How to Clean and Organise Your Wardrobe to Perfection

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Organising your wardrobe is one of those tasks that’s always on the list, but for one reason or another never seems to get done. For “Type A” personalities, (highly organised individuals who love things to be in their place) maintaining a neat and tidy closet comes second nature. However, for many of us, the thought of tackling the chaos of broken hangers and old Halloween costumes may seem like a mammoth task.

As with all daunting chores, things are much more straightforward once you have a system in place. Follow our steps on how to organise your clothes, as well as top wardrobe organiser ideas and tips on maximising wardrobe space that will not only help de-clutter your life, but are also super easy to maintain.

How to empty and clean your wardrobe

The first step of wardrobe organisation is to empty your closet entirely in order to give it a thorough deep clean. Remove everything from the wardrobe and drawers, putting all clothes, shoes and accessories to one side. Vacuum up any dust or debris, then you can start to wipe the surfaces.

You can do this with a multi-surface cleaner, or by making a solution either with washing up liquid and water, or using such as vinegar and lemon juice. If your wardrobe is made from wood, have a look at our article on for more details.

Once you’ve deeply cleaned your wardrobe, wipe off any excess cleaner or solution using a kitchen towel  to remove streaks.

How to organise your clothes 

1. Sort your clothes into piles 

Start by separating your clothes into two distinct piles. One can be for clothes you want to keep, and the other for clothes that are just taking up space. Try to be brutal – if you haven’t worn that sequinned blouse since you impulse-bought it for a night out six months ago, it’s time to give it the chop.  

Once you’ve worked out which clothes to clear out, go through the pile and separate them into a further two. Once can be for nicer pieces, which you might be able to sell and make a bit of money back on. The other you can donate to charity.

2. Hang up anything heavy or fragile 

Going back to your “keep” pile, give anything expensive or fragile its own hanger to keep it from getting damaged. Formal or fancy clothing should also get a hanger to prevent creases. Then you can hang up heavy or long pieces, such as coats, jackets and dresses.

Depending on how much time you want to spend on this step, you can colour-code your clothes as you go. Start with darker pieces at the end, then hang similarly matched pieces together, working through the rainbow to white.

If colour-coding isn’t your style, another wardrobe organiser idea from expert Marie Kondo is to hang long, heavy items on the left and short, light items on the right so that you have a lovely sloping gradient.

3. Stack the thick, roll the small 

When it comes to thick pieces that take up a lot of room, the best way to organise your wardrobe is to stack them up. Fold all bulky winter items like jeans, denims, flannels and jumpers, then stack them one on top of the other on a bottom shelf or drawer.

Smaller items on the other hand, and pieces made from thin, lightweight materials like cotton, are perfect rolling candidates. This step can be a major space-saver, especially if you roll them tightly. Keep your rolled items together by storing them in boxes which can be slid into drawers. Or you can use drawer dividers, which are great for categorising and easy to colour-code.

5. Organise your closet in the order you get dressed 

Finally, when it comes to putting things back into your wardrobe, organise your closet and drawers according to the steps that you get dressed. That means socks and underwear at the top, shirts in the middle, shorts or skirts next and finally trousers and other longer bottoms. Pyjamas and exercise clothing can also go in their own drawers if you have the space.

How to maximise wardrobe space

Now that the hard part of clearing and sorting out your clothes is over, you can turn your attention to other wardrobe organiser ideas that will help make maintaining your beautiful new closet much easier:

• Store your most used pieces at eye level, so that you always know just where to find them. For example, work clothes should be right at the front of your closet, so that you don’t have to rush around at 7am. Contrastingly, lesser-worn pieces like formal wear, fancy dress costumes and seasonal items can be stored at the back.
• For any non-clothing items you keep in your wardrobe, storage boxes are your best friend. Organise these objects according to purpose, and keep the boxes on the upper shelves.
• Try to keep all your clothes facing the same way. Not only does it save space and look nicer, it makes removing and replacing them much easier.
• Utilise empty wall space by using pegs to hang jewellery, hats, scarves and other accessories.
• Keep to the “one-out-one-in” rule whenever you get a new piece of clothing. .

While we can’t all be hyper-organised tidying experts, hopefully after following these tips the idea of achieving a beautiful closet space won’t seem so out of reach. If conquering your wardrobe inspires you to do the rest of the house, visit our house cleaning schedule  for tips. Or for more de-cluttering ideas, visit our guide to organising your home office.