipe-down.
Step 3: Pick the Right Storage Systems
A large part of this decision will be influenced by the size of your closet itself. Organizing a closet can entail the addition of shelves or an extra closet rod, the use of bins and baskets, or the installation of an entire closet system. Whatever you choose, the goal is to create an organizational system that motivates maintenance.
Step 4: Create an System That Works
Organize your clothes in a way that makes sense to you, while working with your lifestyle. If you wear business attire to work, then those items need to be readily accessible. There are many ways to organize a closet; whether by color, season, or category, choose an order that you can maintain. It is best to keep the garments you wear most frequently in the front and middle of your closet, with the less worn garments in the back, to the sides, or folded and stored on an upper shelf.
Step 5: Store Clothes Correctly
As a rule of thumb it is a good idea to fold items that stretch (sweaters and knits) and hang items that wrinkle easily (dresses, suits). To find out more about hanging items in your wardrobe, read our guide The Best Hangers to Streamline Your Wardrobe.
Tip!
A good way to organize your closet is with the one item in, one item out rule. For every garment you purchase, get rid of one you don't wear anymore – that way, you are less likely to overfill your wardrobe and lose track of what you own.
Closet Organizational Systems
When choosing how to organize a closet, you have a wealth of options to select from. It is best to find the options that work best for you, your wardrobe, and your closet space.
Closet Systems
If your closet is large enough, consider installing a closet system. Whether you add rods, drawers, or a whole walk-in set, organizing a closet with one of these systems can make life easier and bring order to your wardrobe.
Closet Rods: For a minor addition with big impact, closet rods are a fabulous investment. If you have the space, the addition of a closet rod will give you an entirely new spot to hang clothing from. Note that a closet rod requires enough space below the closet railing in order for your clothing to hang freely.
Closet System Shelves: Since it's not always possible or ideal to hang all of your clothing, shelves are a great addition for folded garments and items that you plan to store in boxes or bins. Shelf dividers offer a simple solution for keeping your folded items separated and your shelves a little neater.
Closet System Drawers: Closets aren't made just for hanging items. Some closet systems come with drawers. This is an especially helpful option if you don't have the space for a dresser in your room. To make life a little easier, use drawer organizers to keep your folded items in order.
Closet Systems: Organizing a closet that is big enough to accommodate a full closet system is the perfect way to revamp and add a little style to your bedroom. This fresh start will give you a new structure with ample space, allowing you to keep your wardrobe in perfect shape.
Tip!
Check out our guide How to Choose the Right Closet System to find more information about picking the right closet system for your wardrobe.
Hanging Closet Organizers
It isn't always possible to install an entire closet system due to space or budget constraints, but don't worry! There are many other ways to organize your closet.
Hangers: Organizing a closet is an ongoing process that coordinated hangers can make much easier. Not only do matching hangers look great, but they can also add extra space to your closet. Whether you choose slim-profile hangers or multi-layer hangers that can store several items, investing in a new set is always a good idea.
Hanging Organizers: Using a hanging organizer can help you make optimal use of the vertical space you have available. A hanging organizer works by allowing you to store multiple items in one space, often on various levels. This way you receive the benefits of a shelf without installing one.
Over-the-Door Organizers: There is a lot of space that is under-utilized in a closet, particularly the door. An over-the-door organizer can help you keep anything from shoes to accessories within easy reach without taking up any space inside your closet itself.
Organizing a closet and folding garments can be made easier with bins and baskets.
Storage Bins & Baskets: If you are wondering how to organize a closet with shelves while making it aesthetically pleasing, consider using storage bins and baskets. They are available in a wide range of colors, sizes, and styles, and allow you to make the most of any shelf space by holding multiple folded items in one place. Lidded storage baskets can also help you store out-of-season and less worn clothes out of the way on higher shelves or in other locations.
Storage Baskets: Thicker garments such as bulky sweaters and accessories tend to take up unnecessary hanging space. A large open basket will allow you to easily reach in and get what you need without using valuable hanging space in your closet.
When learning how to organize a closet, you may discover that shoes are a big culprit in creating a mess due to the fact that they tend to be tough to store neatly.
Shoe Racks & Cubbies: Clear up your closet floor space and bring order to your shoe collection with a shoe rack or cubby. If you have a large assortment of shoes, a shoe rack or cubby can help you maintain order, and keep pairs together and upright with ease.
Shoe Storage Boxes: Whether you choose to place them inside your closet or elsewhere, shoe storage boxes are a great storage option for smaller footwear such as sneakers, pumps, and heels. These storage boxes give you easy access to your shoe collection while keeping them in order.
When you are giving your closet love, you don't want to forget about the accessoires.
Over-the-Door Jewelry Armoires & Organizers: Instead of using a full standing armoire in your bedroom or trying to stash your accessories in a drawer, consider an over-the-door jewelry armoire and organizer. Organizing your closet with one of these organizers will help you save space and also eradicate the need for a mirror as most of these options come with a mirror attached.
Purse Hangers: Purses are usually left for last when it comes to organizing a closet. Their awkward shape makes them tough to store, but you can always get a little creative with a purse hanger. These small and sturdy hooks allow you to hang multiple purses in the same space, allowing you to easily access the purse that best matches your outfit with no fuss.
Tie & Belt Hangers: Ties and belts are additional accessories that aren't always easy to store in a closet. Tie and belt hangers usually have multiple tiers or hooks to hang multiple items from at once. Organizing your closet with these hangers can help to keep your ties and belts in good shape and within easy reach.
Scarf Hangers: Many scarf hangers are similarly designed to tie and belt hangers. It is also possible to find options with hoops to pull your scarves through. Instead of trying to fold your scarves and trying to figure out where they should go, opt for a scarf hanger to store in a neat and accessible manner.
If you have enough space to spare, consider using storage furniture as an additional way to organize your closet.
Storage Carts: With accessibility in mind, consider investing in a storage cart with wheels. Not only will you be able to add more storage space to your closet, but you will have easy access to whatever you need at any time, thanks to the rolling function of these carts.
Stackable Drawers: Make your life easier with a set of stackable drawers. Their stackability allows you to configure these drawers as you fill them and see fit. Alternatively, storage drawers with wheels also provide a large amount of storage space with the accessibility offered by wheels. Simply slide them into your closet for additional organizational assistance.
When it comes to organizing a closet and decreasing clutter, there are many alternative storage options to choose from.
Underbed Storage: If your closet doesn't have the space to hold your entire wardrobe at once, consider storing your clothing by season. Underbed storage is a great way to keep items out of sight and safely stowed away but still within easy reach. It is also possible to get underbed storage for shoes, which is especially helpful for tall boots.
Laundry Baskets & Hampers: Maintaining an orderly closet isn't only about storing your clean garments in order, but also how you manage the dirty ones. If you have the space to fit a laundry basket or hamper in your closet, you can keep your clothes off the floor and make laundry days all that much easier.
Clothes & Garment Racks: Sometimes the size of your wardrobe calls for the need to expand beyond your closet. A garment rack can help you extend your closet space while still keeping your bedroom looking classy and upmarket.
Remove the unnecessary challenge of searching through piles of messy clothes and choose the best way to organize your closet.
