1. Take Stock
Remove and inspect every single item in your room. You might just feel like you've made a mess, but laying everything out gives you a clean slate to start reorganizing. It's also a great way to see what items you might want to get rid of or donate. Finally, taking stock helps you figure out what organizers or storage bins you can use for certain items.
Remove everything from closets, desks, and dressers, placing items on the floor, bed, or even temporarily outside the room. If taking everything out at once feels overwhelming or takes up too much space, work in sections. Start with the easiest areas to organize and gradually move into trickier ones.

2. Decide What to Keep, Store, Donate, and Discard
Discard or store items you rarely use. As you sort through belongings, you may encounter many things you've barely touched in the past months or even years. Use plastic bins or cardboard boxes labeled “Keep,” “Store,” “Donate,” and “Discard.” Discard as much as possible to minimize clutter.
Keep: Items you retain should be those you use regularly. If you've used it within the past two or three months, keep it.
Store: These are things you can't bear to throw away—items with sentimental value but rarely used. Store these items in the back of closets, the attic, or the basement. Donate: These items could benefit someone else but are no longer needed or used by you personally. These might be ill-fitting clothes or old textbooks.
Trash: These are items no one will use, including you. If an item is damaged or ruined in some way, or you can't remember the last time you used it, discard it.
Using the 20-second rule can help you sort items. If you have to spend more than twenty seconds looking at an item and asking yourself if you'll use it again, the answer is probably no.
 

3. Develop a system for organizing clothes in your closet
Arrange your clothes in a way that makes them easy to find. One idea is to organize by season and rotate them as the seasons change. For example, during warmer months, place summer clothes in front and winter clothes in the back.
If your closet lacks space for off-season clothes, store them in bins or elsewhere in the room, like a dresser.
Another option is to categorize clothes by color and season. For instance, gather all your summer clothes and arrange them by color (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, etc.).
 

4. Group similar garments together
For instance, place T-shirts, sweatshirts, and dresses in different sections of your closet.
Use colored hangers to help categorize your clothes. For example, hang T-shirts on green hangers, dress shirts on black ones, and sweatshirts on blue ones.
Various wardrobe storage boxes are also available. They're easy to install and help keep your clothes organized.

5. Utilize vertical space in your closet
Maximize all available space to fit more items in your closet. If you hang clothes inside, you might leave significant empty space on the floor and above the hanging garments.
Use this space to store other items.
For example, place a shoe rack at the bottom of the closet or install a shelf above your clothes to store folded pants and shorts. If space allows, add a vanity to your closet. If your closet doors open outward rather than sliding, invest in a hanging shoe rack or jewelry rack to mount on the door. If your closet lacks this type of door, another option is to hang a shelf on the back of your bedroom door.

6. Divide Your Dresser into Sections
Allocate specific spaces for certain clothing items. Assess how much usable space is in your dresser and decide where each item belongs.
For example, designate specific spots for socks, underwear, and folded T-shirts.
If you wish to store other garments in the dresser, choose items that don't wrinkle easily when folded, such as pajamas and workout clothes.
Place small bins or dividers in each drawer to help separate items. If you don't want to buy new storage boxes, repurpose old shoe boxes or similar containers for storing socks and other small items. Don't forget to keep the top of your dresser clean and organized. Use jewelry boxes, mason jars, or other small storage containers to organize small items.
 

7. Group Desk Items Together
Ensure every item on your desk has a designated spot. If your room's desk tends to get cluttered, organize it by grouping similar items together. For example, keep all pens and pencils in a cup or similar container, and organize papers in folders. Store other office supplies like staplers and scissors in desk drawers.
To reduce paper waste, consider digitizing all documents and paperwork for storage on your computer. Desk organizers can keep all your supplies in one convenient spot. Keep clutter on the desk surface to a minimum. Leave most of the desk clear for ample workspace. Another option is using a storage cart to hold your supplies. This is a great choice because you can easily move it to different spots around the room. Utilize under-bed storage space.

8. Make Your Bed
Make your bed every morning to motivate yourself to stay organized.
A freshly made bed can significantly help the entire room look tidier and remind you to keep the rest of the room clean. It's also possible some clutter has accumulated on your bed. If you have any blankets, stuffed animals, or pillows you no longer need, store, donate, or discard them if they're in poor condition. Store items in bins under the bed. You might not pay much attention to the space under your bed, but it's actually a very convenient and spacious storage area. Instead of just shoving things under the bed, invest in flat storage bins that slide in and out easily. Use them for off-season clothes, extra office supplies, shoes, and more. If you worry about forgetting what's stored there, choose transparent containers for easy visibility.

9. Maximize Empty Wall Space
Hang various clothing or accessory storage boxes on the walls. Bedroom walls are ideal for hanging jewelry organizers or hooks for hats, wallets, and jackets. Another idea is to install some shelving units for books and small trinkets. Be sure not to clutter your walls excessively. For example, remove any old posters, photos, or decorations you no longer wish to keep.