It’s a space that’s easily overlooked in a home – the closet. Guests usually don’t see what’s inside and so maximizing your closet space maybe hasn’t been on your mind lately. But a well-organized closet proves its worth when you need to find your favorite red sweater in the morning rush. Plus, it also helps to declutter the mind. With countless closet storage and shelving hacks around, where do you start? It can seem a little daunting at first, but we’ll show you the best ways to organize your closet.
Before you get started, it’s usually a good idea to set yourself some goals. Are you looking to organize your clothes and shoes? Or do you intend to maximize closet space by adding shelves and storage units? Depending on your plan, you may need a few extra tools. Generally, it’s worth having a measuring tape and some trash bags or shopping bags on hand. You can follow these steps to prepare your closet for reorganization:
- Empty the closet completely. You may even find some surprises at the back of it.
- Give it a good clean by dusting the shelves, mopping or vacuuming the floor and cleaning the surfaces with a moist towel.
- Declutter your clothes, shoes, and accessories. You can prepare different bags for items that you want to keep, give away to charity, or throw in the trash.
- Measure the inside of your closet (front to back, left to right side, and top to bottom).
Now that your closet is in good shape, it’s time to check out the following closet organization hacks to create your dream space.
There are many great ways to organize your clothes – from clothing dividers to help categorize dress shirts and pants to drawers and baskets for all your socks and accessories. Organizing all of your clothes by category (e.g. dress, scarves, coats, etc.) and color (e.g. red, blue, green, etc.) is an easy organization hack for jaw-dropping results. No more hiding the inside of your closet from visitors!
It’s best to identify a system that works for you. You may prefer to organize your clothes and accessories by material or type of fabric. Or perhaps you’re sharing the space with a partner. In that case, you could divide the space (left and right, top and bottom) to sort your clothes from his or hers.
Good storage ideas are all about maximizing closet space and helping you to stay organized in the long run. From drawer units to rails and shelves, here are some of the top storage ideas:
- Double hangers. Installing two sets of rails on top of each other (approximately standard shirt length apart) is a great way to instantly fit more of your clothes in your closet.
- Hook it. Hooks are the secret ingredient to arranging accessories. They are easy to install on the inside or over the top of closet doors and are the perfect space-savers to hang your bags, scarves, and accessories. (Tip: Install single hooks at the bottom of the door to hang your shoes.)
- Shelf dividers. When it comes to closet shelving ideas, few hacks can beat shelf dividers. That’s especially true for long shelves often found at the top of a closet. By dividing a single shelf into separate sections, you can easily stay on top of what goes where.
- The three B’s - baskets, bins, and boxes. Boxes and bins are lifesavers if you tend to lose smaller items like underwear or socks in your closet. They’re also great for storing and reaching items stored at the top of a closet.
- DIY options. No list of closet organizer ideas is complete without pointing to sites like Pinterest for creative DIY storage and shelving ideas. Whether you’re searching for suggestions for a particular room or just want to collect some general ideas, you’ll find plenty of inspiration online.
Good closet organization is all about identifying your needs and goals. If you’re dreading it, make it easier on yourself by following the big yearly cleaning seasons. How about reorganizing your closet during spring cleaning? And don’t be afraid to give away some items that you’re just not using or wearing anymore.