Is It Better to Fold or Hang The Clothes in My Closet?

Categorize Your Clothes

It only makes sense that there are some items of clothing that will stay in better shape on a hanger rather than folded, and vice versa. The main determining factors of whether an item of clothing should hang are the weight of the item and the wrinkle factor.

For example, clothes that would do better on a hanger include lightweight, flowy blouses and dresses that wrinkle easily. These garments are generally made from satin, silk, cotton, or linen. It also just makes sense to hang button-down shirts and outerwear. Slacks will also look much neater if you hang them up versus keep them folded inside of a drawer.

In regards to what items should be folded, at the top of the list is anything that is knitted, such as sweaters, which can become stretched or misshapen when hung. Also, any stretchable materials such as Lycra should also be folded. Since denim is resistant to wrinkles, it need not be hung. Keeping your hoodies folded instead of hung will ensure that they don’t get stretched out in the shoulders from a hanger.

Select The Right Hangers

Now that you have an idea of which garments you wish to hang, it's time to choose the right hangers for the job. MarthaStewart.com stresses the importance of choosing the correct hanger for every type of clothing so that the garment doesn’t end up being in need of repair.

For example, heavier items such as wool pants need to be hung on sturdy wooden suit hangers. On the opposite end of the spectrum are breezy summer tops. She recommends velvet hangers with divots, which are helpful for keeping straps in place, and velvet fabric which is conducive to helping lighter fabrics stay on the hangers. To avoid getting “shoulder bumps” on your button-down blouses and T-shirts, look for hangers that feature curved edges.

Use a Folding Board

Having a sleek and orderly closet is attainable if your clothing is folded in just the right way. Better Homes & Gardens gives an excellent tutorial for folding everything from T-shirts and dress shirts to pants and even towels.

Their folding board method to fold T-shirts is most helpful. Simply by centering a basic clipboard on the back of the shirt and folding the fabric around it, a uniformly folded T-shirt is the final result.

Keep It Organized

Now that you know which hangers to use, and how to fold like a pro, next, you need to know how to organize everything in your closet (s). As you might guess, the first step is not to cram everything you own into the space. Before you begin, you need to sort through your clothing and give away anything that you can honestly say you no longer want to wear again. By letting go of the old, you make room for the new.

Next, place all of your like items together, whether you are hanging them or folding them. If you want to take things a step further, you can organize them by color.

Stack your folded clothing neatly. Within your undergarment drawers, you can keep things looking neat and tidy with drawer dividers. Use empty wall space to hang hooks that can be used for items such as jewelry, scarves, or other accessories.

Anything that you would rather have neatly tucked away can be organized discreetly within fashionable bins and baskets that are placed upon your shelves. Need some more helpful tips about how to organize your closets? Check out 6 Tips for Organizing Your Custom Closets by Closet Solutions & Organizers.

Follow These Tips

Shop Stuff Etc.com offers up a few helpful tips on hanging and folding your clothing:

• When hanging clothes, leave ample space between each item to prevent them from becoming wrinkled or torn.
• When hanging a pullover shirt, insert the hanger underneath the bottom instead of through the collar, to avoid the neck from becoming stretched out.
• Give your garments a good shake before folding to remove some of the existing wrinkles.

Here are a few suggestions from Best Life Online:

• Try to fold clothes "while your laundry is still warm," & before wrinkles set in.
• Save time ironing by using a "wrinkle-releasing spray."
• Try stacking your clothing vertically within your drawers so that you can always see what items they contain.
• Instead of balling your socks, simply place the tops of them together and fold them down once. They'll look neater and save space inside your drawers.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately when it comes to deciding what clothing to hang and what to fold, you should also consider how much space you are working with in your drawers or shelves versus in your hanging area. Neither location should look crowded when you are finished organizing. When you follow the above tips, your closet will look as beautiful as the clothing that it contains.

Sources:

• https://www.marthastewart.com/8131994/best-hanger-every-clothing-type
• https://www.bhg.com/homekeeping/laundry-linens/clothes/fold-clothes/
• https://www.shopstuffetc.com/blog/storing-your-clothes-fold-vs-hang/
• https://www.closetsolutionsandorganizers.com/custom-closet-organization