9 Smart Closet Organizing Tips

If your closet looks like a modern art sculpture, perhaps it’s time to bring some order to the chaos. After all, if you take the time to decorate your bedroom and clean it every week, why should your closet remain an eyesore? The following, common sense tips will help you organize your closet quickly and cheaply.

1. Fold more than you hang

Though hung clothes are easy to scan, they take up much more closet space. Therefore hang your dress shirts, dresses and pants. But fold your shirts, sweaters and T-shirts. Stack them by type and color. This way you can easily find what you’re looking for.

2. Arrange your closet seasonally

Unless you have a huge walk-in closet, chances are you have a hard time fitting all your clothes in a single space. Therefore, pack your winter clothes in bags and store them away during summer; then reverse this step in winter. After all, when your sweaters no longer clutter your summer closet, you’ll easily find your favorite tang top (and vice versa).

3. Add shelves

Folded clothes tend to start toppling when the piles get too high. If you add shelves between your existing shelves, however, you’ll solve the problem. Your piles of clothes will be compact and easy to keep organized.

4. Label your shelves

If you have several shelves and piles of clothes, you may forget what’s in each pile. To tell your long T-shirts apart from your short sleeves, place a sticker on the edge of the shelf beneath each pile of clothes. At a glance you’ll know where to find the category you are looking for.

5. Use functional hangers

If your closet has fifty different types of hangers, it will look visually messy no matter how organized you try to keep things. It’s best to invest a little in buying the same hangers. Look for ones that have notches at the top, to secure straps or shirt collars, plus a bottom hanging space for pants. If you like to clip your pants and skirts, look for multifunctional hangers that include this option.

6. Arrange by colors & types

In addition to organizing your folded items by color and type, organize your hanging clothes in the same manner. Thus if you are looking for a skirt, you’ll go to the collection of hanging skirts. Then you’ll look over the black cluster to locate the black skirt you want.

7. Hang your belts and ties

Simple swag hooks (found at garden centers) are ideal for hanging your belts or ties on the side wall of your closet. Use several hooks in a line or a row and hang no more than one or two belts and ties per hanger. This way you’ll never have to remove a stack of items before you can fish out the one you want.

8. Organize your shoes

Don’t forget to bring order to the bottom of your closet as well. Build a simple wooden shoe rack, and stack your shoes to keep them from piling on top of each other. In addition, store away your winter boots in summer, or your sandals in winter.

9. Add light

If your closet is poorly lit, you’ll have a hard time finding what you want no matter how organized you are. At the very least, hang a flashlight in your closet. Alternatively, hang a neon light on the wall with an extension cord that comes with a light switch. You can plug the cord outside the closet and use the light switch to illuminate your organized closet.

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