Is It Better to Hang or to Fold? Find Out How to Organize and Store Your Clothes Here

Photo by Francesco Paggiarofrom PexelsWhether you just bought a new pair of jeans, updated your spring wardrobe, or did a load of washing, one issue is certain to arise: Do you fold your clothing and put them in the drawer, or should you hang them in your closet? The answer is that it depends.

"What to fold and what to hang depends on various things," explains Darla DeMorrow, professional organizer, owner of HeartWork Organizing, and author of Organizing Your Home with SORT and Succeed. DeMorrow and other experienced organizers explain when to hang and when to fold below.

Always Hang Items

Let's start with your closet. Which garments should always be hung?

Fabrics with a Flow

DeMorrow recommends anything made of flowing textiles. "Anything made of silk, chiffon, or other 'flowy' materials—commonly dresses or blouses—should be hanging," expert organizer Melissa Keyser recommends. "I encourage my customers to consider how the fabric moves in a wind; if it seems to float or dance about, it won't be happily folded and tucked in a drawer."

Linen

Linen is infamous for wrinkles, which is why you should hang any linen items in your closet. "Hanging [linen] minimizes unwanted wrinkles," explains Robyn Reynolds, professional organizer and CEO and owner of the household organizing firm Organize2Harmonize. DeMorrow concurs: "To look its best, linen nearly always requires ironing. Anything linen should definitely be hung."

Pants

While jeans may not necessarily need a home in your closet, you should prepare to hang all of your other pants (like dressier slacks). "Dresses and casual pants should always be hanging," Reynolds advises. "You can hang them both ways or flip the hanger over."

Blouses

Keep your lovely blouses on a hanger if you don't want them to be full of creases and irritating wrinkles. "Blouses should always be hanging," Reynolds explains. "This will aid in the removal of big wrinkles."

Jackets

Jackets are huge items, and putting them in a drawer will not only produce creases (and maybe harm the structure of the piece), but it will also take up much of your space. "Any jacket should be hanging," Reynolds advises. "They are too big to fold, regardless of the type—blazers, denim jackets, outerwear."

(The majority of) Gowns

Most, but not all, of your dresses, deserve to be hung vertically in your closet. "For the most part, dresses should always be hanging," Reynolds advises. "Heavy sweater dresses or heavy dresses of any type would be an exception. When they are hanging, they have a tendency to stretch. Fold these to prevent this from happening."

Always Fold Items

Now that you know which garments to hang, let's talk about which ones to fold, beginning with your heavier winter knits.

Sweaters that are thick

Fold them, according to our experts, to retain structural integrity and save space in your wardrobe. "In general, very bulky sweaters should be folded," explains DeMorrow. "There are folding ways to gently wrap your sweater around a hanger to prevent producing hanger marks, but it's not intuitive for most people, and a bulky sweater may take up a very thick breadth, frequently taking up the area of six or more hanging blouses."

Activewear

Plan to fold yoga pants, exercise shirts, activewear, and anything else you'd wear to the gym. "If they're on a hanging, they may become crooked and stretched out," explains Keyser.

Shorts While you don't have to fold your shorts, there's really no need to hang them—they'd be better off folded and put in your closet. "Shorts should always be folded because hanging them makes no sense," Reynolds argues.

Items That Can be Hung or Folded

However, depending on space and personal inclination, certain clothing items may be folded or hung.

T-Shirts

T-shirts are one example. "T-shirts may be hung, folded, or piled," DeMorrow explains. "Without a doubt, hanging them decreases the likelihood of wrinkles. However, most current shirts have some elastic material (Lycra or similar) that enables them to remain wrinkle-free in any situation—[including when folded]. " If you do decide to hang your t-shirts, use the proper hangers—Keyser favors cushioned ones. "A softer (and broader) choice may assist reduce deformation caused by a small hanger," she says.

Jeans

Jeans are one of the most adaptable things in your wardrobe, and this is especially true when it comes to storage. "[Jeans] is the simplest to fold since they are generally on the thicker side and keep their form," Reynolds explains. "Of course, some people would rather hang them. If that's the case, I'd suggest folding them over the hanger."

Scarves

Do you have a scarf collection? "Scarves may be folded, rolled, or hung," DeMorrow explains. While scarves may be preserved in a number of ways, the size of the scarf frequently determines whether it is better to fold or hang. "Bigger scarves that double as shawls should be folded since it is simpler for something so large," Reynolds advises. "Small ones worn around the neck may be folded and kept in drawers or containers, or hung on scarf hooks."