Closet Organization Tips
I have to confess, I’m a little bummed that January is coming to an end. It’s one of my most productive months of the year to get things done around the house. After the hustle of the holiday season – that basically runs from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day – I really need a few weeks in January to get organized. Or should I say, re-organized.
Once the kiddos are back in school, I feel like I can exhale. The house is blissfully quiet and free from distractions, and this is when I get the most accomplished. Our closets are among the first areas I tackle and I want to share my Top 10 closet organization tips, with the help of Wayfair. Links to items that I have (or similar) are included.
Closet Organization Tips
Tip #1 – Get mentally prepared. Parting with clothes is one of my least favorite things to do, but I’ve realized that it gets easier every year. When it comes to clothes that don’t spark joy, I’ve learned that I can (and should) let those go. I channel Marie Kondo, thank it for its service and drop it into a pile to donate. It also helps with the parting process to remind myself that someone else might enjoy it more than I do.
Tip #2 – Prepare an area with two laundry baskets. Sorting through clothes falls into two main categories: 1) clothes that I need to store away, 2) clothes that should be donated (these are the clothes that I don’t want anymore, and/or clothes that my kiddos have outgrown).
Tip #3 – Start by looking through your clothes one-by-one. For each item of clothing, decide whether you want to store it or donate it.
| sort through all your clothes with a conscious decision to either store or donate |
Tip #4 – Use fabric baskets. For items such as handbags and hats, I like to use pretty baskets to store them in. There is no reason that your closet can’t be attractive. I like using fabric baskets because they don’t scratch my leather handbags. Baskets are also a smart way to store hats, because you can simply stack the hats on top of each other and save a ton of space! I have three baskets on the top shelf of my closet.
Tip #5 – Pull out all the clothes that need to be stored and relocate them to a storage closet. If you don’t have an extra closet, a portable wardrobe is an easy and economical way to help you get organized and keep your clothes dust-free. Another option is to store items under a bed. We don’t have a lot of clearance area under our king-sized bed, and I was so thrilled to see that Wayfair offers a low-profile, zippered fabric under bed storage system.
Tip #6 – Before you put the clothes away, check them to make sure that they are clean. Even the smallest bit of food residue can attract moths or leave a stain that cannot be removed.
Tip #7 – Never store clothes in dry cleaner plastic! Dry cleaner plastic will yellow clothes. Clothes need to breathe so it is best to hang/store them somewhere that is dark, cool and dry. Avoid the attic if possible, the temperature swings are extreme (at least in New England) and attics are prone to heat and critters.
Tip #8 – You might notice that I use Velvet Non-Slip Hangers. Just like their name describes, they have a “velvet” surface that keeps the clothes on the hanger without slipping off. They are also much slimmer that their plastic predecessor so my clothes don’t crowd each other anymore.
Tip #9 – Hang all sweaters on a padded hanger to prevent creases in the shoulder.
Tip #10 – Use a drawer organizer for small items like underwear and socks. Start with keeping them together when folding the laundry and it makes it a breeze to put them in a dedicated compartment.
I hope these tips have been helpful! Scroll to the end to see the closet make-over and below is an inspo board with some of my favorite storage items from Wayfair. You’ll see that there are a couple storage benches. They can be put at the end of a bed and used to storage extra blankets, linens, and pillows. Each of these items has a direct link, so simply click or tap to get more information about these amazing products!
It took me the better half of the day to organize my clothes, my husband’s clothes and our children’s clothes. I did some serious nesting! But it felt so good when it was done.
| hang clothes from lightest to darkest and put prints at the end |
My final tip! I hang clothes by color from lightest to darkest and put prints on the end. This technique helps me tremendously when I am putting together an outfit because I typically know what colors I want to combine.
