It can be stressful to wake up every morning to a cluttered mess. Trying to find the right outfit to wear, or believing you have nothing to wear because the same items in your closet are the only ones visible, can ruin your day. It’s difficult to stay organized if your closet storage system isn’t designed to help you keep track of what you have and where it is. We’ve all had the experience of bringing home a newly purchased garment only to discover a similar one hidden away in the abyss that is your closet.
Bummer!
It also takes longer to get dressed because you can’t easily find special items you want to wear, your necklaces are tangled and need time to untangle, or those shoes you love have to be found again. These are just a few of the issues that can highlight the need for closet organizers. A well-organized closet makes getting dressed easier, keeps your clothes fresh and pressed, brings order to chaos, and turns your wardrobe experience into a pleasure rather than a stressor, and everyone could use a little less stress right now.
5 Reasons Why Closet Organization Matters
Most Americans spend far too much time in their closets looking for a favorite shirt or something to wear to work or school. That’s because closets are frequently the most disorganized areas of the home, filled with items that aren’t used or even wanted. Nonetheless, they hang for all to see. According to recent studies, the majority of people only wear 20% of the clothes in their closet. When evaluating storage areas and closet space, customers should keep that crucial percentage in mind. Is it time to start organizing?
Consider the following five compelling reasons to organize your closets and storage areas:
- Organization saves time: All items and clothing should be easily accessible. Everything must be visible and reachable.
- Clothes management saves money because everything is more easily inventoried for use when everything is visible and accessible. Less clothing usually translates into less money spent by the consumer.
- More space is required in the storage areas and closets.
- The closets are too large: Large closets tend to be cluttered, with a lot of clothing and accessory items that are never worn. Using our customized strategy, clear out the clutter and keep only the items that are worn and loved.
- When closets are organized, everything becomes simpler: pants and slacks will hang side by side. Dresses will be grouped together, and sweaters will be arranged by color. This organization will be extremely useful for both work and play.
How to Organize Your Clothes in Your Closet
The way you organize your closet will vary depending on the amount of space you have, the size of your wardrobe, and the type of life you lead. These five universal steps, on the other hand, can be applied to any closet or wardrobe:
- Empty
- Clean
- Declutter
- Assess
- Organize
Empty Your Closet
If you’re used to stuffing clothes into your closet, this will be strange because you’re about to take everything out and probably discover some stuff shoved in a back corner that you forgot about. Remove everything from the closet, including hangers, baskets, and bins, as well as anything else on the floor or shelves.
Clean Every Corner
You’ll need a clear, clean space to plan and visualize your closet reorganization. To begin, dust the shelves and hanging rods. Then, vacuum or sweep the floor and mop it. Finally, use a good all-purpose cleaner to clean the shelving, hanging rods, walls, and baseboards. Don’t forget any baskets or bins that may have dirt and dust in them.
Declutter Your Clothes, Shoes, and Accessories
This is the part you’ve either been anticipating or dreading. Some people are afraid of decluttering because they like to keep things they “might need one day” or that “used to fit/be in style.” A key component of the KonMari Method of organization is to focus on what you want to keep rather than what you want to get rid of.
When deciding whether or not to keep something, it’s useful to ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you enjoy it?
- Do you put it on?
- Does it convey the image you want to convey?
If you answered “yes” to all three questions, you can confidently add that item to the keeper pile.
If you’re having trouble, make a “maybe” pile. Put your maybe pile in a bin and come back to it in one, three, or six months. You can confidently donate or consign these items if you forgot about them or never thought about wearing them.
Assess Storage Solutions
It can be difficult to find the best closet storage solutions for your specific space. Fortunately, there are many great options for closet organizers, including closet system kits, but most people can get by with just a few low-cost closet organizers.
Replace and Organize
Replace the contents of your closet, carefully organizing your clothing, shoes, and accessories in accordance with your storage plan. Consider where it makes sense to store each type of clothing, and then consider the easiest places to reach in your closet.
- Gather belts, sweaters, long-sleeve shirts, work pants, dresses, button-down shirts, jeans, shorts, and so on, and decide where to store each item as a group (e.g., hang pants in the closet, fold and stack sweaters in a bureau). Working in groups of items will assist you in determining how much space you will require and the best way to store each type of item.
- Use prime real estate wisely: Keep the clothes you wear the most in the front and middle of your closet. If you have to get dressed for work at 6 a.m. every day, put your work clothes in the front of your closet. Less-worn items, such as formal wear and out-of-season clothing, should be kept in the back and on the upper shelves.
- Store items that are rarely used: Use the top of your closet to store out-of-season clothing and items you only wear a few times a year, such as Halloween costumes and high-end shoes.
Closet Storage Suggestions
Closet storage solutions will not increase the amount of space in your closet; however, closet organizers, storage solutions, and closet systems can help you gain access to more storage space. As an example:
- A step stool will assist you in reaching the top shelves of your closet.
- A double hang will make better use of your closet’s horizontal storage space.
- An over-the-door shoe rack can transform your door into the ideal location for storing shoes, accessories, or both.
You might be tempted to throw up your hands, take out your credit card, and purchase an expensive closet system. Resist the temptation. Measure the available space, evaluate what you already have, and then design your closet accordingly. Buy only what you need to store your clothes and, if possible, repurpose what you already have. Handbags, shoes, accessories, and gym clothes can all be stored in small bookcases, cubbies, and baskets.
Finally, remember to measure a space three times before purchasing new storage. Nothing is more frustrating than carting something home and discovering it’s just a tad too wide.
How Deep Should Your Closets Be?
Do you want to extend or build a closet in your home but aren’t sure how deep it should be? Is there a minimum closet depth and height? Fortunately, we’ll answer these and other questions further down.
The depth of a closet can vary depending on your available space. A typical closet will be at least 24 inches deep, though this will be on the small side.
As previously stated, a closet that is smaller than 22-24 inches will not be able to hold hanging items, which is what you will primarily store in the space. You should also consider your shoes and other belongings, so make sure you leave enough room.
Furthermore, if a closet is too shallow, it will not be considered one, which can have an impact on your resale value. You can’t advertise a full-size clothing closet if only cleaning supplies, such as a broom or vacuum, fit into the space.
As a result, we recommend giving your space at least 2-3 feet of depth to avoid confusion. Again, in today’s market, having too much storage is preferable to having too little.
How Deep Should Closet Shelves Be?
Now that you know how deep a closet should be, you can concentrate on the inside shelving. In general, closet shelves should be at least 14 inches deep.
This measurement will accommodate items such as shoes, handbags, jewelry, and folded clothing. Of course, depending on the depth of your closet, you may want to have your shelves cover more ground.
Furthermore, most closet organizers will fit a 14-inch deep shelf, so keep this in mind if you intend to use one. Even if the closet is large, if the shelves aren’t large enough, you might as well skip them.
How Wide Should A Closet Shelf Be?
In terms of width, a standard closet will have shelving that is up to 30 inches wide. Again, depending on the length of your wardrobe, you may be able to have more ample shelving.
Closet Works states that the standard dimensions for a walk-in closet shelf are four feet deep by 72 inches wide, so your shelving can be up to 72 inches wide in that case.
If your closet is closer to three or four feet wide, you can also run your shelves the entire width. Your shelves, like the rods, can fill the closet space and may even be a more structurally sound option.
What If My Closet Isn’t Deep Enough?
Don’t expect your closet to hold much if you don’t give it enough space. As previously stated, the standard depth of a closet is 24 inches (two feet), and the height is approximately eight feet.
Failure to meet these minimum dimensions can result in insufficient storage and reduce your home’s ability to sell in a competitive market.
Furthermore, a shallow closet can result in your hanging clothes not fitting, rendering it essentially useless. Ideally, you should leave two to three feet of depth, but no more than four to five.
It’s simple to run your closet from the floor to the ceiling for height, so that’s a no-brainer.
What Can You Do With A Shallow Closet?
There are some solutions for anyone who is dealing with a super shallow closet. If you don’t want to demolish your current structure, you can always install/rearrange your space.
Some creative ways to add storage to a small closet include:
- Set up shoe drawers or hangers.
- Install a second/dual rod.
- Make use of a coat rack.
- Put clothes in mesh baskets.
- Make use of your closet’s door.
- Set up clothing hooks.
Making the most of unusual spaces is one of the best ideas for increasing storage in a shallow closet. For example, a back-door shoe rack or hanging dividers can store bulkier items that would normally not fit in your space.
Organizing baskets are popular in dorm rooms, so why not use a few in your home? Regardless, you’ll need to get creative if you want to keep your items off the floor and out of sight.
What Is the Ideal Height for A Closet Ceiling?
A closet is typically at least eight feet tall. If you intend to hang clothes and store other items below, your closet design must allow for enough vertical space.
Most interior designers, according to Designing Idea, opt for a comfortable eight or nine-foot closet, the standard measurement in homebuilding.
The number of rods (if any) that can be installed in a closet is affected by its height. For example, your tallest rod should be about 80 to 82 inches up from the floor.
You should also position your second lower rod about 40 inches from the floor.
If you only want one rod, you can have it about 60 inches from the floor. Both of these plans require at least 24 inches of depth, so that is a must.
Consider your closet to be a place where you want to fit the most things into the least amount of space. This is especially true for those who live in smaller homes, apartments, or townhomes that lack adequate storage space.
A large closet can also increase the resale value of your home and attract a buyer’s attention, so there are numerous advantages to having one.
What Is the Size of a Master Closet?
If you’re building a master closet, this will be much larger than a standard option. A walk-in primary bedroom closet is typically seven by ten feet in size.
Furthermore, this closet should be nearly 100 square feet, so leave plenty of space.
By removing this space, you will have two or three walls with shelves, cubbies, and rods, which should be sufficient to hold your belongings.
You also want plenty of elbow room so you don’t feel suffocated inside your closet, so the more space the better. People want a lot of space in a master closet to get ready and organize their clothes, as this is a luxury feature.
With that in mind, you may want to consider expanding your closet, so the choice is yours.
How Big Should A Closet Be To Fit A Washer And Dryer?
Those who want to put a washer and dryer inside their closet will need to make it a little bigger. To accommodate these appliances, your closet design should be approximately 29 inches wide, 80 inches tall, and 32 to 34 inches deep.
If you decide to stack your appliances, your closet will not need to be as wide, but this will not always work for every washer/dryer.
You could also try putting your washer and dryer in a walk-in closet to give you more space to access them while doing the laundry.
In any case, make sure there is adequate ventilation around your appliances inside the closet to avoid a fire or other structural damage.
To Sum Up
Knowing the proper dimensions is essential whether you want to redo or build a closet. According to what we discovered, the standard depth for a closet is around 24 inches.
For height, your closet should be at least eight feet tall. We recommend mounting it to the ceiling of your room to make the installation process easier.
Regardless, leave plenty of space for rods and shelving, and don’t be afraid to experiment with alternatives if your space is limited.
