Handy Wardrobe Hacks Everyone Should Know

Whether you're simply hoping to get a bit hotter on clothing organisation or it seems like you need the strength of the Hulk to close your wardrobe doors in the morning, we're on hand to help. Here at Gumtree, we have the most useful wardrobe hacks for storing your clothes and accessories.

Wardrobe hacks to create more space in your home

It might seems a daunting task, but a wardrobe refresh is simple with Gumtree’s wardrobe hacks.

Wardrobe organisation hacks

The best way to start organising your wardrobe is to take stock of the clothes and accessories (and sleeping bags, tennis rackets or rolls of wrapping paper) that you store inside your wardrobe. Once you know what you have, you’ll be able to start organising in a much more effective way.

Decluttering your wardrobe

Decluttering your wardrobe

Decluttering will help you cut down on the amount of clothes you need to store. If you haven’t worn something for a while, even if you still like it, it might be time to put it on Gumtree so that someone else can get some wear from it. A capsule wardrobe of staple items that are easy to mix and match helps you create loads of outfits from fewer clothes.

  • A good way to work out what you’re not using is to turn your hangers around when you wear something. Doing this for a month or so will let you to instantly see what you haven’t worn at all during that time.
  • There might be outfits you’d like to hold onto but you don’t wear very often, like a dress or suit that you only wear to weddings. You could choose to store these elsewhere, such as carefully folded in a box under your bed or hung behind the door of a spare room.
  • Taking away clothes that don’t fit anymore is a no-brainer. If you advertise them on Gumtree, someone might be able to make use of them.
  • Rotating your clothes seasonally by periodically removing the things you won’t wear for a few months can help you free up wardrobe space. You can box up items and store them under your bed, in a loft or even on top of the wardrobe.
Organising your wardrobe space more effectively

Organising your wardrobe space more effectively

Once you’ve decluttered and items that you no longer need are on their way to a new home, you can work on creating a well-thought-out wardrobe. These wardrobe organisation hacks will help you create a space that’s not only functional but also pleasing to the eye.

Colour coding
Colour-coding your wardrobe can make it easier to find things and choose outfits. By grouping clothing of similar colours together, you’ll find it much easier to pick out items that match. It’ll also be super-satisfying when you open your wardrobe and see a rainbow of coordinated shades.

Making more room on your wardrobe floor
Grouping together long- and short-hanging pieces will give you a clear space at the bottom of your wardrobe that isn’t covered by long dresses and trousers.

Extra space with corner shelves
The back corners of your wardrobe can offer valuable space. You could add in corner shelves or make use of a telescopic corner unit designed for a bathroom to help you store small, light items.

Fold, fold, fold
Folding can give you extra storage space as you can create tall stacks of clothing and pile items two stacks deep. Things that don’t crease easily like knitwear are ideal for folding. You might also be able to fold nightwear and sportswear without having to worry about creases.

Baskets and boxes for accessories
Storage baskets and boxes aren’t just for the top of the wardrobe. If you have lots of small items or accessories to store, placing a few baskets on one shelf can help you effectively organise your things so it’s easy to grab exactly what you need when you’re getting ready.

Wardrobe storage hacks

If your wardrobe is clutter-free and you’ve worked through our organisation tips, you can now turn your attention to storage options. Our wardrobe storage hacks can help you create a space that’s easy to keep tidy.

Storing your shoes

If you have a large wardrobe and you’re struggling to keep your shoes tidy, you may be able to fit special shoe storage boxes or a shoe cabinet in there. Alternatively, it might even be helpful to move your shoes out of your wardrobe completely. If there’s room in your hallway near your door, you could add in a shoe rack or a slim cabinet for a dedicated place to keep your shoes that gives you a little more space in the bedroom.

Creating extra hanging space

One of our best wardrobe tips is to invest in the right hangers. Isn’t it frustrating when clothes slip off hangers and end up on the wardrobe floor? You can avoid this by using hangers that have rubber tips or are coated in felt. These make it easy to store garments like tops with spaghetti straps. You can even upgrade your current hangers by wrapping elastic bands over the end of each arm. If your items are bulky or crease-prone, you could clip them on using pegs so they keep their shape and don’t drop to the wardrobe floor. Hanging organisers are another solution for storing all manner of items, from ties to underwear, in a tight space.

What to put on top of a wardrobe

The top of your wardrobe is a valuable place to store things you don’t use often, such as spare bedding, duvets, pillows and throws. It’s also a fantastic place for seasonal items like holiday clothes or heavy raincoats. Storing suitcases on top of a wardrobe can help the space look tidy and you can keep extra clothes inside them. Alternatively, you could choose to get a couple of boxes or storage baskets in prints or colours that match your room decor. This will give you a place to store your things without them being seen.

How to store clothes without space

How to store clothes without space

Whether you have five tops or five hundred, it can be hard to work out exactly where to put all your clothes, shoes and accessories when space is limited. These fantastic ideas for small spaces will help your wardrobe work harder.

Hanging as much as you can

You can get a bit more shelf space by hanging accessories instead of folding them or piling them up. A scarf hanger can be really useful for things like belts and hats as well as scarves. If you seem to have more space on the rail than on the shelves or the floor of your wardrobe, you could even hang your handbags.

Adding another rail

A second rail can really help you maximise wardrobe space and make it feel like you have a whole new wardrobe. You’ll be able to fit two layers of tops, shirts or jackets, while trousers can be folded and hung, too. An extendable tension rod will do the job and it’ll be easy to remove when you don’t need it.

Hanging your bras

If you’re struggling to find somewhere to place your bras, you could consider hanging them behind your door. You can do this easily with over-door hangers.

Making a DIY storage hanger

Why not make your own hanger for belts, scarves or even socks by nailing wooden pegs to a piece of decorative wood and attaching rope or wire using screw-in hooks?

Using shelf or drawer dividers

If your folded clothes tend to turn into a bit of a jumble, adding dividers to any wardrobe shelves or drawers will keep everything neatly stacked. A wardrobe hack that will satisfy even the fussiest of eyes!

Upgrading your bed to get extra bedroom storage

If you don’t have room for extra storage in the bedroom but your bed frame could do with an upgrade, you might consider getting an ottoman bed. These space-savers use clever hinges that allow you to lift the mattress and slats so you can hide loads of items underneath.

Making the most of bedroom space with more wardrobe hacks

If your wardrobe is just too small and you have a bit of space to spare in the bedroom, you could think about getting a freestanding clothes rail or a fabric-covered wardrobe. These don’t take up as much room as adding in a permanent wardrobe. Instead, they give you loads more space to hang and fold your clothes and accessories. Using all of your available space could even mean finding new ways to store clothes creatively. This could be in the form of a stylish coat rack for items you wear regularly or even to keep your outfit for the next day all in one handy place.

small wardrobe ideas

Small wardrobe hacks

It can be a struggle to find the room for every fabulous outfit when your wardrobe isn’t the biggest. Thankfully, these hacks for small wardrobes can help you make the most of every inch.

Getting smart with your hangers for more wardrobe room

Making sure you choose the right hangers and use them effectively can help you free up valuable space. We recommend:

  • buying multi-layer clothes hangers to help you hang shirts, tops or trousers without taking up extra room. They’ll hold your clothes vertically on the rail instead of horizontally and allow you to hang five or more items on one hanger.
  • swapping chunky wooden hangers, padded hangers or curved coat hangers for slim plastic or wire hangers, You’ll be able to fit more on your rail instantly.
  • putting more than one item on hangers with horizontal trouser bars means you can store whole outfits if you use them wisely. You can fold trousers, skirts or shorts and hang them over the bar, then place a top or shirt on the hanger and finish off with a jacket or cardigan on top of that.

Making your small wardrobe bigger by hacking your shelves

If possible, you could move the shelves in your wardrobe or even add in extra shelves to give you a bit more space. Some wardrobes have large gaps between shelves which means the space isn’t used effectively because tall stacks of clothing can easily fall over. Even though this hack means you’ll have less height on each shelf, you may find you’re able to store more clothing and accessories when the space between shelves is reduced.

The space underneath your wardrobe shelves shouldn’t be neglected, either. Hanging baskets that hook over shelves can help you use every bit of space to your advantage. You could fill these with small items like socks or light garments like T-shirts.

Turning the inside of your door into a functional space

The inside of the wardrobe door can be a really useful space if your wardrobe opens outwards instead of sliding sideways. You can attach hooks or rails to store things like jewellery, watches, belts or bags.

Getting clever with your shoes

You could try lining shoes up heel-to-toe instead of storing them facing one direction. This will help you save a centimetre or two per shoe. It all adds up when you’re storing a few pairs.

Armed with these wardrobe tips to help store your outfits, you’ll be ready to cut down on clutter and finally organise your space. And when you’re ready to turn your attention to the rest of your home, you’ll find loads of useful ideas in our article ‘55 Ultimate Life Hacks for the Home‘.