10 Items You Can Use To Organize Your Clothes
With the rise of home organization TV shows, everyone is looking to make their homes tidier with the help of those like Marie Kondo and The Home Edit. After years of spending more, or all, of our time at home, the thought of decluttering the stuff that no longer sparks joy and creating systems for the things that do is enticing. Not only does an organized home feel more inviting, but it also helps us to focus more, as well as save time and money in the long run.
Bedroom closets should be one of the first spaces to tackle if you're ready to get on a home organization journey. A neat closet could sincerely impact your day and mood for the better. Knowing where all of our clothes are at any given time makes it much easier to get dressed every morning, and unnecessary items, such as seasonal clothing per The Container Store, won't be in your way.
No matter the size of your closet, there are things that can help you keep it neater. Take a look through these 10 must-have items you can use to organize your clothes.
Save space with slim hangers
Long gone are the days when you needed to waste space in the closet with bulky, plastic tubular hangers. Thin hangers are widely available and allow more hanging clothes in less space. While velvet is the popular choice, you can also find metal, acrylic, rubber, and even wooden hangers in a slimline shape.
Not only will using thinner hangers create more room, but they also help make things look tidier, especially if they're matching. Another neat trick is to hang all empty hangers at one end of the closet to make putting clothes away on laundry day a quicker task.
Separate the shelves
Shelf dividers make great organizers for the clothes we like to pile high such as jeans and sweaters. Sliding a few evenly spaced dividers along the shelf, or shelves, above the closet rod keeps things from toppling over and making a mess. These organizers are available in acrylic, plastic, metal, and even fabric material.
Have wire instead of wood shelves? Not a problem since you can also get them with hooks that click right into the wire slots. Don't forget to check the height and depth of the shelf to make sure they're the right size.
Put pants in prime position
There are lots of ways to organize pants, including the aforementioned shelf dividers. They can also be folded in a drawer or clipped onto cascading skirt hangers. If you have the room to hang them individually, the best way to do so is by using open-ended pant hangers.
These usually come in metal with a rubber grip, keeping the pants in place. With the end opened outward, sliding them on and off the hanger has never been easier. For a perfectly poised row of pants, be sure to fold and hang them all facing the same way.
Bin bulky things up
Blessed with lots of shelf space but left with little for hanging? Bins will be your best friends in this case. Use them to store bulkier items such as sweatpants and hoodies and save room for your more delicate things that need to be stored on hangers.
Whether using big or small baskets, master the art of file folding and take your organization to the next level. By storing clothes vertically in containers, you'll be able to see everything you own and keep them much tidier. Then, simply slide the bin on and off a shelf for easy access.
Label it all
If you'd like your closet to get and stay more organized, embrace labels. This is especially helpful if you share the space with a significant other. Labeling your clothes will keep them separated, easier to find, and easier to put away.
For bins made of fabric or natural materials, the easiest way to label is to use clips designated specifically for them. Plastic containers can be marked with a label maker, and you can attach the tape to the edge of a shelf or inside of a drawer. For hanging clothes, label closet rod dividers to keep them sorted by type.
Control the clutter with cubes
Keep bras, underwear, and socks more organized by using inserts inside of the dresser, closet drawers, or even the nightstand. These can be fabric or plastic store-bought organizers, or you can even be eco-friendly by repurposing sturdy shoe boxes. Just remove the lid and place the boxes vertically or horizontally inside the drawer before file folding or placing your clothes into them by type. This is also a perfect solution to contain smaller accessories that you like to store alongside clothing, such as belts and bathing suits.
Divide the drawers
For larger items such as tee shirts and leggings, spring loaded drawer dividers will keep them upright and organized. File fold your clothing into two or three neat lines in the drawer and then pop in dividers in between.
You can find dividers in acrylic or plastic but the most sturdy kind are made of sustainable bamboo and come in a variety of colors, allowing you to match the interior of the drawer. The lengths vary and many are expandable, making them easy to move around if you decide to reorganize.
Stack some shirts
With the rise of the home organizing trend comes the demand for more and better organization products. Shirt stackers are one of those inventions that can help get your clothes more organized in a way you never thought possible.
Neatly squeeze up to a dozen tees, long-sleeved, or button-down shirts into a small corner of the closet using a stacking organizer. Not only will it save space, but it will also let you grab your favorite top in a flash.
When in doubt, hook 'em
Hooks are an excellent multitasking tool in the organizing world. Use large ones for tank tops or scarves and smaller but sturdy hooks for totes and handbags. String the belt loop of jeans onto S hooks as an alternative to open-ended hangers. For a budget-friendly option, recycle shower rings to hang up lightweight things.
There's no reason to stop at using hooks on the closet rod, though. Install a rack or individual ones wherever you have a bit of empty wall space. Renters may want to choose the adhesive kind for easy removal but beware of hanging heavy items on them.
Bank on the back of the door
If you don't have wall space inside the closet, take advantage of the back of the door to keep things more organized. Hang your favorite purses, baseball hats, or even tomorrow's outfit using a valet hook inside the door so you can conceal the clutter when it's closed.
Another genius organizing product to use in your closet is a track system. Traditionally used in pantries or coat closets, a customizable rack can also make the perfect solution for small clothing items. Baskets can hold stuff like shawls and clutches while a pegboard with hooks can hang belts and cross-body bags.