This $14 Closet Organizer Rescued My Morning Routine

My workday mornings have never been more leisurely, thanks to this hyper-affordable organizer.

If you’re like me, half of your morning routine consists of stalling tactics. I hit snooze at least twice (maybe a sunrise alarm clock could help with that, though). I go down the 7 a.m. social media hole. I dawdle post-shower, picking at my face. And when it finally comes time to ditch that comfy terry cloth robe for professional attire, I instead wander up and down my rows of hanging clothes, insisting I have nothing to wear.

Sometimes, I’ll make a beeline for a favorite combo, only to realize the pants are in the hamper, or a blouse is wrinkled after the wash. Worst of all, I find myself doing the same routine a few minutes later while I pack my gym bag. (Though if I’m out of clean sports bras, I usually interpret that situation as divine intervention.)

Eventually, I wised up to closet organizer ideas and invested a whopping $14 in an Amazon find that ensured a timely arrival to work, a less stressful morning, and fewer unpleasant surprises at the gym (try tackling a morning workout or evening sweat session when there’s only one sock to be found in your duffle bag—not fun).

The all-problems-solved solution? A hanging closet organizer.

To buy: $14; amazon.com.

Made of lightweight canvas, the Simple Houseware 5-Shelve Hanging Closet Organizer is like an accordion of cubby holes, one for each day of the work week. They hang vertically, suspended by a double hanger at the top that can slide into your closet or at the very end of a rod, which is where I put mine.

Each Sunday night, I lay out my clothes for every day of the week, including gym outfits. That means picking slacks, a blouse, a bra, and underwear. (Shoes I leave on their storage rack.) I do the same for each gym outfit, folding them to fit next to my pre-planned work attire in a neat pile.

Then, each morning, I pack the stack for the gym and change into my preselected outfit of the day. By doing all this at once, I’ve saved a solid five to ten minutes of indecision each morning—just enough time to savor a cup of coffee.

To save even more time, I choose my outfits for the week while I’m folding laundry. Instead of folding newly washed clothes and stuffing them into a dresser drawer for later in the week, I start filling each cubby right then and there.

The five separate compartments help me plan for each day of the week. I can be sure I’m preparing for whatever is on the calendar for the week, too, eliminating any last-minute panic when I realize I have a formal event one night or an obligation outdoors on another. My handy hanging closet organizer also helps me make sure I’m not repeating a favorite outfit within a week. (It happens to all of us, right?)

When I first starting using this system, I worried I’d fall into a bad habit of wearing something week after week, moving it straight from the laundry into the weekly rotation over and over again. But planning ahead has actually helped me realize which outfits I love and feel most comfortable in and which I can donate because they don’t see much wear.

The organizer’s compact size means I’ve only lost a foot or so of closet space. Smaller options exist if you want fewer cubbies and more space below the organizer, but one with five pockets serves me well.

From the reviews, folks seem to also use these organizers as an alternative storage method for T-shirts or seasonal clothing, but it makes a great outfit organizer—and it could even help little ones get in the habit of picking out their own outfits ahead of time as part of a morning routine for school, so parents can move the family’s morning on a little more quickly. However you use it, at just $14, you can’t go wrong.