6 Tips to Keep Dresser Drawers Organized for Good

While your closet might be perfectly organized with matching hangers and each item sorted by color or season, one of the biggest challenges is behind closed drawers: Dressers can be challenging to organize. But according to Kenzie Harkey, professional organizer and founder of Simply Dare, there’s a good reason for this. She says, “Most of us are on the go, which can result in rushing to put clothes back in our drawers or quickly folding laundry and putting clothes wherever they fit in said drawers.”

So what’s the fix? Harkey says it’s creating a system that works for you and is easy to maintain. “Once your system is in place and zones are created, commit to maintaining them. Each time you put away your laundry, do a quick tidy-up if needed. Organized drawers bring a sense of peace and calm. They also make getting dressed so easy that you’ll never want your drawers to look messy again,” says Kris Hargrove, professional organizer and founder of Organized by Kris. Here’s how to organize your dresser drawers—and keep them that way—for good.

Store T-Shirts the Right Way

Whether you wear them with jeans or shorts, most of us stock our dressers with a fair amount of T-shirts. Briana and Erica Spruille, professional organizers and founders of Just BE LLC, recommend organizing by color. “This way you have what you need in front of you regardless of the occasion, weather, or time constraints.”

Then “file fold” them so they are easy to see. “With the file fold method, you fold your sleeves into the middle of the shirt, creating a long rectangle. Fold the shirt in half or thirds, depending on the height of your drawer, and line them up like files in a filing cabinet for easy visibility,” says Harkey.

Separate Your Socks

Harkey says it’s best to group socks by type, keeping dress socks away from athletic socks. “If these are all in the same drawer, it’s helpful to have a drawer divider to keep them separated. If you want to go the extra mile, you could fold these neatly into rows so you see each sock when you open up, but keep in mind that will take more time to maintain.”

How to Store Underwear

Underwear can be challenging to store, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible. Harkey says, “I recommend keeping it simple with underwear and separating by type! Some people fold their underwear, but I personally think separating them by type is functional enough and doesn’t cause a lot of time to upkeep.”

How to Store Activewear

Activewear is one of the most frustrating things to fold. “I do not recommend file folding activewear as most tops and bottoms are so flimsy because of the performance fabric material, that it simply doesn’t work well or hold shape in the drawer! I recommend rolling these and lining them up in your drawer in rows, similar to how you would set up file folded T-shirt,” says Harkey. 

Then, use drawer dividers to categorize. Harkey elaborates, “Tennis outfits, running shorts, workout tanks, etc. A lot of women have multiple types of similar leggings. For instance, someone may have 10 pairs of black leggings, and what I would recommend for that person is to categorize the leggings by how you use or wear them, so you might have a section for yoga, lounging, weight training, or running.”

Edit Quarterly

If your drawers always feel stuffed, it’s a smart idea to edit your wardrobe once a season. Harkey explains, “If you feel like your drawers are getting too difficult to maintain, it might be that you are trying to fit too many clothes in your drawers. That’s when you know it’s time to edit! Once a quarter, go through your clothes to see if there’s anything you’d like to donate to a local charity.”

If You Only Do One Thing

If are too busy to do a major dresser reorganization project right now, Harkey says adding some drawer dividers to your cart, at the very least, can make a big difference. “One of the best organizational products you can purchase to maintain an organized home is drawer dividers. They really do make a huge difference, and if you want to take it to the next level, add subtle labels on the inside lip of your drawer so you know exactly what each section is.”