When we moved house last year we managed to reduce our 3 wardrobes down to one triple wardrobe and a large chest of drawers. Whilst some of the space saving was due to discarding clothes that were no longer needed a lot was due to a change in how we store our clothes – I introduced my husband to the KonMari folding method. We now fold all our t-shirts, jumpers and jeans rather than hang them – this leaves the hanging space in the wardrobe for items that need to be hung like shirts, dresses, skirts & coats.
Plan how you are going to store your clothes
Before starting to put things in your wardrobe and drawers spend some time looking at the storage space you have available and think about how frequently you wear each item of clothing or accessory. You want to make sure that the things that you are wear frequently are the most accessible.
Store similar types of clothing together, this will help when you come to choose an outfit each morning as you’ll know exactly where to look for everything (and where to return things to after they’ve been worn or laundered).
Hanging Clothes
Working in categories hang similar items together – for example all your jackets, and then move on to your shirts/blouses and then skirts etc.
Use the same type of hangers for all your clothes to prevent them from creasing up against each other.
For an aesthetically pleasing look to your wardrobe hang longer garments to the left & shorter garments on the right.
If space allows, make use of the floor space in the wardrobe with a shoe rack of a small storage unit with drawers.
“By neatly folding your clothes, you can solve almost every problem related to storage”
Marie Kondo
The KonMari Folding Method
The basic principle of the folding method is to create a rectangle by folding the sides of any garment in towards its centre.
Once this is done fold the rectangle in half lengthwise and then again in to thirds to create a smaller rectangle.
If done correctly the folded clothing should stand up by itself.
The width and height of the folded clothes can be adjusted to suit your drawers and storage space.
I've demonstrated the method on jeans and a hoodie below.
Folding Jeans
Folding a Hoodie
As you fold your clothes take care to notice their condition as you smooth your hands over them – this is great time to look for loose buttons and signs of wear – it’s much easier to put the garment to one side to be mended at this stage rather than notice it whilst it’s being worn.
Finish folding each category of clothing before starting to put them in your drawers, this way you’ll be able to see the space needed and decide upon the best way to store the items together. You can either place your items directly in to the drawers or use small (eg shoe) boxes or drawer organisers (like Ikea Skubb organisers) to separate the clothes – I use a mix of both.
Store your folded clothes vertically rather than piling them on top of each other – this helps to save space and also allows you to see every item at a glance – no more forgotten t-shirts that are never used as they are at the bottom of a pile
Some people go an extra step further and order by colour – dark at the back, lighter items towards the front.
My white jeans are at the back of my drawers as we’re in the middle of the winter!
It’s amazing how much more you can fit in your wardrobes & drawers once you use the KonMari folding method on your tops and trousers so don’t be surprised if you end up with some empty space in your drawers!
One last tip - fold your clothes as you do your laundry & take it back up to your clothes storage space already folded. It will help you to keep things organised & is actually quite relaxing once you get the hang of it.
Sue Spencer is a Professional Organiser trained by Marie Kondo - if you'd like to know more about decluttering & organising your home take a look at my other posts.
I'm always happy to chat all things decluttering and organising - you can contact me here..
m: 07740 782575
Drawings are reprinted from SPARK JOY Copyright (c) 2016 by Marie Kondo. Illustrations copyright (c) 2012, 2015 by Masako Inoue. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
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