10 Tips for Regaining Sanity in Your Closets and Cabinets

Wardrobe looking more like a “floordrobe”? Pantry so packed you can’t find a thing? Regain a sense of calm and order in your closets and cabinets, from the bedroom to the basement, with these 10 tips for sorting your stuff.

10 Tips for Regaining Sanity in Your Closets and Cabinets

1. Purge first. Even the best closet organizing system in the universe can’t help if your space is full-to-bursting with stuff. Whether you are sorting your clothes closet, pantry or child’s room, begin by taking everything out and seeing what you can let go of. Don’t worry if you don’t get it perfectly edited on the first go — I find it often takes two or three (or more) passes to really make a dent in a messy closet. Just commit to sticking with this project, and you will get there eventually!

2. Add wall hooks, scarf, tie, and belt racks. Installing wall hooks in or near your closet is your first line of defense against a messy floor. Use our many accessories to quickly hang bags, scarves, necklaces, the next day’s outfit or items you have worn once and plan to wear again.  And in the kitchen, you can use wall hooks to hang market bags, dish towels and aprons.

3. Choose shoe storage you’ll actually use. Clear shoe boxes look great and stack neatly on shelves, but if you find that it’s too much trouble to put them back properly, they won’t do you much good. For an easier-to-use solution, go with open shelves, making sure to take the time to adjust the shelf height to maximize space (leave one shelf higher for boots if needed). If your closet shelves are very deep, consider having them replaced with pullout versions so that you can access items at the back.  For casual and sports shoes, you could even use a big basket on the closet floor. This strategy also works well to keep things neat in a small coat closet.

4. Stash soft items in drawers or labeled bins. Workout clothes, swimwear and cashmere sweaters are good candidates for keeping in drawers if they are regularly used. Store less frequently (or out of season) items in labeled bins on higher shelves.

5. Tidy up accessories. Bags, wallets, belts, ties and scarves can easily get lost or forgotten in a big drawer. Organize belts, ties and scarves on racks so you can easily see what you have.  Efficiently store your accessories in less space with belt, tie and scarf racks.  Smaller bags and wallets can be stowed in clear bins instead, and place them on open shelving where you can find what you need at a glance.

6. Sort baby clothes by size. It’s amazing how fast little ones grow! If you have a new baby (or are expecting), keep track of those adorable clothes by sorting them by age, the way it’s done in clothing shops. It’s easier to grab an outfit from your next-size-up selection when the clothes are out in the open instead of packed away.  Organizing is easy when you have 3 levels of hanging for baby clothes.

7. Stow children’s clothes in drawers or bins. Once kids are old enough to begin dressing themselves, consider ditching the hangers (which are harder for little hands to use) in favor of drawers or bins. My top vote goes to labeled drawers (ideally labeled with a picture and words) because they are secure storage that does not have to be placed back on a shelf, which is just another step that your child may not remember to do.  Sort clothes by type (tops, bottoms, pajamas) or by day of the week, with one complete outfit in each drawer.

8. Keep “deep” storage neat with labeled clear containers. Instead of tossing things willy-nilly into the basement or garage, take the time to pack up small items in stackable clear containers with lids, and label the contents. Your stuff will stay dust-free, and you will be able to quickly find what you’re looking for. Textiles are better stored in cloth containers designed for this purpose, and papers should be kept in acid-free storage boxes. Save the plastic bins for toys, sports gear and other hard items.

9. Rein in snack food sprawl. Bags and packages tend to topple over, which accounts for a lot of the chaos in the pantry. Gain control by stashing snack foods and staples in lightweight open-top bins or wire baskets. And if you sort the contents by type or theme (salty snacks, breakfast items, baking ingredients), it’s easier to see at a glance when you’re running low on an essential item.  Our pantry accessories include wire baskets of various depths that conveniently organize your snacks.

10. Store condiments on a Lazy Susan. Trying to navigate through a maze of bottles, jars and cans to reach something at the back of your pantry is a recipe for disaster. A Lazy Susan or two can solve this problem by allowing you to rotate pantry contents with a flick of the wrist.  Check out our ultimate Lazy Lee Pantry Organizer that will take your pantry to the next level.

Austin-Morgan Closets is the Phoenix area’s leading creator of custom closet, entertainment center, office and pantry storage spaces. We create unique solutions with your space in mind. Let us design a custom organization system for your home. Connect with us today to learn more!