- Closets are one of the most annoying, not to mention tedious, places to clean and organize in our homes.
- We turned to Jaime Hord, founder of NYC-based professional organization firm Horderly, for tips on how to get our closets in order.
- Read more: How to organize your kitchen pantry
Close your eyes and ask yourself: when was the last time you organized your closet? Last season? Last year? Can’t remember? Well, you’re not alone.
Closets are notorious for being one of the most annoying, not to mention tedious, places to organize in our homes. So hard that many of us put it off for months and even years at a time. It’s honestly no surprise that they often end up being overstuffed, cluttered, and downright messy for many of us.
But imagine what life would be like if all of our clothes, shoes, and accessories were neatly tucked away. The benefits of having an organized closet are pretty endless. It streamlines your morning routine, cuts down on your prep time, and even gives you space to expand your wardrobe. In a word: magic.
We spoke with Jamie Hord, founder of NYC-based professional organization firm Horderly, for advice on how we can get a better grip on our closets. From tips on what to toss and what to keep to shoe organization strategies that you can maintain easily, here's how you can organize your closet.
Take everything out of your closet to assess what you have
Closets tend to be a holding ground for random items. Think of how many times you've ended up shoving something in there in hopes of forgetting about it.
The first step to cleaning and organizing your closet is to physically clean it out. Take everything out - clothes, shoes, accessories, and even jewelry. From this moment forward, everything you put in your closet should only be items that you'll actually use.
Take inventory of what you want to keep, toss, or donate
Did you know there's an 80/20 rule for your closet? This means that 80% of the time, you're only using about 20% of your closet. This also means that your closet, most likely, has items that you haven't worn in a while or maybe even forgotten about. We're all guilty of finding clothes that still have tags on them.
Once you take all your stuff out of your closet, go through each item one by one and start to separate things to keep, toss, and donate.
Ask yourself questions like, "Have I worn it in the past 12 months? If it's damaged, will I actually get it repaired?" Once you separate out the items that you're going to get rid of, start putting things back in your closet.
Separate your clothes according to your lifestyle
"The next (and most important) step is to separate and categorize your clothes in a way that makes sense to you and your lifestyle," says Hord. "Some people like to separate their clothes by season, some prefer by type (long sleeve, short sleeve, sleeveless, etc.), and some even prefer by color. Regardless of which system you choose, it should be one that works to your lifestyle."
Enlist the "prime real estate" rule
When putting items back into your closet, be sure to incorporate the prime real estate rule. "This is an important rule you should use to keep your closet in shape," says Horde. "Try to keep items that you use most often at an easy-to-grab location. Group some of your favorite and most-used items in this area too, so you're not searching endlessly for your favorite dress or lucky heels. Seasonal items like winter coats and bathing suits are examples of what not to put in prime real estate areas."
If you're new to the prime real estate rule, assess your lifestyle and think about the clothes you wear most often. Once you figure out your top priority items, you'll find that everything else will fall easily into place.
Store clothes, shoes, and accessories in their own space
Another common mistake people make when they're organizing their closets is not storing their clothing or accessories properly. Each item should be stored in a way that will help keep them within reach and keep them looking newer longer.
As you're putting items back in place, keep theses storage rules in mind.
- Shoes: If you're one of those that simply toss shoes on the closet floor, you're definitely doing this wrong. The best way to store shoes is on a shelf so you know exactly where each pair - not just a single left shoe - is. If your closet doesn't have shelves, invest in a stackable shoe shelf or even an over-the-door shoe bag.
- Shirts and blouses: Blouses and button-down shirts are probably the simplest things to store. To keep them wrinkle-free, hang them on the closet rod using velvet, non-slip hangers. These will help them keep their shape and also gives your closet a clean, uniform look.
- Sweaters: "You have a couple of options when it comes to sweaters depending on how many you have and how much space your closet has to offer," says Hord. "You can file fold in a drawer or stack them on a shelf, using dividers to create a cleaner line." File folding is a unique style of folding your clothes that makes them more uniform, allows you to fit more in a drawer, and makes it easier to grab the items your need without disrupting anything you don't. For a step-by-step guide, check out Horderly's how-to videos.
- Jeans, bottoms, and shorts: If you're confident in your upkeeping abilities, you can also file fold your jeans and shorts on a shelf. If you're on the lazier side - no judgement- you can file fold them into a drawer or use a bin to store them on a shelf.
- Ties and scarves: Long accessories, like belts, ties, and scarves, often stump us. Should they be in a box or hanging? Should they be displayed or tucked away? "To avoid getting kinks or wrinkles in your ties, utilize wall space and hang ties whenever possible," says Hord. "For scarves, it's best to file fold them into a bin or drawer, so you can easily contain these (usually slippery) accessories. If you prefer to hang them, we recommend folding over a slim velvet hanger. Traditional scarf hangers can get bulky and take up a lot of hanging space in your closet. They can also make it hard to find the scarf you're looking for if you have a lot of them."
Use extra rods, stackable shelves, hanging closets, and more to maximize closet space
Closet space is a luxury, especially if you live in an apartment. Therefore, you have to make the most out of the space you have.
Typically, a traditional closet comes with one shelf and one basic rod that goes across it. You can add a second rod halfway between the first and the floor, which will instantly double your hanging storage.
If you prefer things folded, invest in a stackable drawer system.
Most importantly, don't overlook your doors. There's an over-the-door storage unit for just about everything these days: shoes, handbags, jewelry, accessories, and even storage cubbies. You'll be surprised how much you can fit in one of these.
Organize your closet regularly
Much like any overhaul project, it's not going to last forever unless you put in the effort in maintaining your hard work, so be sure to clean out your closet regularly.
Hord recommends decluttering your closet at least once a year or with every season change. If you're feeling ambitious, you can follow the "one in, one out" rule. This means that for every new item you add to your wardrobe, you donate one item in return to ensure that your closet doesn't end up overflowing.