How To Organize Clothes Without Folding Them

There are a few things that humans can agree on, such as puppies are cute, pizza is delicious, and other things of that nature. Another item on this list is that folding clothes is undoubtedly the worst of the household chores. I found a great solution to this issue — don’t fold!

Here are the best ways to organize your clothes without folding them:

1. Hang clothes that are bulky, special, or wrinkle easily.
2. Rethink your wardrobe and pare it down.
3. Add hooks to walls, doors, and closets.
4. Utilize baskets, boxes, and drawers.
5. Take advantage of vertical space.

Folding clothes takes way too much time and energy, but having an organized home is great for your mental health (source). This article will describe each of these no-fold tactics in greater detail so that you can have the best of both worlds!

1. Hang Clothes That Are Bulky, Special, or Wrinkle Easily

The first tactic to leave folding clothes in the past forever is to figure out what pieces you are going to want to put on a hanger. 

The three that most people decide to hang are their bulky items, special pieces of clothing, and those that are not resistant to wrinkling. 

Since you will probably need all of your dresser space, removing the items such as hoodies, jackets, and sweaters will save you a ton of space in your drawers. 

Additionally, hanging clothes can be a way to preserve them and keep them in their best condition. Items like wedding dresses, prom dresses, suits, or other items of clothing that are expensive, sentimental, or otherwise special are good candidates for a little extra care and a place on a hanger.

Finally, a few different types of fabrics wrinkle more easily and severely than others. These include rayon, 100% cotton, silk, and linen. Each of these fabrics has a unique feel to it, and certain types of clothing are often made with them (source).

You should be able to find out what fabrics your clothes are made from by checking the sewn-in tag, usually on the neck seam. There should be a full list of all the materials used for the item, as well as wash and care instructions. 

If you are like me and immediately cut out all of these tags because of how they feel on your skin, don’t worry! There are ways to figure out material without the tag.

How To Determine Wrinkle Prone Fabrics Without Tags

Each of these fabrics has a unique feel to it, and certain types of clothing are often made with them. Sometimes it is enough just to see that the piece of clothing is a fancy dress and conclude it is probably made of some of these fabrics.

You can usually determine based on some of the following characteristics:

• Rayon is a synthetic fabric made from cellulose material. It is often used to make clothing that needs to drape well, such as dresses and skirts. It feels smooth and soft, with a varying amount of sheen to it.
• Excluding cotton mixtures, 100% cotton is a natural fabric that is very breathable and absorbent. It is often used for shirts and other garments that need to be comfortable and airy. It will feel slightly stiffer than a cotton mixture and less smooth — while still being very soft!
• Silk is a fabric with a smooth, silky texture and a reputation for being luxurious. It is often used for evening wear and other special occasions. Real silk will make a slight crunch noise if you scrunch it, letting you know that it isn’t an artificial blend.
• Linens are natural fabrics made from flax plants. It is known for its strength and durability, as well as its absorbency. It is often used for summer clothing, such as shorts and skirts. This fabric is easy to identify by touch and has a soft, almost papery feel. 

If you have tried to identify a fabric and are still unsure — but are concerned about wrinkling — it is probably an item you should think about hanging up, regardless of fabric. 

2. Rethink Your Wardrobe and Pare It Down

If you have seven of an almost identical black t-shirt, then consider possibly saving a few of your favorites and donating the rest. 

No longer folding clothes while still being organized is going to be much harder if you have a massive wardrobe. Huge wardrobes mean huge amounts of laundry, which also means space to organize them without folding is going to be in short supply. 

Going through and really focusing on the pieces that you really and truly love or need usually results in a huge pile of clothes that are ready to move on to the donation center of your choice. 

Unless the clothes are in bad condition or not appropriate to donate, don’t just throw them away! That seventh black t-shirt might become someone else’s new favorite!

Consider Adopting a Capsule Wardrobe

A capsule wardrobe is a collection of versatile, timeless pieces that can be mixed and matched to create countless different looks. 

The essential part of building a capsule wardrobe is choosing high-quality pieces that you absolutely love – anything that makes you feel confident, comfortable, and stylish. These should be clothes that can be dressed up or down as needed.

A capsule wardrobe will have a lot of benefits to consider. It can save you time and money in the long run. With a capsule wardrobe, you’ll have fewer clothes to purchase and less time spent shopping for new items. 

Additionally, a capsule wardrobe forces you to be more creative with your style. With fewer pieces to work with, you’ll be challenged to come up with new and interesting ways to wear the items that you own. This can lead to a more personal and unique style overall.

Capsule wardrobes also lend themselves to a no-fold system that is easy to implement, follow, and keep nice and organized!

3. Add Hooks to Walls, Doors, and Closets

When I stopped folding my laundry, I began putting hooks everywhere. They are great for clothes that you wear often and you need to have easy access to them. 

My favorite flannel, cardigan, and scarf all adorn a set of hooks on my bedroom wall. Since I wear them often, sometimes multiple times a week, it is so handy to be able to just pull them off the hook and be on my way. 

When I come back, it goes back on the hook instead of the floor… where they often were before I stopped folding. 

This two-pack of Dseap Wall Mounted Coat Racks (link to Amazon) is a nice choice for wall-mounted hooks. Several colors and wood finishes are available, and it’s a great price!

I also used a ton of these Amazon Basics Robe Hooks (link to Amazon) in some of the tighter wall spaces and on the outside of closet doors. They come in packs of five and end up being super inexpensive. 

If you are renting or just don’t want to screw anything into walls, that doesn’t have to stop you from adding lots of hooks for your clothes! There are several great options for hooks that won’t damage your walls and are easily removable. 

These Command Utility Hooks (link to Amazon) can be put anywhere and removed at any time, without any trace. When I was renting, I used these all of the time and never had any trouble with them budging or falling. 

There are also these Lynk Over Door Hook Rack (link to Amazon) that will work awesome for your favorite clothes. I have them on literally every door in my house since they look great and hold so many items without folding. 

4. Utilize Baskets, Boxes, and Drawers

My biggest trick for organizing my clothes without folding is to separate all of my clothes by type and then place each type into a different basket or drawer. 

You will want to take some time to decide where you are going to want certain types of clothing to go. I prefer my t-shirts and pants to go into drawers, while socks and underwear can be thrown more haphazardly into a small basket. This is totally up to you!

For this, just take the heap of clean laundry and make different piles for things like socks, pants, t-shirts, tank tops, leggings, etc. Now you just put each type of item into the basket, bin, or drawer you have assigned as their place. 

Don’t fold them going in — just put them in lengthwise so that space is utilized. Scrunched up is also fine if you want. You do you! No one is judging you, and you are saving yourself so much time and energy now!

That’s it. I find this whole process takes no more than 15 minutes, as long as I have kept up at least somewhat okay with the laundry. That is much better than the hour or two I used to spend meticulously folding my yoga pants. 

Your piles will depend on what sorts of clothes you have or if you are cohabitating with others or children. If you are doing laundry for others, just repeat this same process for their clothes!

If you are in need of some baskets or bins to get started, these Criusua Storage Cubes (link to Amazon) are simple, well-made, and a great deal.

I eventually splurged on these StorageWorks Wicker Baskets (link to Amazon) if you want storage bins that have a little bit more going in the aesthetics department!

These sorts of baskets fit great on cube shelves, the closet floor, and even under your bed! 

For the clothes that do earn a place in a drawer, they won’t need to be folded and are still very organized with the help of some drawer organizers!

A honeycomb organizer, like this 3 Pack Organizer Dividers from Criusia (link to Amazon), is great for things like socks, underwear, scarves, and other smaller clothing items. 

I find that these Pipishell Bamboo Adjustable Wooden Separators (link to Amazon) work incredibly well for larger types of clothing. They are adjustable, so they work in most drawers without having to worry about measuring. This is also nice for when you are using drawers that are of different sizes. 

5. Take Advantage of Vertical Space

A problem with some of the other ways to organize your clothes without folding them is that some of these storage solutions take up precious floor space. 

Unless you are lucky enough to live in a mansion, that space is easily overcrowded and makes life more stressful — which is the exact opposite of what is wanted with the no-fold system!

To combat this, think about things that stack upward and can take up some of that vertical space without adding to the loss of floor space! Lots of baskets and bins are made to be stacked as high as you need!

I actually use these Mupera Stackable Organizer Baskets (link to Amazon) in every room of my house, not just for clothes. Not only do they stack, but they also slide out! This makes it much easier than other stackable options to grab items in the lower baskets.

Another way to organize clothes vertically is to try a blanket ladder. These just lean up against a wall but take up virtually no floor space. Depending on the height, you can just hang items on each of the rungs of the ladder. 

These might be made for blankets, but I love mine for pants and some of my oversized sweaters. It looks cozy and requires no folding! 

This Navaris Bamboo Towel Ladder (link to Amazon) is super cute and easy to build!

Final Thoughts

Using some or all of the stylish and creative solutions listed above will help you leave folding clothes behind while still having them organized and put away. Organization is not something that needs to be a lot of work if you don’t want it to be. 

Saying goodbye to folding laundry is a good way to find yourself happier, less stressed, and more organized than ever. Whoever made the rule that everything needs to be folded is no longer in charge here.