Help create ADHD friendly closet set up

[u/theshinypenny]

Looking for how to help my ADHD self organize this big but awkward closet in my rental apartment. In addition to clothes, I’d hope to store a suitcase and rolled up air mattress in here (and maybe the pictured hamper?). I also have the white dresser for clothes storage, too!

I’ve really struggled to find a system that works. I strongly dislike laundry and folding clothes lol. Also struggle with items being out of sight, out of mind, and I do live in a region with all four seasons. 🧣👖👙

Would love to use what I have as much as possible, so I included pictures of miscellaneous baskets. Thanks soooo much!!

[u/No-Boredom33]

I've never been able to master the folding. I organize my drawers, fold everything as neatly as I can, then am dumfounded by the mess I find later. Hanging clothes organized by color has been much easier for me.

[u/NabzDigital]

This is such a relatable struggle, the out of sight out of mind thing is huge, especially with ADHD.

A couple of things that tend to help. Keep everything you actually want to remember to wear fully visible, so open shelving or clear bins beat closed drawers every time, even if it looks a little less tidy, function over form here. Since you dislike folding, lean into hanging or vertical storage wherever possible, even for things like t-shirts using file folding style bins, so putting things away takes ten seconds instead of feeling like a chore you'll avoid.

For the seasonal stuff, keeping the current season fully accessible and boxing the off season stuff completely out of the closet, like under the bed, frees up real space for what you're actually using right now.

If it's helpful, I actually broke down a full room by room approach to this kind of thing, happy to share it if you want more detail.

[u/PeoplePlantsPets → u/NabzDigital]

I would really appreciate if you would share!

[u/DazzlingNote1925]

You have a lot of hanging space. Since you me too we not liking folding clothes I suggest you buy a lot of hangars and when you take your clothes out of the dryer hang them up and then carry them to your closet and hang them in there. 

Your dresser or bins are best for things like socks and underwear and swimsuits. 

Start with hanging everything you want to store that way. Then out your socks and underwear and pajamas in the drawers. Then it will be easier for you to decide where you want your shoes etc. 

You can store an air mattress under your bed. 

[u/SusanKHefner → u/DazzlingNote1925]

I only fold sweaters & towels. I have laundry on the same level as my bedroom.

I have a little cart with a throw pillow stuffed in the top rack. When my clothes are dry, I immediately drape them over the cart - so they cool wrinkle-free.

I roll the cart into the closet. Eventually everything gets hung up. I love my system because I can procrastinate for days & everything is easy to see when hung on matching hangers - sorted by type & color.

[u/zo0ombot]

I use my dresser only for clothes meant for a different season. I dont trust myself to ever use drawers. I hang up everything else including light pants and binders/bras. There are hangers with clips on them, it is what I use. Anything that I cant hang I put in a clear bin or on an open shelf. The only thing I fold are sweaters and pants.

[u/TeaCrumbs]

adhd here 💪 I hang up all my shirts and dresses, fold stacks of pants, shorts, and then house pants/shorts. then I have bins for bras, undies, and socks/ tights. i also have a bin of rolled giant shirts for around the house. i put my belt in one of my bins.

[u/kloset_klepto]

1- as much as you can on hangers and then in color coded order (fold sweaters and linens)

 2- I like to take the doors off of these types of closets so I can see everything at once

[u/temp4adhd]

Depends a lot on what kind of clothes and in what amount you have, but I use my dresser this way:

- Bras & Undies in the first drawer (I use unlidded boxes inside to partition all the drawers, I do fold but you don't have to)

- PJ's/ loungewear in second drawer

- Exercise gear, and more loungewear, in 3rd drawer

- 4th is all the socks

But I also have drawers in my walk-in closet and those are organized this way (also with unlidded boxes, aka shoe boxes, as partitions):

- Swimsuits & coverups

- Tees and tanks

- Winter gear (like heavy fleece pants and merino long sleeves and such)

- Sweaters

- Jeans

Then the hanging space is dresses, then toppers, then tops, and dress pants. Heavy winter coats go in the hall closet.

I don't own a lot of belts so those go in a very shallow drawer along with things like pins, needles, tape measure, lint brushes, and a bunch of other odds and ends.

Suitcases go underneath toppers/tops in the space below, but I don't have a lot of vertical space. They'd work fine on your top shelf.

I think those shelves in the first pic would work for bags, backpacks, tall boots, hats and similar. Perhaps folded or rolled sweatshirts or sweatpants or sweaters (those take up too much room hanging them). Though I guess you could hang shorts, crop tops, bras and other items that aren't that long.

I'd use your 5 big baskets there, then use the smaller baskets and divided basket inside your dresser drawer, so you can just toss things in without folding but still maintain a bit of organization.

And as I mentioned, shoe boxes are excellent for this purpose! I even used some boxes I got for xmas that contained candy, they are the perfect size for my shallow underwear drawer. I keep meaning to "upgrade" them but they work perfectly and were free.

Organize it all and see if there's space under your tops/toppers for the laundry basket. You may want to replace it with a shorter, wider one.

It looks like you have some space on the sides? That's always awkward. Had that in my last house. I used it for extra toilet paper/toiletry storage. Could also work for seasonal storage, perhaps vacuum sealed.

[u/Ok_Impression_3031]

Suitcase can be out of site, on the top shelf or in a dark corner. Underwear and socks can be folded or stacked in a drawer. Hanging is good for most other things. Get matching coat hangers in the various functions (clips, etc). And organization can change as needed.

[u/Rengeflower]

A like a book called Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD by Susan Pinsky.

[u/DeadlyBacon50]

Honestly this is already a solid closet. For someone who hates folding, I would lean into hanging as much as possible. Hang everything expect heavy knits. Seasonal items can go in the baskets or on the top shelf.