Bedroom Closets
Organizing bedroom closets will save you a lot of time and frustration in the morning when you are getting ready. You don’t want to waste time in the morning.
Organizing the bedroom closets depends on the size of the closet and also the amount of clothes you own.
First, take everything out of the closet.
Go through the clothes and accessories (belts, ties, scarfs, hats, handbags and shoes). Donate items that you no longer wear/use or are outdated, to free up valuable space in your closet especially when space is limited. Discard torn/stained items.
Separate out-of-season clothes to be stored away. Also separate clothing that needs to be folded and stacked like sweaters, sleepwear, activewear etc.
Divide the rest of the clothing into categories like tops, bottoms and dresses. Subdivide each of these main categories into causal and formal. Tops can again be arranged by sleeve length like no sleeves, half sleeves, full sleeves etc. Keep like colors together. Longer bottoms like pants, long skirts, dresses etc. can be folded over a hanger to save space.
Now you can begin to put everything back in the bedroom closets.
Use slim line cascading hangers when organizing bedroom closets to maximize available space. These hangers are only a quarter of an inch thick and have a velvety coating that prevents garments from slipping. They cost about 60 cents to a dollar per hanger and are available at department stores and supermarkets. They are relatively expensive compared to plastic hangers but the benefits outweigh the cost. Also buy suit hangers instead of shirt hangers so that you can use it for tops or bottoms or both.
If you have a closet with one closet rod and a shelf above, you can cascade up to 5 slim line hangers per inch of the closet rod. This way for the width of about an inch, you can hang at least 5 pieces of clothing. By using suit hangers you can even double this by using 1 hanger for both top and bottom of coordinating outfits like pants/skirts and matching shirt/top (and cardigan/jacket/blazer). That is one workweek’s outfit in about an inch. With the right accessories and a little bit of creativity you can organize bedroom closets even with limited space.
Fold and stack sleepwear, loungewear, active wear, T shirts and apparel you cannot hang like sweaters on the shelf above the closet rod. Use shelf dividers to keep taller stacks tight and separate. Also use the shelf to store small items like socks, underwear, stockings etc. grouped together in clear boxes, baskets or totes. These containers can be stacked to optimize space. Label these boxes for easy identification because they are kept above eye level.
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If your closet is two-tiered (with two closet rods one higher and one about half way from the floor), use the upper one for tops and the lower one for bottoms. Depending on the height between the rods and also the length of the garment, see if you can cascade the hangers. Usually you should be able to cascade at least two.
Another option to store folded clothes when organizing bedroom closets are hanging accessory shelves. They come in 3, 5, 6, 8 or 10 shelves and with or without drawers. These can be hung from the closet rod. These maximize space by using the vertical space. Depending on the height of the hanging accessory shelf, you can put plastic drawer units on the floor underneath it to store socks, underwear, stockings etc.
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Also use the closet shelf to store out of season clothes. To maximize space, use space saver bags to store them. These reusable bags compress when the air inside is taken out using a vacuum cleaner. They are available in a variety of different sizes and shapes. Manufactures of these bags claim that they are airtight, watertight, mold, mildew, bug and odor proof. If you don’t have space for these items in your closet, you can store them in storage area/basement.
Put clothes you wear most often in the center of your closet and rarely worn clothes (like special occasion) at one or both end(s) towards the wall(s) of the closet. This way you can see and pick what you want to wear when you open the door especially in a reach-in closet with no lighting.
If you would like to have lighting inside bedroom closets, here is a simple solution - get battery operated lights from super markets or home improvement stores.
Install wall hooks to hang belts, ties, scarfs, robes and hats.
You still have the floor space for shoes. If you need more storage for shoes, consider an over the door shoe rack. To maximize space, you could use both sides of closet door. They come in 12, 18, 24 or 36 pair sizes and $13 to $30 price range and are available at super markets. Put shoes you wear most often towards the bottom of this shoe rack for easy access. If you have a sliding or bifold closet door, use the back of the master bedroom door.
Depending on the height available, you can also use shoe racks. Leave one or both end(s) of the closet without cascading the hangers (or cascade 2 or 3 hangers instead of 5) to make space for shoe racks and put them depth wise. If you have an entryway/foyer closet consider using that for shoes if you have limited space in your bedroom closets.
Over the door handbag organizers are available at supermarkets. If you don’t have the door space for this, you can use hanging accessory shelf (mentioned above) or hanging pocket handbag organizers.
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There are also inexpensive hanging jewelry organizers. An 80 pocket (40 on each side) clear pocket organizer is under $13. This can also be used for hair accessories and can be hung in the closet or a door using an over the door hook. Its clear pockets make it easier to see the contents and find what you need quickly. Hanging it on the bathroom door (inside or outside) will provide easy access when getting ready.
Below are some specifics when organizing kid's bedroom closets:
Install a tension shower curtain rod a few inches higher than the child’s height as a temporary closet rod for toddlers.
Even though slim hangers are available for smaller kids, you don’t need to spend money on them since you only need them for a few years. Just use the hangers that come with the outfit.
Categorize toys into groups like stuffed animals, cars, dolls, action figures, puzzles, building toys, books etc. Assign boxes, totes or storage cubes for each group and label them using photos of the toys for easy identification. Keep them on the closet floor for easy access. Smaller and lighter boxes can be stacked to optimize space. I reuse large diaper/baby wipes boxes and baby wipes tubs for toys, books and pencils/markers/crayons.
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Use the floor space for shoes or backpacks when toy storage is not needed.
Feel free to try out other ideas to organize your bedroom closets. The goal is to have a place for everything, and keep everything in its place, so that life becomes simpler. So implement whatever you feel will facilitate this goal. Remember to maintain it.