Extra space is a luxury that many first-time renters don’t have, so it’s important to organize your things in the most efficient way possible. Piles of clothes can take up floor space and make your apartment feel cramped, but if you hang and fold your clothes the right way, they’ll fit nicely in your closet or dresser and leave your room and apartment feeling much more organized. How should you hang and fold your clothes the right way? Read on below to find out!
Should you hang or fold?
While whether to hang or fold your clothes comes down to personal preference in many situations, for some items, there is a right and wrong way to do things. Anything with structured shoulders like jackets or button-up shirts should always be hung to help it keep its shape.
Hanging is useful and can help you save space, but it simply won’t work for all of your clothes. Many items, such as athletic clothes, don’t need to stay perfectly wrinkle-free all the time, so there’s no need to hang them. Some items can even be damaged by being hung instead of folded.
For example, thick sweaters tend to be heavy, but their weave can be easily stretched and pulled out of place, so the corners of a hanger can mess up sweater shoulders over time.
How should you hang clothes?
Hanging clothes may seem simple, and it can be! But there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure your hanging clothes stay looking nice. As a general rule of thumb, try to hang clothes in a way that mimics how they hang on your body. This is especially important for button-up shirts and jackets. Button these all the way up, instead of just doing the top button, or they’ll flare out at the bottom and fit you strangely over time.
Another rule to keep in mind when hanging clothes is to use the right hanger for each piece. Jackets with structured shoulders should be hung on wider hangers that can support the whole shoulder, and there are specialized hangers made for belts, pants, and other items.
How should you fold clothes?
In general, there are two important things to keep in mind when folding your clothes: keeping them free of wrinkles and making them easily accessible. To keep your clothes free of wrinkles, make sure you line up the edges when folding.
For example, an easy way to fold t-shirts is to start by folding the shirt in half lengthwise, lining up the right and left sides. Then, fold the sleeves over, being sure to line them up together. Finally, neatly fold the shirt into thirds or quarters, depending on the size of your dresser.
Clothes that are similar in color and fabric to other items should be folded in a way that makes it easy to see any distinguishing features, like a graphic, neckline, or tag. To do this, be sure you keep that feature on the outside of the fold when initially folding the item in half.
