The Real Reason Your Closet is Gasping for Air

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Published Date 1/28/2025

When you see HGTV reality shows and the camera scans a home’s closet before the experts come in and do a remodel, what do you see?

Chances are good that even though the homeowner knew a camera crew would descend on their home, their clothes are spilling over, sloppily folded items are stacked on shelves, and garments are crowded so close together you wondered how the homeowner even knew what he or she owned any more.

The Spruce’s Maria Isabella agrees that a cramped closet doesn't just look messy; it also makes it hard to keep track of what you have and can lead to potential garment damage. So she asked professional organizer Jessica Litman to share a few common traits that make a closet feel cramped, along with tips to remedy the problem.

Of course, Litman says taking regular inventory of what you have is essential to preventing a buildup of excess clothing. Not only will creating a donation bin make your closet feel more spacious. It will also no doubt make it faster and easier to get ready in the mornings.

First, Litman says to be honest about clothing that doesn't fit you anymore. "This means the clothing from high school or life before kids that doesn’t fit your current body," the organizer explains. She says when clothes don't fit any longer, they're replaced with new items, but typically the old ones aren't removed from the closet, whether in the hopes of future use or out of neglect.

Your closet may also be full of items that are mismatched and no longer have anything to wear them with. ”Sometimes you have a top that once worked with a pair of pants that you no longer own, but you still have that top taking up space in your closet," Litman says. She recommends removing any pieces that don't make an outfit. That means storing outfits together to ensure everything you have is being used and can be pieced with other garments to make an outfit.

Did you know that clothing needs room to breathe? If it’s constantly jammed up, it can cause damage, whether hanging up or stacked on shelves. An excessive amount of clothing will make the closet look smaller and make it harder to find items or put together outfits. “This can also lead to garments getting squashed, snagged, and creased causing them to need extra washing, ironing, or needing to be replaced altogether,” says Isabella.

One item you should have in your closet according to Litman is a "donate" bag to help prevent clutter. "Use this bag to dump clothing you don’t like, wear, or want anymore while you are getting ready in the morning," she recommends. It’s an excellent way to maintain a clutter-free closet and you can add items to the "donate" bag as you come across them instead of having to take everything out. Let’s face it – a complete closet weeding can be overwhelming.

If you do pay attention to those TV shows, you might notice that while visual clutter and hanging items can cause the closet to feel cramped, mismatched hangers make it look messy, taking up a lot of space in your closet both visually and physically. Either opt for a slim set of hangers that allow you to hang more in a neat and uniform fashion while taking up less space on the closet rail or find attractive hangers that all match. They’re worth the investment.

TheSpruce, TBWS

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