The Best Way to Organize Clothes in Closet for a Clutter-Free Home
Say goodbye to the overflowing sweatshirt collection falling off your shelves and the cramped winter jackets begging for an inch of hanging space, because today I’m sharing the best way to organize clothes in closet. Together, we’ll tame your avalanche of clothes and create a custom closet plan that works for your space, big or small. Let’s get started!
Your closet is a deeply personal space filled with your favorite clothing, shoes, accessories, and old hand-me-downs that linger longer than they should. Or is that just me?
Closet organization goes beyond aesthetics. It adds function to your daily life, prolongs the lifespan of your apparel, and gives your space the respect it deserves.
Just imagine opening your closet doors and seeing everything organized by category, color, and season. No more sorting through piles of clothes to find your favorite sweater or digging through drawers to remind yourself what you own. It’s all there in front of you.
As the former queen of messy closets, I’ve spent hours researching the best closet organization tips and created the ultimate system for success.
Whether you’re a remote worker who stares at your messy closet all day, a new homeowner trying to maximize limited space, or just someone craving more calm in your home routine, this closet organization guide is for you.
Here is the best way to organize clothes in closet to create a *beautifully* organized space that you’ll genuinely love opening every morning.
The “Why” Behind Closet Organization
Your closet is one of the first things you see in the morning. It’s a daily touchpoint, setting the tone for your day. A messy closet can create a sense of chaos, while an organized space encourages peace and clarity before you walk out the door.
Think about it. How often have you felt frustrated rummaging through piles of clothing on the floor? How many minutes have you wasted searching for that one pair of shoes you could’ve sworn were in the closet somewhere?
The truth is, an organized closet isn’t about creating a chic, Instagram-worthy aesthetic. It’s about designing a space that works for you rather than against you.
It’s about promoting calm over chaos.
And it’s about celebrating the things you worked so hard to buy in a home you love to live in. It’s high time you reclaim the space behind your closet doors and enjoy your time in it.
The Best Way to Organize Clothes in Closet
If you’re ready to create a custom closet that supports your morning routine, here is the best way to organize clothes in closet for any size space.
Prioritize the Purge
Before running to The Container Store for new hangers and shoe racks, you need to start with a clean slate. That’s right, I’m talking about a closet purge.
This is a hard step for the sentimental girlies (like me) who get way too attached to their things. Or the girls who convince themselves they need that dress they haven’t touched in 2 years (also me). The purge struggle is very real, but very necessary in order to achieve an organized closet.
Start by taking everything out of your closet—yes, I mean everything. Next, create three separate piles for the items you love, the things you loved (ready for a new home), and the pieces that are too damaged to save (sadly, trash). Once you’ve parted ways with your donation and discarded items, you’re ready to learn how to organize a closet by category.
Create Your Closet Categories
Start by creating broader groups like tops, bottoms, and dresses.
Then sub-categorize your groups based on specific criteria. This will look different for each category. For example, you can sub-categorize dresses by length, occasion, or color. In contrast, sweater sub-categories can vary from material, season, or frequency of use.
Creating categories is straightforward, but sub-categories can be a bit trickier. You want to create order, but not get so granular that the system is impossible to maintain. Here is an example of my closet categories and sub-categories:
Daniella’s Closet System
Don’t overthink it. My best advice is to choose 2-3 sub-categories that you can see and remember. If you’re stuck, think about how you put outfits together in the morning and what type of clothing you reach for the most. Create groupings that optimize for simplicity, functionality, and order, and adjust as needed.
Invest in Quality Hangers
Hangers are the unsung heroes of closet organization. Investing in high-quality, uniform hangers can transform your closet from an overwhelming, cluttered mess to a functional, clean space.
Don’t believe me? My bedroom closet is the perfect case study. Back in the day, it was filled with plastic and wire hangers that I collected from retail stores, the dry cleaners, and my parents’ closet (sorry, Mom and Dad). Let’s just say, the hangers weren’t built to last. They eventually snapped under the weight of my clothes, forming piles of sweaters and jeans on my closet floor.
So I decided to ditch the mismatched hangers and invest in velvet hangers that could actually hold my clothing. Their slim design maximized hanging space and allowed me to fit even more items on my closet rods. Plus, they’re compatible with my favorite wonder hangers, which are lifesavers for small closets like mine! Once I went velvet, I never went back.
I attached clips to my hangers to store my pants, skirts, and shorts (mine cost $13.99 for a pack of 24), and used this belt organizer to hang my everyday belts. If you’re a hat lover like me, this is the perfect storage solution because it fits ten hats on one hanger.
As for scarf storage, you can’t go wrong with this slim, sturdy hanger that can fit up to sixteen scarves. This has been a closet staple for me since I graduated from college, and it’s still going strong after seven years!
For more delicate clothing, I recommend investing in this padded hanger that provides cushion and support for your finer pieces. I just got this set from Amazon and use it exclusively for my high-quality dresses.
Hangers
Something as small as switching up your hangers can make a big impact on your closet organization and the lifespan of your clothing.
Organize Vertically
Grab your stepping stool because we’re going…to the top of your closet. If your closet is feeling impossibly small, it might be because you haven’t maximized every usable square inch. The top of your closet is no exception.
Whether you have a blank space or top shelf, I have a few tricks to make the most out of that hard-to-reach area. Here is the best way to organize clothes in closet at any height.
First things first. Dedicate the highest point of your closet for your least-used products. I’m talking about out-of-season clothing, travel bags and luggage, and sentimental keepsakes.
Once you’ve determined which items will live at the top, consider the following storage solutions:
- If you have a lot of room to spare, add an extra hanging rod to maximize hanging space.
- If you have a long shelf at the top, add shelf dividers to keep stacked items organized.
- If you’re storing out-of-season clothing or bedding, add storage bins with labels for easy access.
Moving on to your door. Unless you have a pocket door, barn door, or no door at all, you should be maximizing every inch of the back. My biggest tip would be to add an over-the-door shoe organizer (I just bought that exact one for my mom, and she’s obsessed with it) to create more storage opportunities for shoes, belts, hats, and small accessories.
Think of it as a catch-all for everything that couldn’t fit on hangers.
Divide Your Drawers
We all know that dreaded feeling of opening a stuffed drawer and sorting through a jumbled mess to find one item. Then you have to press all the mess down to close the drawer again. It’s time to break that messy cycle and create order in our drawers.
Keep your socks and undergarments in check with these honeycomb dividers. Each one offers eighteen individual compartments for your intimates, and they’re a breeze to install.
I’ve been using these since high school and remain loyal to them even in my 20s. If you prefer larger compartments, these drawer dividers offer a more custom solution and fit almost any drawer size.
For jewelry and smaller accessories, drawer inserts keep your valuables visible yet protected. These modular inserts work for most drawers and will make your closet feel like a luxury boutique!
Rotate Seasonally
The best way to combat closet clutter and allow your clothes to breathe is to create a seasonal rotation system. I use these vacuum-sealed storage bins to store my seasonal clothing, and they’re so easy to use.
Just fill the vacuum-sealed bag inside the bin with your clothing, and use your vacuum to compress the bag. Any standard vacuum hose will work here.
Then close the bin, add a label (so you know what’s what), and store it for next year. These bins are small enough to fit under my bed, but you can also store them at the top of your closet, basement, or garage.
Establish Order Through Daily Rituals
I can give you all my best tips for creating an organized closet, but maintaining it is a separate process.
But what if I told you it only took five minutes a day to keep your closet clean? Sounds doable, right?
Find just a few spare minutes in your busy schedule—during your lunch break, when you wake up in the morning, or maybe right before bed—to dedicate to your closet.
Set a timer on your phone for five minutes and start by putting all your clothing, shoes, and accessories back in their dedicated spots. This is where quality hangers, drawer dividers, storage bins, and over-the-door shoe storage come in handy. Everything has a home, and everything is in its place.
Put your dirty laundry in the hamper instead of creating an “I’ll deal with it later” pile on the floor. We’ve all been there.
RELATED POST: 17+ Essential Home Cleaning Supplies for a Squeaky Clean Space
And you’re done! It sounds super simple, but these daily rituals are the secret sauce to keeping your closet organized long-term.
Turn Your Closet into Your Sanctuary
An organized closet is more than just a functional storage solution—it’s an act of self-care that sets the tone for your day. Every organized drawer and thoughtfully arranged hanger is a small way of showing yourself that your home matters.
So stop waiting for your hangers to break or your clothing pile to grow higher. Start implementing these simple strategies today and create the closet sanctuary of your dreams. Because you deserve it!
Happy organizing!
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