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Easy Expert Tips on Organizing Your Child's Closet

Published on: January 10, 2012

Easy tips for organizing your child's closetIs getting your kids dressed in the morning a constant battle (with no clear winner)? Do you wish your child’s clothes were more accessible? Are you (or they) spending too much time selecting outfits in the morning?

When your child’s closet is organized, you’ll shed precious minutes off your morning routine and also make it easier for your kids to dress themselves without your direct supervision — bonus! Here are vital tips that will help get your kids dressed faster in the morning.

Clean out your child's closets regularly

It’s unbelievable how quickly kids outgrow (or wear out) their clothing, which is all the more reason to regularly cull unworn clothing out of their closets.  Here are a three top tips for cleaning out your child’s closet:

1. Use the "hanger trick" to determine which articles of clothing aren’t being worn regularly or at all: Turn all the hangers around so they are on the closet rod backwards.  When you or your child removes clothing to wear, return the empty hanger to the rod in the normal forward-hanging position. Over time, you will clearly see which items (still backward-hanging) are volunteering to be purged.

2. Set aside time on your calendar at least every six months to clean out your child’s closet (make it a recurring event). Remove clothes that are too small, worn out, or just not worn at all.

3. Store clothes that are still in good condition but no longer fit your child  in a water-tight container, placing them in a garage or storage unit for younger siblings who may be able to wear the clothes later. If you prefer to purge the items altogether, donate them to thrift shops like Goodwill or take them to a consignment shop.

Create three zones

Pretend you are your child’s height and view the closet from his or her perspective. Kids are very visual and it’s important to use that to your advantage when designing the layout of the closet. 

- Place frequently worn clothes at eye level for children on hooks or in pull-out bins. Kids want to see their options and folded, stacked clothes in a dresser drawer can make that difficult for them.
- Make out-of-season clothes accessible, but consider placing them on a higher shelf or hanging rod.
- Store keepsakes (favorite holiday dresses, first pair of shoes, etc.) in a water-tight container and place them in a garage or storage unit.

Consider incorporating these closet-optimizing products

Slim hangers – Save space with these ultra-thin, no-slip hangers designed specifically for kids' clothes.
Hanging closet-doubler – Double your hanging space and make clothes more accessible for small children.
Garment organizers – Try selecting outfits for your child once a week and use garment organizers to help your child know what to wear each day.

Elizabeth Bowman, Innovatively OrganizedFor more tips on organizing closets, download Innovatively Organized's Closet Organizing webinar.

To read more tips from Innovatively Organized and organizing and productivity expert Elizabeth Bowman, check out the Innovatively Organized blog, where new tips and tricks are posted regularly. Innovatively Organized is a Seattle-based organizing and productivity company that provides effective organizing solutions for busy professionals, teams, and families to better manage their time, increase productivity, and gain control of their spaces.

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