A clean, organized wardrobe can seem like a distant dream for those who have small closets. We often struggle to keep everything in an orderly fashion in these tiny spaces. But, finding things in a small closet, especially when in a rush, can prove to be quite challenging.
However, over time we have realised that carving out enough space to accommodate all our clothes, shoes, and accessories is very much possible. There are some great closet organizational hacks that can help you organize your clothes without creating a dent in your pocket. Read to learn these clever ways to make the most of your small space.
1. Level Up
Seeing a wardrobe brimming with clothes can be pretty intimidating. However, we found that a simple adjustment could help double up our closet space. All we did was install a second closet rod.
If you stay in a rented place and use an inbuilt closet space, we suggest not investing in a permanent rod. Instead, opt for a tension rod that can be bought easily online, just like we did.
We installed the second rod halfway between the floor of our closet and the existing closet rod. We use it primarily to hang our pants, skirts, and jeans while longer items like dresses, trench coats etc., stay on top. We have also found this additional feature great for small kids as the rod is at a lower level, making it easier for the little ones to reach for their clothes without standing on their tippy-toes.
2. Get Creative & Work With What You Have
When it comes to organizing our closet space, we follow the motto, “If you don’t see it, you won’t wear it.” So, we always arrange our clothes in such a way that they are easily visible. But, before we do this, we need to understand our closet’s best features. We have realized that if a closet has deep shelves, the clothes at the back would remain hidden and ultimately forgotten. Hence, we were keen to know how to organize deep wardrobe shelves effectively.
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We found that using a basket, bag or storage container is a great way to increase the accessibility to our deep shelves. All we had to do was pull out the basket to find something instead of blindly feeling into the depths and darkness of the deep shelf.
If your closet also has a lot of vertical space, then don’t let it go to waste. Try out some of these great hacks
Adding Mounting Hooks
Hooks that can be mounted easily inside a closet are really useful. Whether its is to hang coats, robes, bags , belts or ties, these hooks are a must have in every kind of closet.
Floating Shelves
They are shelves fixed on the wall with hidden brackets making them appear like they are floating. Floating shelves are great looking and a practical way to add efficient storage space to a closet. There are a number of options available online that you can choose from depending on the space in your closet.
Multiple Tiered Hangers
Yes, that’s a thing, it can hang up to 6 shirts for the hanger space of one), we were able to organize clothes efficiently, even in a small closet.
An article in a lifestyle magazine introduced us to vertical folding. Folding our clothes such that they stand on end and then lining those up in rows from the front of the drawer to the back helped us see all our clothes easily without digging through a pile to find the ones we were looking for.
GSC Tip:
Regular hangers can hog a lot of space in a small closet. We didn’t realise this until we came across slim-width hangers. By switching to these new-age hangers, we immediately saw our closet expand and had more space to keep our stuff.
3. Use the Lower Space of your Closet to Keep Seasonal Things
The lower space of our closets often ends up strewn with odds and ends, which is why we find it to be the ideal place to keep our seasonal clothes. As the floor is less accessible, it is ideal for off-season storage.
Knowing this, we invested in some jute and plastic baskets and, depending on the season, kept the clothes in use stacked on the higher shelves where they were easily accessible.
Now, with one season ending, all we need to do is switch the baskets. While one season’s clothes move down to the floor space, the other season’s clothes move up. We can now conveniently organize clothes according to the changing seasons.
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4. Use the Back of the Door
Did you know that the back door of your closet is great for maximising the storage space in your wardrobe? We started by installing some over-the-door racks to hang belts and bags. At the lower end of the door we have an over-the-door shoe cubby to organize our shoes.
Some additional multi-hook racks help to hang the odd jacket, coats, caps etc. We have even fitted a full-length mirror at the back of one closet door, making it the best place for a head to toe check just before we step out of the house! Another option is to add a pegboard on the front or back of the door with small hooks to organize scarves, neckties, jewellery and so on.
5. Get Shelf Dividers
Washing your woollen sweaters carefully is one thing, and organizing them is another. While our shelves are a great place to organize clothes we can’t hang, especially those bulky sweaters which we don’t want to stretch out by hanging, they have one organizational flaw. Often, the things we place on these shelves end up getting scattered or jumbled together as there are no dividers or separators to keep the items or clothes in place.
In our attempt to address this issue, we tried shelf dividers. We noticed how well they organized our items in different piles e.g. by colour or category. Sorting by colour helps a great deal especially for those who have trouble spotting what they are looking for. Arranging by colour gives a starting point and also helps find those matching pyjamas instantly.
They were also excellent in keeping items from toppling over one another. We could now stack our clothes higher without worrying about them getting mixed up or ending on the ground.
6. Hang Jewellery and Other Accessories
If you don't have drawers to keep your jewellery, then we recommend using hanging organisers with small pockets for storage. They are ideal for small items like earrings and bracelets, and even to hang long necklaces.
A lazy susan is also a great way to maximise closet space and to place other accessories like gloves, grooming products, hair bands and clips at one easily accessible location. Since it spins, you don’t have to dig around in drawers to find what you need.
These easy-to-follow tips are ideal if you are crunched for closet space.