Closet Organizing Basics to Reclaim Your Space

Do you dread opening your closet because of how disorganized it is? Reclaim your closet and say goodbye to clutter with these closet organizing basics! With a few simple steps and the right tools, you can transform your closet into a calm and inviting space where you can easily find what you need.

Over time, I have made my closet one of my favorite spaces in our home. I have worked to find the best organization items, pared down my wardrobe and accessories, and found ways to highlight items that make me happy. There are many closet organizing basics and tools that you can use to organize your own closet, no matter the size. Here are my top ten tips to organize your own closet.

10 Tips to Help You Organize Your Closet

1. Change out items seasonally and pare down: Each season, I go through my clothing items and clean out anything that I didn’t wear, don’t love, or is no longer in great condition. You can donate these items, give them to friends who might appreciate them, sell them online on sites like Poshmark, or toss the ones that are damaged or worn out. I have a couple of bins in which I store seasonal items in storage and rotate with the seasons.

2. Turn all of your hangers around: Turn the top of your hangers so that they are all facing backward. Once you’ve worn an item, hang it up with the hanger facing the way it normally would. After a certain amount of time, you can see what you never even wore! You can do this at the beginning of each year, each season…whatever works best for you.

3. Use matching hangers: This helps give your hanging clothes a clean and cohesive look. Using the thin velvet hangers will also take up less space (and give you more room!) than bulky ones. I am hoping to change over the wooden hangers I’ve had forever to pretty blush velvet hangers this year. I also recommend a hanger stacker if you have room to hold all of your unused hangers in one spot.

4. Use pool noodles to keep your boots standing up: Some of my boots stand up by themselves, especially the taller ones. Find some pool noodles somewhere, like Target or the Dollar Tree. Cut them to fit the height of each of your boots to keep them upright and sturdy. This is inexpensive and it works great!

5. Sort your clothing in a way that makes sense for you: Personally, I sort my hanging clothes by sleeve length for both tops and dresses. Within each length, I then sort by color order (ROYGBIV). Others prefer to sort solely based on color for each. Do whatever is best for you! I like to look at my clothing items by sleeve length because if I’m layering anything this visually makes the most sense to my brain.

6. Use a valet hook: I use a valet hook to prep my outfit for the next day. I’m able to hang everything together, make sure it’s steamed and free of wrinkles, and ready to go when I am getting ready in the morning. It’s something that is really helpful and it’s nice to have one designated spot to keep things tidy.

7. Use shelf dividers: I use acrylic shelf dividers to get the most use out of my shelf space for folded items. They keep things spaced correctly and prevent items from falling over. They have made such a difference! The kind I have just slide over the front part of a solid shelf, but they also have dividers that work with wire shelving if that’s what you have.

8. Hang scarves on a tiered pants hanger: Try hanging your scarves on a tiered pants hanger. The slim design and multiple tiers can hold quite a few scarves. Just loop your scarves over each arm. Make sure you keep the loops as close together as possible to fit the maximum amount of scarves on your hanger.

9. Use baskets or bins to contain folded clothing, accessories, etc: I have a few decorative baskets that I keep my workout clothing and bathing suits in on some shelves in my closet. I also use varying sizes of clear acrylic bins to store hair accessories, belts, and more. It’s nice to be able to keep these items contained. Bonus points for using labels! Grab these clip-on bin tags, they’re my favorite for baskets. I ordered custom labels from The Home Edit for my clear bins, but you can also find pre-made labels online. It really helps to keep things neat and tidy when everything has a home.

10. Take advantage of vertical space: Make the most out of the space you have. Hang hooks for necklaces, display your hats, or find storage bins that fit on your top shelves to store your belongings. Find boxes or bins that stack to fill in the shelf space. Vertical space is often wasted so be sure to use it to your advantage.

If you need some more inspiration, take a look at these closet organizing ideas on Pinterest.

What do you need help organizing or storing in your closet? What do you struggle with? Please leave a comment below and let me know what I can help you with in your closet!