How can I Create More Wardrobe Storage?

There are a number of techniques you can use to create more wardrobe or closet storage. You can use the same techniques to organize and tidy other storage spaces in your home, providing more space for storage while simplifying your life.

The first thing you need to do if you want to create more wardrobe storage is to plan on setting aside at least two hours to work uninterrupted on the project. Start by emptying out your wardrobe so that you can get an idea of what is being stored inside. While you're at it, you can wipe down the inside of the wardrobe to remove dust, and if you're using contact paper or other lining paper in drawers or at the bottom of the wardrobe, you may want to replace it as long as you have the wardrobe empty.

As you empty your wardrobe, you should divide the objects inside into rough categories. Dividing clothes and accessories by season or occasion is a start, and it's a good idea to make a pile of clothes you don't wear anymore, or think that you will not be wearing in the future. You may simply want to make three piles: worn regularly, worn sometimes, and not worn at all.

Start with the pile of clothes you aren't wearing. If you aren't wearing something because it needs repair, consider whether or not you would wear it if it was repaired or dry cleaned, and make a commitment to repair the garment in the next week. If you think you still wouldn't wear it, put it in a pile of clothes to discard. If you aren't wearing clothes because you don't like them or they don't fit, definitely add them to the discard pile. You should also critically evaluate your “worn sometimes” pile, considering how often you wear garments.

You should end up with a pile of garments which can be sold or donated to charity, and a pile of garments you wear regularly. It can help to have a friend to go through the piles with you, as he or she may be willing to be merciless about discards, paring your wardrobe down to clothes you use regularly. You should immediately box or bag the clothes you intend to get rid of, so that you can focus on the remaining garments.

If you have additional storage space in your house, you may want to consider storing clothes and accessories which are not in season elsewhere, which will make more wardrobe storage. Storage also protects those clothes until you need them.

As you put things back in your wardrobe, take the time to organize your wardrobe in a way which makes sense to you: by season, color, style, and so forth. A well-organized wardrobe is often roomier, especially when you have discarded garments you are no longer using or wearing. You may find that you have more wardrobe storage than you expected once garments are put neatly in place.

More wardrobe storage can also be made by compacting garments and accessories. Vacuum storage bags for clothes, for example, can be used to compress out of season clothes and to protect them until you need them. A stack of sweaters can fit in a surprisingly small space when they are compressed, for example, and being stored in a vacuum bag will also keep out moths and insects.

You can also create more wardrobe storage by cracking down on the items stored in your wardrobe. If you just store clothes, shoes, and accessories, you will have more room than you would if you've wedged in board games, household cleaning implements, books, and other miscellaneous items. You can create more storage in your house in general by sorting through other closets, dressers, and storage areas to discard things you are no longer using, and by doing so, you may make space for items which do not belong in the wardrobe.