A Professional Organizer’s Quick Tips for a Tidy Closet

Do you dream of a closet transformation, but think it’ll take way too long? I hear you!

​If you can’t bear the thought of tearing apart your whole closet, my quick tips will get you closer to your dream closet with a minimum amount of work.

1. Invest in new hangers
Not a frivolous indulgence, all new, matching hangers will make your closet instantly look neater. Read my blog about hangers to find the right ones for you.
2. Create Categories
Arrange your clothes according to use, not color or length. Casual, dressy, summer, workout, lounge, etc. This makes it quick to find what you need.

3. Add hooks
Placing hooks strategically along the sides of your closet makes use of overlooked space. Hang bags, belts, scarves, robes, caps, etc.
4. Don’t forget the doors
The insides of closet doors are neglected spaces that will expand your closet space by much more than you could have imagined. Use a Container Store Elfa door rack or, my favorite, a clear shoe pocket organizer for more than just shoes. If you don’t like seeing the hooks over the top of the door, you can screw the pocket organizer directly to the door.
5. Corral in cube bins
Inexpensive fabric cube bins are hardworking closet savers. Use them at the bottom of the closet to corral shoes. Put them sideways on the top shelf and they become cubbies to contain bulky sweaters and sweatshirts.
7. Heel-to-Toe or Front-to-Back Your Shoes
Whether your shoes are just marching along the closet floor or stacked on shelves, here are my two favorite strategies for lining them up to make the most of your space.

• Heel-to-Toe: Place one shoe with the toe facing forward and the other with the heel facing forward. They take up less space and now you can easily recognize the pair from the toe and heel height.
• Front-to-Back: If it’s hard to see the back row of shoes (like when they're under hanging clothes), line them up with one shoe in the front row and its mate in the back. Now you can see all your shoes in the front row.

8. Use divider bins
Bins and drawer organizers that come with dividers add instant organization to your shelves and drawers. A honeycomb organizer in the sock or underwear drawer means you can still find each pair even if you don’t fold. Fabric organizer bins with compartments can fit in drawers or on shelves (that’s how I use mine). Instead of having a towering stack of t-shirts or jeans, file them into these compartments. They’re instantly tidy and easy to reach.
9. Turn your hangers around
To help you pare down and get rid of clothes you’re not wearing, turn all of your hangers around so they’re backwards on the rod. For folded items, you can turn them backwards too. When you wear something, put it back in the closet with the hanger the right way around. Set a reminder on your phone to ping you in three months, then take a look and see which clothes are still backwards. Can you donate any?

Chip away at these quick tips and see how much easier your closet is to use. Getting dressed and out the door in the morning will be a breeze!