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The plethora of home-organisation shows all have one thing in common: organizing your home, especially the closets, results in a euphoric feeling.

We all want that, but a quick glance in our closets reminds us it’s not so easy without a camera crew and organization expert to hold our hands through the project.

Luckily, all you need is a plan to tackle organising your closet.

Before you know it, your closet will rival any seen on any of those streaming shows, and – more importantly – you will always know the location of your favourite sweater, prized pair of jeans, and go-to work button-down.

Steps to an organised closet

How you organise your closet will differ slightly based on the space you have, the size of your wardrobe, and the kind of life you lead. However, these seven universal steps can be applied to any closet and any wardrobe:

Gather your closet organisation supplies, including a “toss” basket and a tape measure.

Empty the closet of all contents-clothing, shoes, closet organisers, etc.

Clean your closet.

Declutter your wardrobe and donate, recycle, or sell the clothing items, shoes, and accessories you no longer need.

Assess your closet storage solutions to make sure they fit your closet space and work with your clothing, shoes, and accessories.

Organise your clothing, shoes, and accessories back into your closet by grouping similar items together and moving your most worn items into your closets “prime real estate.”

Come up with a plan to keep your closet organized so it never becomes a breeding ground for clutter again.

What you need to organise your closet

The first step to organising your closet is to ensure you have the right tools and supplies on hand before you dive in.

Resist the urge to start this project after a long day of work.

To organise your closet for the long haul, you have got to do a little prep work and find time in your calendar when you have two to three hours to commit to this process.

Here is your quick closet organisation toolkit:

Shopping bags: Use sturdy bags to transport clothes to the donation centre, tailor, and dry cleaner. If you don’t have bags, boxes and bins will do in a pinch.

Tape measure: Measure shelving and hanging space. Don’t forget a notebook to jot down your closet’s measurements.

Full-length mirror: To decide between “toss” and “keep,” make sure your mirror can accommodate your entire image.

Catch-all basket: This includes loose change, papers, rubber bands, hair clips, wads of cash (score!), and assorted receipts you’ll find in pants pockets. You don’t want to have to stop in the middle to file these small items so just put them aside for now into your catch-all basket.

Additionally, have an idea of what you are going to do with clothes you decide to get rid of ahead of time.

You have three options: donate, consign, or trash.

Try to donate and consign as much as possible, while trash is only for the items that are beyond repair/use.

Empty and clean your closet

If you are used to shoving clothes into your closet, this is going to be weird, because you are about to take everything out and probably find some stuff shoved in a back corner that you forgot about. Remove everything from the closet, including hangers, baskets, bins, and anything else that might be on the floor or shelves.

You need a clear, clean space to plan and visualize how you are going to re-organize your closet.

First, dust the shelving and hanging rods.

Next, run the vacuum or sweep and mop the floor.

Finally, wipe the shelving, hanging rods, walls, and baseboards down with a good all-purpose cleaner.

Don’t forget any baskets or bins that could be collecting dirt and dust.

Declutter your clothes, shoes, and accessories

Now comes the part you’ve either been looking forward to or dreading.

Some people fear decluttering because they love to hold onto things they “may need one day” or “used to fit or be in style.” Focus on what to keep rather than what you’re getting rid of.

Closets are finite spaces, so choose wisely when giving up valuable real estate and be prepared to separate your clothes into distinct piles:

Closet storage tips

Closet storage solutions aren’t going to create more space in your closet; however, closet organizers, storage solutions, and closet systems can help to make more storage space accessible to you. For example:

A step stool will make it easier for you to reach the top shelves of your closet.

A double hang will make better use of horizontal storage space in the closet.

An over-the-door shoe rack can turn your door into the perfect place to store either shoes, accessories, or both.

You might be tempted to throw your hands up, pull out your credit card, and buy an expensive closet system. Resist this urge. Measure the space, assess what you already have, and then plan your closet accordingly. Buy only what you need to store your clothes, and re-purpose what you already own, if possible.

Finally, don’t forget to measure a space three times before buying a new storage item. Nothing is worse than carting something home and finding it’s just a smidge too wide.

Organise your clothes, shoes, and accessories

Now put everything back together in a way that makes sense to you, utilizes all of your available space, and is attractive enough to motivate closet maintenance. – Thespruce.com