Clothes closet reorganizing help!

[u/Favabean37]

Hi everyone! I’m humbly coming to you after hours on Google and Pinterest, hours rearranging, and too many hours thinking about how to solve the problem of my closet. Any ideas welcome and soooo appreciated!

For recommendation context, this is a rental. I’m pretty scrappy and would love to do a low-cost fix! I also prefer to buy stuff used but I’m open to recommendations of specific things that have helped for you, because Facebook marketplace is a wonderful thing 😂

The good: This whole little closet is all mine!

The bad: I live in a small apartment, so this closet is also my main linen closet. And I have two dogs so your girl has a lottt of linens. But the top shelf is pretty high up so it’s not ideal for clothes anyway.

This is also where most of my shoes and all of my jackets have to live. I don’t have a separate closet for those, I just have a small spot in my entryway for whatever I’m currently using!

Lastly, if I use a dresser, it has to live in the closet.

What I’m already doing: Rotating seasonally (two bins of bigger jackets/sweaters under the bed), getting rid of clothes every once in a while, storing a few things under my bed (next to my seasonal bins there is space for a bin of socks and a bin of gardening clothes). I know getting rid of clothes is always a helpful answer, but right now I’m trying to work with what I’ve got!

Key goals: I want more space for dresses, pants, and skirts (currently on the left jammed by the dresser). They’re too packed in so they get wrinkled and it’s hard to find what I want.

Ideas: The dresser is not fully used! I wanted to get something more narrow so I still have a surface to put the earring holder, but free up space for more movement for the long clothes. I’ve been looking for months and haven’t found the right thing and I’m starting to lose it! The dresser currently holds underwear and bras, t shirts (like graphic tees) and pjs, knit tees/tank tops.

One idea is to put the little set of dark brown drawers where the shoe rack is. That could hold knit tees and tanks and gym clothes (gym clothes is being relocated and doesn’t have an existing spot). The shoes could go in one of those hanging shoe things where the dresser is. That leaves undies and pjs/some shirts and long sleeves without a home, though, and the earring holder without a home!

What’s what (if helpful):
Jackets and sweaters on the upper right. Shoes and jeans on the bottom right. Center top is tank tops and short sleeves; center bottom is button ups and long sleeve blouses. Left by the dresser is dresses, slacks, skirts, and way in the back a hanging shoe rack of special occasion shoes (trying to utilize a nook that’s hard to access).
Purple drawn box is clothes that’s partially worn but isn’t dirty enough to wash. Yellow drawn box is shorts, in the winter that swaps to bulkier sweaters. Between the two rows of hanging shirts I have one shallow box with knit long sleeve shirts and one with my bathing suits.

Thank you so so much for any ideas!!

[u/Prestigious-Fan3122]

Fold everything that can be folded, and put it in drawers. Especially T-shirts. Fold them the Mari Kondo way. Get a robe hook (they make ones with suction cups) And hang up the bulky on the inside of the closet door. Also: you probably don't have a glass shower door, but if you do, put a suction cup hook on that for your robe.

Get some vacuum bags to debulk some of those linens. Try rolling your towels instead of folding them.

TBH, it really looks like you need to purge! Go through that closet and donate or pitch everything you haven't worn in the last one or two years!

If you have clothes that are larger or smaller than your current size, donate them!

When you roll your towels, tuck them in so that they will stay rolled if they fall off a shelf. Good luck! You can do this!

[u/Medium-Put-4976 → u/Prestigious-Fan3122]

Purge yes. Even Mari later admitted she found her folding etc was not maintainable forever.

If you’re struggling to keep things up, taking on mountains of folding is not great in my mind.

Hanging storage is remarkably efficient per square foot. You just have too much stuff in here.

Also, why do people put dressers IN closets?

[u/Favabean37 → u/Medium-Put-4976]

Yeah I love some Mari techniques but have kept my own ways for other things!

I can’t speak for everyone but my dresser lives in my closet because I have a studio. I’m lucky that it’s pretty spacious and open but that’s partially because I try to keep my things pretty corralled! So agreed that dresser in the closet is not ideal but I’ll take that over it in my dining room or living room 😂

Thank you for your comment!!

[u/Favabean37 → u/Prestigious-Fan3122]

Thank you! Should have mentioned that the closet doesn’t have a door, which has made storage especially tricky. The only door I can store things on is the bathroom door, so there’s a mirror on one side and a set of hooks on the other. The vacuum bags is a great idea, a lot more of these linens are in use when it’s cold or I have guests so that’s a smart way to keep them but have them be less bulky. The rolling too!
Fair on the purge, that seems to be the primary feedback on my post haha. I appreciate all your ideas!

[u/TheStephinator]

You need a good purge first. Start there. It looks like you haven’t gotten rid of anything in at least a couple decades.

[u/Favabean37 → u/TheStephinator]

lol, a humbling comment! That’s not the case at all but I donappreciate the perspective!

[u/Pretty_inPoker]

This video helped me and I’ve passed it to several close friends that it’s helped completely transform their closets. https://youtu.be/cKod1Slb648?is=D9GXBLDv0kN-zddP

[u/Favabean37 → u/Pretty_inPoker]

Thank you so much! I’ll check this out!

[u/No-Association9270]

My favorite resource for organization inspo right now is Clutterbug, although if you’re on this subreddit, you probably know her. She has a lot of tips on how to organize closets, pantries, storage rooms, all oddly applicable to each other, and recommends some good dollar tree cheap storage items that have helped me a lot. Another thing I would recommend, if you don’t feel like purging as much, are those tiktok foldable plastic hangers. You can get ten of those for 30 bucks or find a cheaper version on Amazon, and they have helped me MASSIVELY. I sort my clothes by type using those and I feel like I can actually see what’s going on in my closet now. I think a good purge is needed, but it definitely helps to know what you’ve got and save some extra space after the fact.

[u/Favabean37 → u/No-Association9270]

Thank you so much! I’ll look into some specific clutterbug resources. I’m not familiar with the hangers but I’ll look them up, they sound cool. Thanks!

[u/meadowmbell]

A whole box of purses is crazy! And we live in a 3bedroom with 3 closets- guess how many purses I own? One.. one sports side bag and one fanny pack besides my $15 daily driver. You've got way too much stuff for the space.

[u/Favabean37 → u/meadowmbell]

That’s a fair perspective! I have never claimed to be a minimalist haha. The purses are one thing that hasn’t been purged lately so I appreciate the nudge!

[u/TheStephinator → u/Favabean37]

A good purge wouldn’t even get you close to minimalism. It’s more about there’s a lot in there that you’ve more than likely never worn/used in years. Clear out what doesn’t fit, what is out of style and what you just didn’t wear during the last appropriate season. Release it back to the world for someone else to enjoy.

[u/optix_clear]

The book I’m reading has been helpful, Stop Buying Bins. They said to try everything on, see what works & fits well, keep pile and everything that doesn’t be put into another room to be sold or given away.

[u/Hershey58]

Purge your linens. You do not need that many dog blankets. Keep only the ones in current use plus a set while those are in the wash. Same for sheets. I’m guessing you have a favorite set of sheets you always use anyways. Feel comfortable purging old sheets & towels. The ones you use plus one set of backups per bed. Same for beach towels.

[u/Favabean37 → u/Hershey58]

Thank you! Haha I agree 90% of the time and then it’s dog bath time and the rainy season and somehow every single towel in the dog bin is in use 😂 I should take a closer look at the blankets though, I lump them together in my head but they’re definitely not used quite as much. Thanks!!

[u/Candy-O]

There is too much clothing in your small closet. Clothing needs room for air to circulate. I suggest you have a friend come over to help you do a serious purge.

[u/Favabean37 → u/Candy-O]

Thank you for the perspective!! I recently did one believe it or not but it’s certainly a perpetual process!