10 closet organization tips, including what to do with the off-season half

Do one category at a time, not the whole closet

Empty the whole closet onto the bed on Saturday and it's probably still there Sunday night. Pull one category at a time: jeans, then sweaters, then shoes. Spend about twenty minutes on each, sort into keep, donate and repair, and put the keepers back. You'll spot the fourth navy sweater, and you can still get dressed halfway through.

Reserve the prime zone for what you wear every week

The front half of the rod, between hip and eye height, is the easy-reach part of the closet. Fill it with what you wear weekly this season. Occasional clothes like the suit go at the ends of the rod, and off-season clothes go up top or out of the room. If you're setting rod heights, This Old House suggests a double-hang top rod at 80 to 82 inches with the lower one at about 40, and 50 to 60 inches of clear drop for long items.

Hang what drapes, fold what stretches

Hang shirts, dresses, creased trousers and blazers. Fold sweaters, cardigans and heavy cotton tees, because hangers stretch the shoulders over a season. Keep folded stacks to four or fewer, or file-fold them upright in a drawer. T-shirts and jeans can go either way, so pick whichever you'll actually put back.

One hanger type, and fewer than you own now

Mixed hangers don't nest, so they take up more rod space and catch on each other. Pick one slim type and buy only as many as the rod should hold, which is probably fewer than you think. If there's no free hanger for a new shirt, something has to come off the rod first.

Flip the hangers once, and check in six months

Turn every hanger backwards today. When you wear something, hang it back the normal way. In six months, anything still facing backwards went unworn for a whole season. The only hard part is not turning them around just to make the rod look neat. A strip of tape on shoebox lids works the same way.

One in, one out, with the donate bag inside the closet

Hang a cloth bag inside the closet door. When something new comes in, something else goes in the bag. When it's full, put it in the car and drop it off on your next errand. It works even if you're not strict about it, because you see the bag every time you open the door.

Clean everything before it goes into off-season storage

Clothes moths and carpet beetles eat animal fibres (wool, cashmere, silk, fur, feathers) and prefer items with food, sweat or skin oil on them. The University of Kentucky's entomology department notes that the larvae need that soil. Washing or dry-cleaning everything before it's packed, then storing it in a container that seals, does more than any repellent. The same source rates cedar closets and chests “seldom effective,” and UC IPM notes the scent fades. Mothballs are a pesticide meant for sealed containers only, not for loose use in a closet.

Choose the right container for the fabric

• Cotton, synthetics, denim: plastic totes with tight lids or under-bed boxes, with a cotton pillowcase or sheet between the clothes and the plastic.
• Wool, cashmere, silk: sealed totes after cleaning, with acid-free tissue in the folds. Skip cardboard, which attracts moths and silverfish.
• Heirloom or delicate textiles: no plastic for long-term storage. North Carolina's historic sites conservators advise against plastic dry-cleaning bags and plastic totes because plasticizers and trapped moisture cause damage. Use acid-free boxes or a washed cotton sheet.
• Down and feather fill: store it loose, not compressed. Feathered Friends recommends a large cotton sack or a hanger in a ventilated closet, since vacuum bags crush the loft.
• No dry-cleaning bags. They trap moisture, and chemicals off-gas into the fabric.

Keep off-season bins out of the attic and off the basement floor

Attics can top 120°F on a hot afternoon, which breaks down elastic, adhesives and dyes. Basements are damp. Better spots are the closet's top shelf, under the bed, a spare-room closet, or a basement shelf off the floor with a dehumidifier running. If it has to be the attic, use sealed totes, keep natural fibres out, and air things before wearing them.

Photograph each bin and record where it went

In April you know which bin has the swimsuits. By October you just remember there's a bin somewhere. Before closing each lid, take a top-down photo, write a short code on the short side (C-UB-02 for closet, under-bed, two) and note where it's going. When the weather turns, check the photos instead of opening everything under the bed.