Lots of Clothes, Small Closet? Here’s What to Do

You have more clothes than you can count. Tragically, you don’t also have unlimited closet space. You’re starting to run out of room to hang things, and it’s got you worried. Where will you place the rest of your outfits? You can’t just throw that cute sweater on the floor to collect dust, or let jeans become permanent chair decor.

Don’t despair! You don’t have to start packing up and donating all your favorites. There are other ways to make room for all those shirts, sweaters, and pants you own. Lots of clothes, small closet: here’s what to do.

Reorganize The Closet You Already Have

You may think your closet is organized. But there are almost always small changes you can do to min-max closet space. Using matching hangers, adding shelf bins, and sorting clothes by season are the most common pieces of advice you’ll see parroted. Try rearranging things to see if you can make extra room for a few more sweaters or pairs of shoes.

Use The Back of the Door

The closet door gets ignored way too often. That flat little slab can hold accessories like hats and scarves without stealing rod space. To make good use of your closet door, invest in an over-the-door organizer. These organizers typically feature hooks, pockets, or slim racks that can hold smaller pieces without crowding the closet rod. This trick keeps small items visible, which helps because buried accessories have a strange talent for disappearing right when you’re late.

Use Higher Shelf Space

That top closet shelf can do more than hold one sad shoebox from 2019. It’s a good spot for items you still want, but don’t grab every week. Take a few storage bins. Ideally, they should be clear so you can easily see what’s inside. Fill them with seasonal clothes or extra sweaters. Then, slide them onto the top shelf of your closet. Using bins lets you keep lesser-used clothes still within reasonable reach, but not eating up space on the rod that would be better used for pieces you wear regularly.

Try Vacuum Storage Bags

Puffer jackets, thick sweaters, and extra blankets can swallow half a shelf. Vacuum storage bags shrink those pieces down so they take up less room until you need them again. They work best for seasonal clothes or backup bedding. The bag can slide under the bed, sit on a high shelf, or fit inside a storage bench.

Find Other Storage Places

So, you don’t have much room in your closet. But who says the closet is the only place you can store clothes? There are plenty of ways to incorporate additional storage into your bedroom. You could purchase a dresser. If you have limited room, look for dressers that are taller than they are wide. These take up less of your available floor space. And for those with beds not totally flush with the ground, look into under-the-bed storage systems. These are pull-out drawers you can fold clothes in, shove under your bed, and drag out anytime you need a sweater or shirt to throw on. Get creative! You have more options than you’d think.

Make The Closet Earn Its Keep

A cramped closet doesn’t mean your clothes need to take over the whole room. It means the space needs a better job assignment. Lots of clothes in a small closet can still work when shelves, doors, bins, and under-bed drawers all pitch in. Keep the pieces you love. Move the bulky stuff somewhere smarter. Let the closet handle daily clothes instead of every single item you own.