How to Organize a Closet: 8 Steps That Actually Work

1. Start by Decluttering

Before you start organizing, go through your closet and figure out what you actually want to keep.

You may have clothes you haven't worn in a while, things that are too big or too small, shoes you don't wear anymore, purses you don't use, or items you simply don't really like anymore.

Grab a few boxes or bags and sort everything into:

• Keep
• Toss
• Donate

You can also make separate piles for anything you want to sell or give to someone else.

The less you have in your closet, the easier it is to organize, find what you need, put laundry away, and keep the space organized.

If you recently decluttered or already know you want to keep everything in your closet, you can skip this step and move straight into organizing.

2. Take Everything Out and Sort It

Once you've decided what you want to keep, the next step is to sort and categorize everything.

If you're taking everything out of the closet, use your bed, bedroom, or another nearby space to lay everything out.

Put like with like. Gather all your shoes, hanging clothes, folded clothes, purses, accessories, and seasonal items together.

If you have a lot in your closet, you can also work through it one section at a time instead of taking absolutely everything out at once.

The main goal is to see what you have and get similar items together before you start putting anything back.

3. Clean the Closet While It's Empty

Once everything is out, wipe down the closet before putting things back.

Wipe out drawers, shelves, and other surfaces, and vacuum or sweep the floor if needed.

It doesn't need to be a full deep clean. You're already taking everything out, so you might as well start with a clean space before putting everything back.

4. Figure Out Where Everything Should Go

Before you start putting things back, think about where everything makes the most sense.

What do you reach for the most? What do you wear every day? What don't you wear very often? Are there seasonal clothes you won't need for several months?

The things you use the most should typically be easier to reach, while things you don't use as often can go higher up or in less accessible areas.

Also think about what's realistic for you to maintain. Maybe you prefer hanging most of your clothes because you know you won't keep them folded. Or maybe you have plenty of drawer space and prefer folding certain things.

There isn't one right way to organize a closet. How one person's closet is organized may be completely different from someone else's because it depends on the space, what they have, and how they actually use it.

5. Start Putting Everything Back

Once you have a plan for where things are going, start putting everything back one category at a time.

You can start with larger categories, such as hanging clothes and folded clothes, then move into shoes, purses, hats, accessories, and smaller items.

Keep like items together so you know where to find them. You can also separate hanging clothes into categories such as shirts, pants, dresses, jackets, or whatever makes sense based on what you own.

Don't make the categories more complicated than they need to be. The point is to make things easier to find and easier to put back.

6. Figure Out If You Need Organizing Products

You don't always need to buy organizing products before you start organizing your closet.

Sometimes it's easier to declutter first, sort everything, and start putting things back. Once you see how much you're keeping and where everything is going, you can figure out whether a bin, basket, drawer organizer, shoe rack, or another product would actually help.

If you already have organizing products at home, see if you can use those first.

You can also purchase products ahead of time if you already know what you need. Just make sure you've measured the space and know what you're planning to store in them.

7. Make It Look More Organized

Once everything has a place, you can do a few things to make the closet look more put together.

Matching hangers can make a big difference visually. You can also keep the same types of clothes together and color-coordinate them.

For example, you could keep all of your shirts together and organize them by color, then do the same with dresses, pants, jackets, or other categories.

Labels can also help with bins, baskets, or other areas where you want it to be clear what belongs there. You don't have to do any of these things to have an organized closet, but they can make the finished space look and feel more organized.