5 Ways To Make The Most Of A Small Closet

You don’t need to have a movie star’s walk-in closet to house your wardrobe. Small spaces, when used efficiently, can store the average person’s clothes and then some.

But when you’ve got minimal room in your closet, it’s crucial to maximize the space you do have.

Luckily, it’s not that hard to make the most of your closet space. These five tips will show you how to do it:

1. Use Storage Organizers

There’s a difference between using baskets and bins to store your stuff and using them effectively. Efficiency is key when you’ve got a small closet.

If you have an assortment of storage totes clogging up your space and you don’t know where to find things, there’s a problem. Here’s the skinny on how to properly use storage organizers in a tiny space:

• Baskets are great for storing things that are used a few times a year, such as scarves, hats, and gloves. (Note: Stick with stackable, rectangular baskets that allow you to store items flush against them.)
• Get some fabric bins to hold small items. Don’t get too many, since they take up a lot of room but usually have unused space inside.
• You can use hanging baskets to add storage space without having to mount shelves.
• Use drawer dividers to organize your underwear and other folded clothing.
• Vacuum-sealable bags compress bulky items, like seasonal jackets, so they don’t take up as much room. (Side Tip: Buy bags that come with a pump to avoid fumbling with vacuum cleaner attachments.)
• If you still have any small items left over after using these organizers, avoid the temptation to shove them into drawers. Instead, use a desk organizer to store them neatly.

With a few of these space-saving tools, even the smallest of closets can be used to its full potential.

2. Know What To Throw Away & What To Keep

The closet is notoriously used to house everything you aren’t quite sure if you’re going to throw away. But if you allow those things to hide in your closet, they can end up living there for years.

Go through your items with a few criteria in mind:

• Are you keeping it for sentimental reasons? Think carefully about whether you truly need it and if someone else would get better use from it.
• Does it fit you? Avoid the “This might fit me later” trap. If you must keep items that don’t fit, store them in vacuum-sealed bags.
• Is it in good shape and worth keeping? Get rid of duplicate items, stained, or ripped clothing. Duplicates can go to charity, and worn-out items can go in the trash.

Asking these questions about each item will help you get rid of things and open more space in your closet.

3. Add Extra Hanging Room

Throwing things away will only go so far. Even after you’ve cut the size of your wardrobe in half, you’ll probably still have a lot of stuff.

So, you’ll need to find an organized way to fit it all back into your closet.

If you have limited room on your closet bar, don’t scrunch everything together to fit it all in. This storage method only leads to stress and wrinkled clothes.

Try a few of these tricks instead:

• Grab some specialized hangers designed for adding vertical space.
• Use a tension rod to give yourself another closet bar.
• Purchase standalone hanging organizers to extend your closet out into your bedroom.

Interior design has gotten quite innovative over the past decade. Taking advantage of these ideas will allow you to keep more clothing and accessories in your room.

4. Use Your Floors & Doors

Every inch of space in your closet is usable, including your floors and doors. Don’t forget to take advantage of them!

Over-the-door organizers let you keep shoes or other accessories out of the way. And you can use totes and baskets to make the most of your floor space.

Stop throwing your shoes in there all willy-nilly and use a container to keep them organized!

For maximum efficiency, label your containers so you know where everything is. Even better, use clear containers so you can see what’s inside each one!

If you’ve got room, wooden shoe racks are another smart way to keep your shoes off the floor and in good shape.

5. Learn The Tricks Of Folding, Hanging, & Storing

There’s a good reason why clothing stores spend so much time teaching their employees specific ways to fold. Sure it looks nice, but more importantly, it saves space.

When you learn how to fold and hang your clothes efficiently, you can double your closet’s storage capacity.

Here are a few tips on folding and hanging your clothes the right way:

Use these tips to decide whether to hang or fold, and the right way to do both.

Conclusion

Apartment living has some incredible benefits, but limited closet space certainly isn’t one of them.

There’s no need to suffer with a small space, though. From using storage organizers to improving your folding skills, there are plenty of things you can do to make your closet seem bigger.

With these five tips, you can maximize your closet’s dimensions by making the most of every inch of space. Your closet may not be half as big as Mariah Carey’s shoe closet, but you can have more than enough space if you organize it right!

Author Bio

Dominique Daniels has five years of experience in managing high-end apartment communities.  Her ability to consistently deliver white-glove service to her residents and prospects has propelled her into a successful career that now finds her leading the team at BLVD 2500.