8 Closet Organization Mistakes That Annoy Pro Organizers

Not to alarm you, but you might be approaching closet organization all wrong. “Closets should be more than storage,” says Nicole Gabai, CVOP, founder of B. Organized. “Closets should be a place that reduces stress and makes daily routines easier. If you set up your closet the way you live, rather than just grouping like things together, and you keep up the maintenance, you’ll enjoy it every single day.”

Whether you’re currently building out a new closet, renovating an old one, or simply trying to work with what you have, some common issues are crucial to avoid if you want to maximize your storage space and make your life a bit easier. Here are eight closet organization mistakes that designers say everyone needs to stop making.

Improperly-Spaced Closet Rods

Corey Pence, senior manager of in-home organizing at The Container Store, says that if your rods are placed too low, your clothes will end up bunching up and wrinkling. “Make sure the rods are spaced appropriately to allow for proper hanging and to prevent clothing from getting damaged,” she says.

Moving your closet rods is usually easy and can make the layout of your closet much easier to work with. So don’t be afraid to measure and experiment so you can find what’s right for you and your wardrobe. 

Intersecting Closet Rods

Your closet rods should not form an x. Not only does this look unappealing, but it also annoys organizers by creating unusable dead space. “This wasted area makes it harder to access your clothes and detracts from your closet’s efficiency,” explains Pence.

Not Using Matching Hangers

Not using matching hangers might not seem like a big deal, but this is actually less about uniformity and more about efficiency, notes Pence. “Matching hangers aren’t just for looks—they help maximize storage space,” she explains. “Using consistent hangers throughout your closet creates a uniform look and ensures that clothes hang properly, making your closet feel more organized.”

Putting Clothing in the Wrong Place

Unless you attend black-tie events daily, there probably isn’t a good reason to keep those gorgeous gowns or suits in the most accessible parts of your closet, says Gabai. “A common mistake I see is grouping clothes only by type without considering the frequency of use,” she says. “This makes everyday items harder to reach, and special-occasion items take up prime real estate.”

Mixing Up Clothing Seasons

Another major closet organization mistake is keeping out-of-season clothing on the same rod or shelf as the in-season clothing. “Instead, use my Zones technique,” Gabai says. “Place frequently worn items in Zone 1, an area that’s the easiest to reach, less-used items in Zone 2, higher shelves or the back of the closet, and out-of-season or rarely used items in Zone 3, which could be a storage bin under your bed.”

Just keep in mind that for most climates, this means a bit of moving things around as the weather changes. Still, taking the time to do this every season is something you can thank yourself for daily.

Hanging and Folding the Wrong Things

Gabai tells me that hanging and folding the wrong items creates chaos. “Not everything needs a hanger,” she says. “You want to fold bulkier items like sweaters to avoid stretching and use drawers or shelves with dividers for T-shirts. You can even use simple metal bookends to stabilize your T-shirt stacks if you need to put them on a shelf.”

Storing Unnecessary Items

Whether it’s keeping old toys in your bedroom closet or old tax records in the pantry, Pence tells me a closet should only hold what’s relevant to its purpose. “A clothing closet should house only clothes and accessories, while an office closet should store office supplies or craft materials,” she says. “Keeping unrelated items in your closet wastes space.”

This method also makes it far easier to find what you’re looking for. After all, just because you can keep old receipts in a shoebox next to old shoes doesn’t mean you should.

Not Having a Maintenance Plan

Your closet might be organized, but if you don’t have a way to maintain it, it won’t stay that way. “People let clutter creep back in because there’s no routine for upkeep. But if you use my ‘Back to One’ principle, you can,” says Gabai. 

The pro organizer suggests spending just five minutes at the end of each day returning items to their proper zones. “If it needs to get hung back up, hang it up,” she says. “If it’s dirty and needs to go in the laundry bin, toss it in. Keeping up with your system daily is the key to staying organized easily.”

Remember, any maintenance plan is better than no maintenance plan, so try to make things work the best way you can. A ten-minute clean-up every Sunday is better than no clean-up at all.