When it comes to tidying and organization, we’re all different. A method that works for one person may not work for another. And I’m committed to presenting you with solutions that can improve your day-to-day life. Today, I’d like to help you save space in your wardrobe, because there are many reasons why putting clothes away can be a difficult task. Too many clothes, a shared dressing room or small wardrobe, laziness about laundry and ironing, etc. If this applies to you, read on!

Your wardrobe or closet is a mess because you’ve long since given up on the idea of a dressing room worthy of a decorating magazine. And you’re right: real life is yours, not the magazines’! You try to keep the situation under control, even if you lay one pile on top of another and dip a T-shirt into the ironing mantle from time to time. But sometimes things get a little sloppy: clothes keep piling up in the wardrobe and on the chair next to it, the washing doesn’t keep up, the folded laundry isn’t put away, you don’t really realize what you’ve got, etc. And if, on top of that, you’re sharing a room with someone else, you’re not really aware of what you’ve got. And if you’re sharing space with your partner, then optimizing the space in your dressing room becomes a matter of urgency.

There are 4 of us at home: my husband, my two boys and myself. So we need 4 storage spaces for our clothes. So I know that finding space and putting your clothes away can quickly turn into a headache that you end up dropping in despair. I’ve tried, and continue to try, different methods to make my life easier. So far, I’ve come up with several cool and original tips, which I’ll share with you right away.

1 – VERTICAL STORAGE
Remember I told you in the article How to tidy your closet that I’d tried the Konmari method to declutter my wardrobe? Beyond sorting and storage techniques, Marie Kondo’s method is based on vertical storage. And this method is perfect for organizing T-shirts, jeans and socks. To put it simply, folding your clothes into rectangles and folding them so that they stand upright will save you an incredible amount of space. It also avoids piles or heaps of clothes that threaten to collapse at any moment. You can also visualize what you’ve got much better when you’re upright.

2 – BOXES, THE BEST FRIENDS OF CLOTHES SHELVES
In a chest of drawers, drawers are perfect for vertical storage. But if you’ve got a wardrobe, a large closet or a dressing room with shelves, boxes are essential for storing your clothes upright. You don’t necessarily need to invest in expensive boxes. All DIY and home improvement stores offer boxes in all sizes. For my shelves, I opted for storage bins with small wheels. But they’re also available in fabric for a smoother glide. The free solution is shoeboxes, plain and simple!

Please note! I’m not talking about boxes for storing clothes you don’t wear. Besides, why do you keep them? We’re talking about boxes for storing your everyday clothes. So don’t pile them up. You need to be able to see what’s inside and access it quickly. So, no lids either!

3 – SPACE-SAVING FOR SHEETS AND TOWELS
If there’s one thing that can take up an insane amount of space in our wardrobes, it’s bed sheets and towels if you don’t have room in your bathroom.

As far as sheets are concerned, I’m not going to advise you to iron your sets, even if it will save you space in your wardrobes. I find it very time-consuming, and there’s nothing worse for maximum irritation. Instead, I’d advise you to tumble-dry them and fold them as soon as they’re dry, so that the sheets are as wrinkle-free as possible. Personally, as soon as the sheets are dry, I put them straight back on the bed. In my wardrobes, I only have one spare set for each bed.

Another storage tip is to fold your fitted sheet and comforter cover or flat sheet into a pillowcase. This keeps all the pieces of the set together. The sets can then be easily stacked.

For towels, fold them in half lengthwise or in thirds, depending on the size of the towel, then roll them up! There’s no point in having too many, either. 2 large and 2 small towels per person is more than enough.

4 – DIY FOR ACCESSORY STORAGE
I’ve already mentioned the shoeboxes that can be transformed into storage boxes. But there are dozens of tips for optimizing storage with diverted or salvaged objects. Here’s a selection of my favorite tips:

Shower rings and a hanger to hang your scarves and scarves: insert them on the rings and you’re done. On a hanger in the closet, they take up less space than rolled or folded.

Wine boxes are ultra-popular for storing flat shoes, sneakers and ballet flats. As this box is compartmentalized, you can store 6 to 12 pairs, depending on the box.
Plastic bottles to keep boots upright. Pairs of boots are difficult to store because they take up space and sag. So place empty water bottles, cut-up pool noodle or old rolled-up magazines inside to keep them upright. You can also hang them on a small curtain rod with children’s trouser hangers.

The egg carton jewelry box: get an egg plate, cut it to the size of your drawer and place your necklaces, rings, earrings, etc. in each little cavity. We see a lot on Pinterest of frames with spikes for hanging jewelry on the wall. Personally, I don’t like the fact that they gather dust. What’s more, if you have costume jewelry, it quickly oxidizes in the open air.

5 – THE CLOSET FOR STORING CLOTHES
Contrary to the Konmari method, which recommends folding rather than hanging, the fact remains that some garments cannot be folded. I’m thinking of jackets, coats, flowing dresses, shirts and blouses, vests and some pants.

Start by sorting your clothes from longest to shortest. Under the shortest clothes, you’ll save space for shoe boxes, for example.

I’m going to go against what you may read, which is to use only identical hangers of the same color. Here, I’m proposing identical, solid hangers, yes, but in different colors. One color for each type of hanging garment or season. Since I’ve just suggested sorting your clothes by length, you may have long dresses in the middle of long coats. Since they also take up less space and are therefore less conspicuous, different-colored hangers will help you spot your dress between 2 coats.

Another tip I find very useful is the can tab for hanging two hangers together. Ideal for taking up a minimum of space on your closet rod, this method is perfect for hanging blouses, shirts and dresses.

6 – SEASONAL SORTING FOR AN AIRY WARDROBE
Although I rather like the idea of not really having seasonal clothes anymore, I can’t see myself wearing a big, warm sweater in summer. Also, I still buy clothes even though I’m careful about what I buy to keep my dressing room as minimalist as possible.

What I’m trying to say is that sorting is inevitable several times a year. I’d say 2 or even 4 times a year. And this is even more true for children, who grow up and wear out clothes much faster than we do.

Sorting every season allows you to do several things:

Throw away or give away what’s no longer in good condition or in the right size;
Don’t keep clothes that have been replaced by new ones. A new T-shirt for an old one. If you can’t find a T-shirt to throw away or give away, you shouldn’t have bought the new one in the first place;
Put away clothes you’re saving for next season.

For bulky items like coats and down jackets, letting them collect dust for several months and take up space in the closet may not be the best option. Think about vacuum-cleanable covers, and place them on the highest shelf in your dressing room. Before buying a new coat when winter arrives, take out your slipcover and see if a new coat is really a good idea. If so, donate the one you won’t be wearing any more.

7 – IRONING TO OPTIMIZE CLOTHING STORAGE
I know, I know, many of you put off or totally exclude ironing from your household chores. And I’m one of them! But I can, because I’ve definitely opted for the minimalist wardrobe.

If you’ve got a lot of clothes in your wardrobe, ironing is one of the best ways of ensuring that your clothes take up less space and fold properly. Not only will your ironed clothes look great, but pressing the fabric immediately gives it less bulk. Ironed clothes are also much easier to fold. See for yourself!

ORGANIZING CLOTHES TO SAVE SPACE
Finally, there are a host of ideas and tricks for saving space in your wardrobe and storing clothes simply. Often wardrobes are a mess because people don’t bother to iron or fold properly. So clear out your wardrobes, sort your clothes, iron them, fold them and put them away using some of the tips above! You’ll let me know if your wardrobe looks and feels better. Don’t forget to share your wardrobe tips.