Most people can relate to the feeling of looking around your apartment and experiencing a deep sense of calm and relief when everything's in its place. However, many of us are guilty of superficial organizing and clearing off visible surfaces only to shove belongings into messy piles in the closet or junk drawer. One of the major high-traffic areas where this occurs is your dresser. As you rush to get ready and out the door in the morning, your dresser often bears the brunt of the chaos. Garments are heaped into piles, socks become mismatched, and items end up in the wrong drawers. If you struggle with an overwhelming mess inside your dresser drawers, we’re here with three tips to turn your organization game around in no time.

PURGE ITEMS YOU NO LONGER NEED

Often, the mess in our dresser drawers stems from trying to fit too much into a tight space. When you take on the task of organizing your dresser, go ahead and commit to it all the way by removing every single item from your drawers first. This will allow you to more clearly visualize what you have, sort items into piles, and donate what you no longer wear.

WHEN IT COMES TO THE DRESSER, CHOOSE WISELY

One of the main reasons dressers can quickly become disorganized is because they are not being used properly. Large, bulky garments like sweaters, pants, and hooded sweatshirts take up too much room in dresser drawers and inevitably cause pile-up. Save your dresser real estate for thin, easily foldable items and hang your sweaters and pants in the closet. This may also help to prolong the life of your favorite clothing items.

USE A SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR YOU

While tips and tricks are always helpful, when it comes to organization, it’s best to do what’s right for you. If you’re motivated by the look of color coordination, consider organizing your clothing by shade. If it makes more sense to group items by type, that works too. Store your most-used clothing items like socks and underwear in your top drawer, and go down your dresser in descending order. This will make it so that the items you need are always within reach.

You’ll also want to establish a routine that fits your schedule. If you know you tend to race out in the morning, set aside a few minutes each evening to make sure all of your clothing items are sorted and put away neatly. If you prefer to tackle household chores on the weekends, you can circle back to your dresser on Saturday morning instead. Whatever you decide, be sure to be consistent. Spending a few minutes here and there throughout your week is all you need in order to maintain a dresser in tip-top organizational shape.

For more apartment living tips, or to find a home to settle into, contact an Olympus community near you today.