How to find things again

Short answer: Give each type of item a fixed place and keep it there. If you move things every time you tidy up, you spend longer searching than tidying.

A fixed place beats a pretty system

An average system you remember beats a perfect one you forget. What matters is not where things are, but that they are always in the same place. When your hand knows where to go, finding something takes no time, and neither does putting it back. See bamboo joggers for women.

One type per place

Give each type of clothing its own drawer, shelf or box. Socks in one place, underwear in another, T-shirts in a third. When types are mixed, you have to search several piles to find one thing. A clear split also shows how much you have of each kind and when something is running low.

Most used at eye level

What you take every day should be where your hand lands first. Underwear, socks and T-shirts belong in the top drawer or on the shelf you see when the wardrobe opens. Things you rarely use can go higher up or further down. See most popular from Copenhagen Bamboo.

Put things back in the same place every time

A system only works if you keep it. Put clothes back in their fixed place when they come out of the wash, even when you are busy. It takes no longer than putting them somewhere new, and it saves time the next morning. Avoid the chair that slowly becomes an extra wardrobe.

Label boxes that are stored away

A box without a label is never opened again. Boxes in the loft, the basement or at the top of the wardrobe get forgotten because you cannot see what is inside. Write the contents on the side facing out, so you can find the right one without opening them all. See bamboo sweatpants for women.

Fold so you can see everything

Clothes standing on end in a drawer are easier to find than clothes in stacks. You see every piece at once and do not have to lift the top ones to reach the bottom. It works especially well for T-shirts, leggings and underwear, which otherwise quickly become a messy pile.

Keep the system simple

The more rules, the sooner the system is dropped. Stick to a few categories and a few places. If you have to think about where something belongs, the system is too complicated. It needs to hold up on a busy day without you having to look anything up.

Tidy a little and often

A few minutes a week keeps things in order better than one big clear out a year. Put back what has ended up in the wrong place and remove what you no longer wear. That way the clutter never grows, and you always know where things are.

Frequently asked questions

How do you find things again

By giving each type a fixed place and keeping it. The system should be easy to remember rather than pretty, and simple enough for a busy day.

What should be kept at eye level

What you use every day. Underwear, socks and T-shirts should be where your hand lands first when the drawer opens.

Should boxes be labelled

Yes, if they are stored away. A box without a label is rarely opened again, and what is inside gets forgotten.