A Lesson in Spring Cleaning With a Professional Home Organizer

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Velvet hangers are just better than clunky plastic hangers. They take up less of your precious hanging space, and the velvet material ensures that slippery garments like silk tops and button-down shirts you leave open will stay put. For Jamie, these are nonnegotiable. ($16.99+, Amazon)

One of the easiest ways to tidy up your closet is with these acrylic shelf dividers — you can just slide them onto the shelves in your closet to keep stacks of clothes neat. "Perfect for dividing sweaters, jeans, sweats, and more," Jamie says. "Bonus points if you divide by color." ($15.98, Amazon)

Jamie organized my closet using storage bins like these to contain my T-shirt collection, which is frankly ludicrous even after purging. It’s made a huge difference in how much I actually wear my tees since they’re now visible, accessible, and generally less intimidating to sort through. We also used them for my jeans, light sweaters, and sweatshirts. Jamie likes these because they’re “collapsible and hold a nice shape,” even after stuffing them to capacity. ($25.99+, Amazon)

Jamie uses the “filing cabinet” method for T-shirts. Fold your shirt normally, then fold it in half again and stack it inside the bin like a file. Use this contraption if you’re serious about achieving that perfectly crisp, flat fold. (If you ever worked in retail, you probably don’t need this.) ($16.99+, Amazon)

This is a compact, freestanding set of drawers comprising three drawers in two sizes (the top is narrow). Jamie recommends it to most of her clients because it has endless potential uses — my mom uses hers in the office as a filing cabinet, and the airy mesh drawers are well-suited for a bathroom or laundry room. Jamie had the genius idea to put one in my closet underneath my hanging rack for my bags. I end up stacking random items on top, like scarves and chunky sweatshirts in the winter, and folded-up skirts and bathing suits in the summer. ($184.99, The Container Store)

This is another of Jamie’s go-to bag storage solutions for both her clients and her own closet. It’s a set of three sturdy acrylic cubes you can stack in any way you want, with a door that swings open for easy access. Especially nice for displaying your favorite purses, and for safely storing the investment bags that deserve to not be smushed inside a random drawer. ($32.59+, Amazon)

These can be customized to fit almost any size drawer, and the ends are padded so they won’t scuff up the inside of your drawers or slip around once placed. They’ll automatically create more usable space. They're especially useful for creating order out of the chaos of your socks and underwear drawer. ($17.99+, Amazon)

Jamie recommends these enormous-but-flat zippered bags for storing out-of-season clothes, especially items that take up a lot of closet space like jackets, sweaters, and thick scarves, and sliding them underneath your bed to keep them out of sight. It’s honestly shocking how much these bags can hold, especially if you sit on them while zipping them up to get all the air out (a pro tip from Jamie). She also used these to pack up my sentimental clothes that I don’t wear often but still couldn’t bear to part with during the purge. ($15.88, Amazon)

A shoe rack speaks for itself, but Jamie likes this one because it just looks chicer than usual thanks to the Art Deco-ish gold finish and rounded edges. It’s also expandable, adjustable, and doesn’t require any hardware to assemble. ($27.97+, Amazon)

There’s almost nothing these simple plastic bins can’t do. Jamie says they’re ideal for backstock, snacks, and cleaning supplies, for use in your pantry, cabinets, or fridge. I have a few of these in my hall closet to hold all the makeup and skincare I don’t use daily. They also house all of the most absolutely random things I own, like hair extensions, cables, and sunglasses cases…all of which, by the way, Jamie really wants me to throw away. ($24.99+, Amazon)

Jamie says, “These bins are best for organizing bathroom drawers. The set comes with tons of different sizes so you can customize to fit your drawers. Perfect for holding makeup, hair ties and clips, cotton buds, cotton balls, and more.” Whichever bins you don’t use in the bathroom, you can put in your desk, night stand, kitchen drawers, or pantry. ($15.99+, Amazon) 

Another nice option for pantry organization, these clear bins have removable dividers, so you can customize the type of storage you’re looking for. Jamie says they’re great for snacks (especially things like protein bars and individual snack bags), spice jars, or pill bottles. ($23.99+, Amazon)