How to organize your closet: 10 ideas and storage essentials
Spring is in the air, and if you're like most people, you've probably started to notice a bunch of dust and clutter has collected around your home during the winter months. You might have even recently opened a closet door and experienced an avalanche of items come tumbling out. Sure, you can spend hundreds or even thousands to have a professional closet designer come to your home to redesign and help you reorganize your closets, but you can easily do it on your own and save a fortune.
To help you get the closet reorganization process started, we've combined this collection of useful products that can be mixed and matched, based on your goals and needs.
The best closet organizing and storage products for spring cleaning
Our in-house team of DIY home experts has curated this list of closet organization products and storage essentials that'll help you clean out, organize and then be able to easily access everything stored in even your most jam-packed closets. Most people dread spring cleaning, but when you use the right tools and products, the task becomes so much easier.
- Best closet double-hang rod extender: ClosetMaid 55300 closet maximizer
- Best closet shelf dividers: Hekmaden acrylic shelf dividers
- Best drawer organizers: Antowin bamboo drawer dividers
- Best compression storage bags: SpaceSaver vacuum storage bags
- Best wood closet organization system: ClosetMaid Style+
- Best hanging shelf closet organizer: Max Houser 6-tier shelf hanging closet organizer
- Best space saving pants hangers: Moralve pants hangers
- Best cube storage bins: MidmmVick 11" x 11" cube storage bins
- Best closet organizer kit: ClosetMaid closet organizer kit
- Best reach-in closet organizer system: The Container Store Elfa 4' reach-in closet
- Best hands-off option: California Closets custom-designed closet
Best closet double-hang rod extender: ClosetMaid 55300 Closet Maximizer
After you get rid of old outfits, clothing that no longer fits and remove winter items from your closets that need to be stored away to make room for your spring and summer wardrobe, consider installing a closet organizer. The ClosetMaid 55300 Closet Maximizer adds four convenient shelves and a double hanging rod to your existing closet.
The unit installs in minutes and requires no tools. It comes in a white finish and measures 11.6 x 53 x 74 inches, but can be adjusted to fit most closets. Made from epoxy-coated steel and laminated wood, you'll find it easy to better organize your closet. An additional double hanging rod and a wired hanging basket for this unit are sold separately.
A similar, but slightly more elaborate closet organizer system -- which is part of the Amazon Basics collection ($94) -- is also available from Amazon. It's a bit larger and includes more shelving.
Best closet shelf dividers: Hekmaden Acrylic Shelf Dividers
One of the biggest problems with storing items along a long shelf within a closet is that the individual piles of clothing often get mixed up or unfolded when you reach for a single item. An easy fix for this is to use these acrylic shelf dividers. They slip onto a shelf that's between 0.4 and one inch thick and then remain firmly in place.
Each divider measures 11 x 8 inches, so they're tall enough to keep small piles of clothing or towels nicely organized and folded. Thanks to their convenient slip-on design, these closet shelf dividers are easy to install. No tools are required.
Anytime you need to re-plan or reorganize your closet, simply slide each divider off the shelf and move it to a new location. These acrylic shelf dividers are sold in a set of eight.
Best drawer organizers: Antowin Bamboo Drawer Dividers
Whether it's the sock drawer in your dresser, the makeup drawer in a bathroom, or the utensil drawer in your kitchen, these drawer dividers are easy to adjust and install. They make it super easy to organize your stuff. Once you reorganize your cluttered drawers using these dividers, you'll be able to find and grab your belongings much easier.
These bamboo drawer dividers come in a 16-piece set. They're expandable (between 17 and 22 inches) and are spring-loaded, so they stay firmly in place. Each main divider piece measures 17 x 2.2 x 0.5 inches.
What we love about this drawer divider set is its versatility. You can stack two dividers on top of each other, place them side by side, and create compartments within a drawer as you see fit. And these dividers are made from eco-friendly bamboo. The end of each divider is fitted with a non-slip silicone pad.
Best compression storage bags: SpaceSaver vacuum storage bags
Bedding, sweaters, jackets and other winter clothing can take up a ton of storage space. During the off-season, use these SpaceSaver vacuum storage bags to store your bulky items in airtight containers. Once the bags are loaded up, you're able to suck the air out of them with the included pump (or a vacuum cleaner) and reduce the amount of space each takes up by up to 80%.
This bundle comes with a total of 20 vacuum-sealable bags in various sizes. You get five 16 x 24 inch bags, five 20 x 28 inch bags, five 24 x 32 inch bags and five jumbo 30 x 40 inch bags. Each bag has a double-zip seal and a triple-seal valve, so once the air is removed from a bag, nothing else gets in or out until you physically open it.
Once sealed inside a bag with the air removed, whatever items you put inside are then protected from odors, dust and water.
Sold separately, SpaceSaver offers garment bag-style vacuum-sealed bags (11.81 x 4.25 x 10.63 inches) that are great for business suits or dresses that you need to store and protect. Get a hanging four-pack at Amazon for $33, reduced from $35.
Best wood closet organization system: ClosetMaid Style+
If you're feeling ready to take on a simple DIY project, The Home Depot offers this ClosetMaid Style+ closet organizer that allows you to transform an entire closet in just a few hours.
This organizer unit requires assembly (which you can do yourself) and measures 46.97 x 112.97 inches. Once built, it gives you two hanging rods, two drawers, two adjustable shelves and three fixed shelves, including a long shelf on top.
This unit will fit nicely into a closet with a width between six and eight feet. It comes in your choice of six colors. Based on the size and shape of your closet, this unit's design can be modified, so the drawer/shelf section can be placed in the middle, right or left side. This Style+ unit can also be used in conjunction with other ClosetMaid closet organization products, including wood closet towers in a variety of sizes and configurations.
Best hanging shelf closet organizer: Max Houser 6-tier Shelf Hanging Closet Organizer
Here's a quick and easy way to add a six-tier shelving system to just about any closet. The organizer comes with hooks that fit on your closet's existing hanging rod. With this low-cost option, you can easily make the most of the unused vertical space in your closet.
The unit measures 12 x 11.5 x 42 inches when unfolded and provides six additional open shelves to store all sorts of items, like shirts, sweaters and shoes. Optional removable drawers are sold separately ($13 each).
This hanging shelf unit comes in a variety of colors. You can use one unit on its own, or place multiple units side-by-side, based on what you need to store and organize within your closet.
Best space saving pants hangers: Moralve Pants Hangers
These pants hangers are designed to save a tremendous amount of space within a closet. Each hanger can hold five pairs of pants, keeping each of them flat, visible and easily accessible. The hangers work great with jeans or dress pants.
Each hanger is sold separately and comes in your choice of four colors. They're able to hold up to 30 pounds of clothing. Thanks to its 360-degree swivel hook design, loading or unloading your items is a breeze.
A second rod hook allows you to hang your clothing horizontally for easier viewing and access when you need it. Each rod on the hanger has an integrated non-slip coating so your pants won't slide off the hanger.
Best cube storage bins: MidmmVick 11 x 11 inch Cube Storage Bins
This bundle includes six cube-shaped storage bins that measure 11 x 11 x 11 inches. When not in use, each bin is collapsable. They're great for storing bulky items and for keeping your belongings well organized.
The bins come in either solid white or beige. Each has two built-in carry handles and uses an internal metal rod frame to help the bins maintain their shape. These EVA fabric baskets are easy to clean and rather durable. They do not come with lids.
Sold separately, you can purchase the ClosetMaid 8996 cubicle organizer that has six compartments that will perfectly fit these six storage bins. This furniture item comes in your choice of eight colors and measures 24.2 x 35.9 x 11.7 inches. It's made from laminated wood.
Best closet organizer kit: ClosetMaid Closet Organizer Kit
This ClosetMaid closet organizer is inexpensive and adjustable. It features six wire shelves and three hanging rods. The lower-most shelf is perfect for shoes. All mounting hardware is included, but assembly is required.
The organizer can be adjusted to fit most closets between five and eight feet wide. The entire unit is made from strong steel. It's only available in white.
"I really like the style of the shelves," says one verified Walmart buyer. "The racks are coated with a rubber silicone of some sort that gives it a good feel. I found it very easy to install with the included hardware."
Best reach-in closet organizer system: The Container Store's Elfa 4' Reach-In Closet
The Elfa 4-foot reach-in organizer from The Container Store offers a perfect solution for maximizing the use of a smaller size closet. It offers a variety of different ways to organize your clothing, shoes and accessories, so everything becomes easily viewable and accessible.
The well-ventilated shelves can fold up to 100 pounds per linear foot. In addition to its three hanging rods, you get additional shelving, two pull-out bins and a shoe rack. In short, the Elfa makes it easy to organize your entire wardrobe.
Though pricey, we love this closet organizer because it's relatively easy to assemble and it's built to last. Find it in three colors: white, platinum and graphite.
Best hands-off option: California Closets custom-designed closet
If you have a larger closet space that you're not fully utilizing and you don't have the time or skill to embark of a DIY project to redesign your closet, we recommend calling in the professionals at California Closets.
During your free, in-home consultation, you'll discover all of the design options for your existing closet space and then have exactly what you need custom-built and professionally installed.
The folks at California Closets will base suggested designs on your available space and budget. You can choose from a variety of building materials and colors. Many include integrated lighting.
What we love about California Closets is that during your free consultation, you'll see on a computer screen a 3D model of exactly how your finished closet will look. Financing is available. Despite the company's localized name, they'll come to your home anywhere in the United States and help you design and build your dream closet.
