5 Clever Closet Hacks You Didn't Know You Need
Life would be much easier if you could simply put on the first thing you find in the closet and move out the door. Alas, you need to put in time and effort to hunt for the perfect dress shirt to go with the comfy trouser you have on, your lucky accessory to ace your job interview, and complementary footwear that will make your OOTD (outfit of the day) sparkle. However, before you substitute the top you need with the one you find, renege the accessory hunt, and walk out in mismatched shoes, try a few clever and simple closet hacks to master the organization game.
For starters, if your closet is filled with rainbow-colored hangers, swap them out for coordinating ones to minimize the visual clutter. But if they're in relatively good shape, use a can of spray paint to update their look. Further, color-coded or reusable closet dividers can help section off items if the closet is used by more than one person or it holds a cornucopia of items. Another clever idea to organize a closet is to remove items, like makeup, cleaning supplies, and medicines, that don't belong in the closet and house them elsewhere. Looking to give your closet a refresh? Here are five clever closet hacks you didn't know you needed.
Declutter and organize your closet
Perhaps the most obvious but definitely the most important closet hack is to declutter it to get rid of items that no longer serve a purpose. However, avoid taking on more decluttering than you can handle. Simply put, don't sweep everything off the shelves or the sheer number of items might overwhelm you. Yes, you want to be ruthless, but don't go overboard or it might derail your decluttering plans. Attack one category, like dress, shoes, or accessories, at a time and organize it before moving on to the next. This way, you won't feel like you have to finish it all in a day.
Once you empty out a section, create space for five piles in the room: keep, donate, storage, sell, and remove. To segregate items into one of the five piles, ask hard-hitting questions like if you love the item, if you would wear it again, if it's comfortable, whether it's damaged, if you can sell it, and if it holds any sentimental value. This will make decluttering easier and won't stall your progress. In case you're finding it difficult to toss away items, TikTok's 3 second rule will add a little excitement to your home organization. When you're satisfied, put back the "keep" pile items back in your closet. To maintain a clutter-free zone, hang everything facing the inside of the closet. After you wear an item, hang it the right way. Examine the items you haven't worn in months and remove them.
Follow a theme or go with a season-appropriate organization method
Following a theme makes it easy to organize the closet and maintain it. The good news is you get to categorize the contents of your wardrobe any way you like. For instance, if you don't want to spend time separating your gym wear from your lounge wear or your cocktail dresses from work clothes, create a separate category for each. Alternatively, take a color-coded approach and use the colors of the rainbow (VIBGYOR or ROYGBIV) as your inspiration or go with something else. Otherwise, simply group items based on their type (pant, top, accessory, jewelry) or style irrespective of their functionality. Clothes reserved for special occasions, like weddings, Christmas parties, Thanksgiving feasts, and funerals, can be categorized separately.
Contrastingly, you don't want to get lost in the winter coat wonderland (unless you're stumbled into the fantastical world of "Narnia") when looking for a cute summer dress. Worse, you don't want to accidentally don a warm shirt on a hot, summer day. So, why not follow a season-appropriate organization method? This means retiring your winter boots, fur coats, fleece-lined trousers, fluffy socks, and warm shirts when the temperatures soar and vice versa. Besides always wearing seasonal clothes and accessories, you will be able to keep track of the items you own and donate items you're no longer fond of. Win-win! Whichever approach you take, just make sure to put items back where they belong to avoid undoing all your hard work in a few weeks.
Define item-specific zones within your closet
You can assign specific spaces to different items all day, but it won't lead to an organized closet if everything melds together. Just imagine dedicating a drawer or shelf to your accessories. This means jewelry, watches, wallet, and belts are all fair game. While it'll be incredibly convenient for you to dump items after a long day (or night) into the designated space, finding them the next time you need them is another story. To keep your necklaces from looping themselves around your watches and belts, define item-specific zones within your wardrobe.
Although this sounds very effort-intensive, you simply need to invest in drawer dividers. Bonus points if you get customizable drawer dividers to fit them in per your drawer (or shelf). Put these down into your drawer and assign a slot to each item so that each time you need something, you can find it easily. Maintaining the space is easy, too, since you can easily drop off items in the slot without messing up the drawer. To create zones for your clothes, handbags, and unmentionables, get transparent acrylic shelf dividers. You can organize footwear by storing your shoes in acrylic boxes. Transparent boxes will make it easier to grab them whenever you need one and the enclosed design will keep the dust and dirt away. Nestle a "catch-all basket" inside to ensure your closet doesn't go out of whack on cheat days.
Use bins and baskets to your advantage
What do you do when you have a lot of stuff and only a limited amount of space to house them all? You either buy a bigger house or cleverly expand the space you already have. If you choose the first option, use the other hacks listed here. However, if you select the second one, get ready to install a few drawers in your closet (if you're a pro DIY-er and can handle such projects) to create more closet storage. A bookshelf can work in a pinch, too. Otherwise, maximize horizontal space with bins and baskets.
There are multiple options, including fabric-made baskets, stackable drawers, transparent acrylic tubs, felt storage boxes, multipurpose bins, and wicker baskets. Pick whichever one you like, or mix two or three styles together. Now, for the hard part: organizing things within the bins and baskets. While you'll want to stack items horizontally out of habit, taking a vertical approach will provide more room and offer a bird's eye view at all times. Plus, it'll be easier to take out and place back items at will. So, neatly fold or roll your clothes and put in your shoes vertically. Line the top shelves, the leftover space beneath your hanging dresses, and the empty corners with these storage organizers. Don't forget to label them, especially if you put in seasonal items in the box. For added convenience, use reusable chalkboard labels to mark the bins and baskets.
Maximize the vertical space in your wardrobe
A useful organization method that'll free up storage space in your closet is to maximize the vertical space available. For instance, if you're struggling to house all your shoes, socks, jewelry, and other trinkets without cramming them together, an over-the-door organizer can work wonders. These organizers use the space behind your closet door and usually come with clear pockets so you can easily see what each pocket holds. Plus, they're easy to install. Bonus tip: Line your boots or shoes with socks before stuffing them in a pocket, so they don't lose their shape.
Alternatively, install a pegboard behind your wardrobe door and add a few hooks for a makeshift organizer for all your accessories, neck ties, hair ties, and scarves. Further, try the chain hack to turn your clothes hanger into a space-saving storage solution. This way, you'll be able to fully utilize the vertical space and hang multiple items together. Dedicated scarf hangers can come in handy, too, to organize your belts, scarves, statement necklaces, and other accessories. However, if you're sitting on horizontal space within your closet, a clever hack is to attach a tension rod and outfit it with a couple of S-hooks (normal ones work, too) to create double the space for your belongings.