Closets are a natural place to accumulate clutter, and many people take a step into their walk-ins to find a jumble of bags, bins, and boxes full of miscellaneous items. If that sounds familiar, you’re in luck. In this guide, we cover exactly how to organize your closet like a pro, so you can maximize your space and reclaim your sanity.
Start with decluttering and cleaning
Unless you regularly declutter your belongings, you may need to purge the junk you no longer want or need before you can organize your closet. Here’s a guide to get you started:
Empty your closet
The best way to organize a closet is to start with a blank slate. Clear out everything (yes, everything!) you have in the space. This could be a daunting task, but you’ll want everything laid out before you start tossing, selling, or keeping.
Toss, donate, or sell unused items
You can begin the organization process by sorting items as you remove them from your closet. Lay out everything you plan to keep in a separate area, such as wardrobe and home essentials, and place other belongings in designated spaces for donating, selling, and tossing out.
Give your closet a deep clean
Before you haul everything back into your closet, use a multi-purpose cleaner to wipe down all surfaces, then vacuum, sweep, or mop to ensure a clean, welcoming environment.
Related: Move Out Cleaning Checklist
Categorize and organize your clothes
You’ve gotten rid of the clutter and cleaned all surfaces. Now, your closet is ready for a design makeover. Here are a few ideas for crafting a functional bedroom closet that gives you easy access to your most-used items:
Sort by clothing type
If you have a capsule wardrobe, you might benefit from grouping specific outfits together on a clothing rack or rod. However, not every closet features ample space for clothes hangers.
Consider creative storage solutions like drawer dividers, a designated shoe organizer, or color-coding systems to strategically sort each area of your closet. Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach here. Choose a method that works with the unique specifications of your closet.
Consider seasonal items
As you organize a smaller closet, you may need to think outside the box. Or, rather, inside another box. Most of us don’t use bulky winter coats, long underwear, or ski gear year-round. Even most long-sleeve shirts trap too much heat during hot Florida summers.
If you’re short on space, purchase a couple of large, flat storage containers that can live under your bed. As the seasons change, you can swap out your warm-weather clothes for your winter wear.
Consider how much space you have
Small closets simply can’t hold the same amount of clothing as sprawling walk-ins. Even with bins and hangers, there’s a limit to every closet. Go into your organization project with realistic expectations and resist the urge to keep every outfit in your wardrobe.
Need more space? Check out our portable storage containers!
How to maximize your closet space
You can take small steps to organize your closet and get the most out of your existing spatial limitations. Here are a few ideas to help you stretch your closet:
Use shelves
We’ve already touched on putting those high shelves to use, but you might benefit from buying or building additional shelving to organize shoes, jewelry, and accessories.
Many closets feature long sections of clothing rods with nothing underneath. You might also consider putting in a low shelving unit under your hanging clothes to maximize vertical space.
Get some storage bins
If your closet features a high, hard-to-reach shelf, pick up some stacking, plastic storage bins for off-season items or linens. These containers can clear up your available real estate and protect your fabrics from pests while serving as natural closet organizers.
Use different hanging solutions
A quick online search will show you the many space-saving solutions on the market. Find individual hangers that store a dozen shirts or pairs of pants vertically. Or, look for hanger connector hooks to maximize space using existing hangers — all on a budget.
A full-length mirror with built-in internal storage can hang on your closet door to make organizing jewelry and accessories easier.
Label containers
We know how exciting it can be once you get into the flow of organizing your closet, but remember to think about your future needs. While your sorting methods may make sense at the moment, there’s a chance you could forget which container holds what.
Label everything clearly using a label maker or painter’s tape and a permanent marker. You don’t have to get fancy, but make sure your labels help simplify your closet organization.
Related: How To Pack for a Move
Get more storage and space-saving tips from the pros at Red Rover!
The organizational experts at Red Rover have mastered the art of maximizing space. Whether you want to organize your closet or consolidate your portable storage container, we’re here to help. Reach out today to learn more about our services!