Conquer Your ‘Clothes Chair’ With These Simple Tips

The clothes chair is where we drop clean and worn clothes, and that can quickly get out if control.

The so-called clothes chair functions as a landing zone for clean laundry before it’s put away. Brie Williams/Dotdash Meredith/TCA

The dreaded clothes chairs—we’ve all got one. While the furnishing might take different forms, ranging from stationary bikes to benches, its function remains the same—a zone for clean clothes before they’re put away.

The clothes chair is where we drop garments we’ve tried on but aren’t quite feeling that day. It’s the place where we stack a pile of clean, freshly folded laundry when we just don’t have it in us to see the chore through. It might even be where we drop clothes to wear again tomorrow (we see you, favorite pair of leggings). However, this pile can quickly grow out of control. So how can you take back this corner of the bedroom? We’re sounding off on the best strategies to help you tackle the clothes chair once and for all.

1. Only Do One Load of Laundry at a Time

While the trick to keeping laundry from becoming overwhelming is to stay on top of it, throwing load after load in the washer as the clean clothes pile up can be a recipe for disaster.

Instead, take it one load at a time, seeing each one through from start to finish. That means an entire load is washed, dried, and put away (read: not on the clothes chair) before you start the next. While it might appear to take longer than consecutive loads in the washing machine, it can prove far more effective and manageable in the long run.

Stick to one load per day, depending on the size of your household, or set aside a day every so often where you tackle this chore from top to bottom. Either way, getting your laundry game under control is a great first step in solving your clothes chair problem.

2. Never Go to Sleep With Clothes on the Chair

A clutter-free room can help you rest easier. Having a designated time each day to put away any accumulated items can help ensure your overflowing clothes chair is a thing of the past.

With this method, daily practice is key, so be sure to find a time that works for you. Maybe you come in the door from work or finally get the kids down and can’t possibly add another task to the day’s list other than crawling into bed—we hear you. Add this item to your morning routine or your kids’ nap-time window. With daily attention, your clothes chair can still be a functional spot for dropping items quickly, but one that doesn’t bog you down.

3. Have a Designated Hook for Wear-Again Items

One of the biggest draws of a clothes chair is its use as a wear-again destination. It provides quick access to items that we routinely reach for, but they often get mingled with piles of freshly laundered clothes or items you’ve discarded after a particularly angst-filled try-on session.

While tackling laundry efficiently and getting in the routine of regularly cleaning off your clothes chair can be helpful strategies, the fact remains that you need a place to put those items that you wear daily (pajamas, those favorite leggings, etc.). Instead of fighting it, give them their own special place.

A hook or series of hooks mounted on the back of the bathroom door, in your closet, or simply in a discrete portion of your bedroom will ensure these pieces remain at the ready and in order. You also won’t be able to endlessly stack items one on top of the other with this method, so you’ll be forced to keep a small and tidy contingent of items.

4. Create a Wear-Again Zone in Your Closet

If you have the space in your closet, creating a wear-again zone can be a similarly effective strategy with the bonus of staying out of sight (no more visual clutter!). Add a few hangers to a small portion of your closet to make utilizing it nearly effortless. You can choose to hang the hangers in an opposite direction to set this area apart from the rest of your clothes, showing which items have already been worn and are ready for a second round.

If your clothes chair works for you, there’s no shame in that game. But if you’re ready to actually use that space for sitting, these strategies might just help you get there.

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