How to Keep Your Closet Neat

A messy closet is an eyesore, but did you know it also wastes your time and causes you unnecessary stress? Getting dressed is one of the first things we do each day. If you don’t keep your closet neat, you start every morning by facing a mess.

Once you figure out how to organize everything in your closet, you can start each day on a better note.

The more items you keep off the floor and the fewer items you see at once, the neater your closet will appear.

Advantages of a Neat and Organized Closet

If you’ve been putting off cleaning your closet, focus on the benefits of getting it done. Listing the ways your days will improve can help motivate you to get started and finally get the task done.

Better Time Management and Less Stress

One of the best reasons you’ll find for organizing your closet is time management. How much time have you wasted on mornings when you’ve struggled to figure out what to wear or tried to find a specific item?

By decluttering your closet and organizing what’s left, you’ll save time every morning. Last-minute searches for a missing shoe or pair of pants that add stress to your life will become a thing of the past. You may also spend less time ironing when clothes don’t get wrinkled from being crammed into a packed closet.

Personal Satisfaction and Self-Esteem

Opening a closet and finding a clean and organized space will give you a sense of satisfaction and pride. In addition, what we wear affects our self-esteem, so instead of a stuffed messy closet negatively affecting how you feel, boost your self-image with clothes you like that fit properly.

How to Organize Everything in Your Closet

The organizing process will take up a lot of space. Most people find it easier to dedicate several hours or a weekend to get it done, but you can tackle only one category if you’re short on time.

One of the best ways to learn how to organize everything in your closet is to clear it out and sort items before you put them back. Get a bag or cardboard box for the clothing you want to donate and a trash bag for damaged clothing you need to throw away. Then get started!

Assess the Situation

If you struggle with closet organization, you may have too many clothes for the space. You also may need a better closet organization system. If you only have a hanging rod and floor space, you might benefit from some shelves, cubbies, or other places to store items.

Many companies manufacture easy-to-install closet systems that you can customize to meet your needs. If you know you want to make a change, purchase the system before you start. If you’re unsure what kind of system to buy, wait until you know how much you’re keeping to decide which storage containers you’ll need to purchase.

Remove Everything

Make your bed so you’ll have a large, flat surface to put your clothes on. You can leave clothes on the hangers when you lay them in piles on your bed. If you have drawers or shelves with folded clothes in your closet, remove those and stack them on the bed or the floor, as well.

Remove shoes, coats, purses, belts, ties, and scarves. If you have other items like keepsakes or sentimental items stored in the closet on shelves, in boxes, or on the floor, remove them. If something doesn’t belong there, put it where it belongs instead of back into the closet, if possible.

Clean the Empty Closet

While the closet is bare, dust the surfaces, wipe down shelves, and sweep or vacuum the floor. You’ll be putting things into the closet as you sort them, so start with a fresh and clean closet that’s ready to be organized.

Take measurements while the closet is empty to help you later if you need to buy storage bins or a shelving system.

Sort Your Clothes

Start with your hanging clothes since those usually take up the most room, then move to folded clothing, shoes, and accessories. Hold up each piece of clothing and ask yourself these questions:

Have I worn it lately?
Does it fit?
Do I like the way it looks on me?
Is it torn, stained, or damaged?

If you haven’t worn something in your closet in the last year, ask yourself why you’re keeping it. Unless it’s seasonal, like a Christmas sweater, you probably don’t like it enough to wear it. Let it go.

If you’re not sure whether something fits, try it on. Donate or give away ill-fitting clothing if it’s in good shape, or throw it away if not. Get rid of clothing that’s too small, unflattering, or out of style to make room for fashionable clothing that you love.

Throw out anything stained, bleached, torn, or otherwise damaged. Ugly ties you got as gifts, scarves or belts that you don’t wear because they’re out of style, shoes that hurt your feet, and purses you haven’t used in years should go, too.

Organize

After you’ve sorted everything, the only items left should be those you wear and want to keep. Put these away and decide whether you need to purchase any containers, hooks, or shelves to help keep your closet neat.

If you can limit your closet to those items, you should do so and store anything else you pulled out of the closet in a more appropriate place.

The more items you keep off the floor and the fewer items you see at once, the neater your closet will appear. Keep your clothing, shoes, and accessories corralled and handy by using things like bins and baskets, shoeboxes, a shoe rack, or hooks for accessories.

How to Keep Your Closet Neat Forever

The final step to help you learn how to organize everything in your closet is to schedule a few minutes every month or two to reassess. Tidy up the space and look for unworn and unused clothing and accessories you can declutter.

By keeping an eye out for things that you don’t use, you’ll be able to keep your closet neat without much effort.