How to Organize a Dresser: 11 Clutter-Free Ways

A bedroom dresser provides you with the utmost comfort and convenience. It offers sufficient storage for most of your bedroom clothes and essentials, especially if you have a big drawer like this black 9-drawer dresser or taupe dresser from our collection. But not knowing how to organize a dresser could mean chaos and clutter and voids the overall bedroom dresser's purpose. We've rounded up 11 ways to organize a dresser that could spell the difference between a well-kempt and haphazard bedroom.

1. Empty your dresser drawers

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If you've tried tips on organizing a bedroom dresser and still find it untidy, let's start with a clean slate. Empty your dresser drawers and get every last item out. You want all items laid out on your bed or floor for the next few steps. If you have white dressers, like this Allyson Park dresser or Ashley Furniture white dresser, wipe them clean and remove grime and dust.

2. Know how to organize a dresser top

Let's start from top to bottom. Know how to organize a dresser top by ensuring it looks pretty and achieves vertical and horizontal balance. Always treat your dresser top as a place to hold your entertainment unit or curated decors instead of treating it as storage. A few decorative options include a stylish tray, a slender vase, or a casual mirror to match your wood Canyon dresser.

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3. Declutter dresser items

One of the reasons your bedroom dresser looks messy is due to contents that pile up. That said, it's time to lay out all items, so you can decide which ones to keep and get rid of. You want to classify items as things you want to keep, donate or recycle.

According to a master organizer expert, people sometimes store too many socks they don't need. If you can't get rid of your socks, consider a sock storage alternative, like a hanging shoe organizer with pockets that you can place on your closet's wall or the back of your bedroom door.

The essential step is to make way for new and more regularly-used items.

Pro Tip: If you're always buying new items, make sure to make space for these and get rid of old ones. Better yet, try not to hoard stuff you don't need.

4. Group items by category

If you have a dresser with fewer drawers like this Realyn 7-drawer dresser or Avalon 6-drawer dresser, it's best to store things according to categories. Take a look at the items you decide to keep and group them according to four categories:

By type of clothes. Items that go naturally together are underwear and bras. You may also group bulky and light items separately.
Per season. Another option is to categorize clothes according to season. This way, you're only reaching for the drawer fit for the current season.
Per occasion. This step will involve grouping clothes, such as party clothes, work wear, active wear, formal clothes, etc.
By colors. If your fashion style is particular with colors, group them according to the most used colors and infrequently used ones.

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5. Use organizers for better segregation

Instead of digging through smaller items in a jumbled pile, use organizers to separate items systematically. This is perfect for bedroom dressers with relatively bigger drawers. Knowing how to organize a dresser and use its ample space contributes to a clutter-free room.

Here are some dresser drawer organizers you can use:

Small bins made of wicker or fabric
Simple wooden or plastic dividers
Small bookends to separate clothes
Pill organizer for jewelry
Small dish rack

6. Maximize bedroom dresser drawer space

If you've freed up a dresser or two after getting rid of things you don't need, maximize the drawer space. Store other bedroom items, such as small handbags, purses, toiletries, cosmetics, or anything that fits. Knowing how to organize a dresser means prioritizing space and storage before anything.

7. Label your drawers

Labeling the drawers is one of the best tips for organizing a dresser. This eliminates the guesswork in finding where certain items are stored, preventing you from opening one drawer after another and wishing it's the right one.

This technique is helpful in children's rooms on a Donco kids' dresser, which will teach them where to put items. Try color coding with different knobs or plastering color-coded stickers on the drawer's face.

8. Take bulky items elsewhere

Your bedroom dressers are meant to store light, thin, and small clothes and items. When you fold bulky items like jeans, sweaters, or towels, these take up a lot of drawer space. Try moving and hanging them in your closet.

Pro Tip: Try different space-saving folding techniques to learn how to organize a dresser. Try “file folding” by folding items and arranging them upright instead of stacking them. Or you can also roll your clothes because whoever said rolling your clothes is only suitable for traveling?

9. Make sure go-to items are within reach

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You want to create a system that caters to your lifestyle. This is the only way to live comfortably, so you must ensure that go-to items are accessible. Maximize top drawer usage if you have a Magnolia Manor dresser with a two-column 4-drawer design and a row with smaller multiple drawers at the top. Keep your small go-to items on these smaller top drawers, like socks, perfume, and jewelry.

10. Make an effort to refold

Sometimes, we shove clothes or items in our dressers, especially if we're in a hurry. Next thing you know, you're frustrated the second time you go for those items because they're creased. Take a few seconds to refold items you wrongly picked out and file them properly. Making an effort is the only way to master how to organize a dresser.

11. Sort out your dresser regularly

Schedule a regular decluttering system to sort out contents in your bedroom dresser drawers. This way, you're not piling up items you no longer need, which take up space in your dresser. You can do this every quarter, so your dresser stays clutter-free and organized.