How to Organize Your Workout Clothes Like A Pro
I don’t know about you, but I’ve started wearing activewear and workout clothes even when I’m not working out. It’s not a fashion statement. It’s just that my workout gear is oh so comfortable.
As a result, my workout wardrobe has expanded over the years and now I struggle to find what I’m looking for among the piles in my deep drawers. This is why I’ve been doing some research on organizing my exercise clothing.
So, how can you organize your workout gear? Closet space is limited for most of us, so you’ll need to use drawer dividers plus some tips and tricks like color coding.
If you’re sick of never being able to pull out your favorite workout gear, keep reading. I’ll show you how to tackle the mess and transform your wardrobe into something you’ll be proud of. You can customize my ideas to your closets, and you should be good to go!
How To Organize Workout Clothes
There are many ways to organize your workout clothes, but here’s a quick rundown of how I do it:
1. Allot space in your closet.
This is a crucial step, and the good thing is that you don’t have to have a ton of space.
I’ll talk more about some space-saving tips later, but for starters, make sure you have a particular space where you’re going to store your clothes.
2. Sort through your athletic wear.
Once you have made some space in your closet for your workout gear, you need to get organized.
First of all, sort through all your athletic wear and get rid of the pieces that don’t fit, are torn or ragged, or activewear you haven’t worn in more than a year.
3. Decide how you want to store your workout clothes.
You can store your workout clothes in drawers, on hangers, on shelves, or in baskets. You can, of course, use a combination of these wardrobe organizers.
That’s it! Simply deciding on where and how you want to store your clothes can make a huge difference.
How To Store Specific Types Of Workout Clothing
Knowing how to store specific types of workout clothing can save you a ton of space and make organizing easier too.
Here are some tips:
Sports Bras and Socks
Smaller items like sports bras and socks are best stored in drawers.
Drawer dividers can help you stay organized and make better use of deep drawers.
PRO TIP: I’ve found that instead of stacking sports bras on top of each other, if I store them vertically beside each other, I can see them all at once, and my drawer stays neat and tidy.
T-shirts, tank tops, and sweatshirts
I like to color code my tops and stack them on a shelf. This makes full use of the height of the shelf and leaves room for other clothes too.
Plus, they’re really nice to look at when they’re organized by color.
Bottom Wear
I keep my leggings and shorts in baskets because I tend to wear solid colors that are not very different from each other. But you can color code and stack them on a shelf if you prefer.
PRO TIP: Drawer dividers are a great way to separate tops and bottoms into separate piles if you don’t have much hanging space.
What’s The Best Place To Store Workout Clothes?
The best place to store workout clothes is where you can easily access them!
Dedicate a space in your closet specific for your workout outfits -- again, you don’t have to have a lot.
Activewear clothing has become an essential part of everyday wardrobes. We wear it when we exercise in the gym, go to yoga or pilates class, or participate in outdoor sports and workouts like running, hiking, and biking.
Many of us also wear workout clothing while running errands, relaxing at home, or as casual clothing on workdays.
If you’re keeping your workout clothes stacked on a chair in your bedroom, stuffed into a box under your bed, or lying around at various places around the house, you’ll have to develop a habit of actually putting your workout clothes inside your wardrobe.
Your yoga pants deserve closet space as much as the little black dress you love to wear to parties!
What If I Don’t Have A Fitness Clothes Drawer?
If you don’t have drawers, here’s what I suggest you do to get your workout clothes organized.
- Hang all your workout tops by categories (tops, tanks, tees, sweatshirts, and jackets)
- Sort them from dark to light or by color code (i.e. VIBGYOR - the rainbow colors violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red is an easy color code to follow)
- Fold your bottoms like leggings, yoga pants, joggers, and shorts.
- Create stacks of bottom wear according to categories and sort them by color.
Remember though, no two closets are alike. The traditional closet has a hanging bar and shelf space, but yours could be different.
The thing here is to maximize the space that you have by organizing your clothes neatly.
How To Store Sweaty Workout Clothes
Workout clothes can start smelling bad pretty quickly because they’re sweaty. Here how to store them.
- Give it a quick rinse.
Be sure to give your activewear a quick rinse immediately after you take it off. Squeeze out the excess water and keep it in an antimicrobial waterproof bag.
- Store them separately.
If you’re going to keep used workout clothes in a gym bag, don’t keep wet and dry clothes in one place, rather store them in separate compartments.
- Hang them to dry.
And as soon you get the chance, hang them out to dry or throw them into a breathable laundry basket until they are ready to be washed.
In general, it is a good idea to wash sweaty activewear outfits sooner rather than later.
Other Helpful Tips on How to Organize Your Workout Gear
- Donate
Like I said before… the easiest way to maintain order in your fitness clothes drawer is to go through your workout clothes and ditch the stuff you don’t wear. Donate the workout clothes you haven’t worn in more than a year (that’s a sign you’re probably never going to wear them again).
Someone might get good use out of them. And it will free up space in your closet, so that the next time you see a new collection of activewear, you can treat yourself to something fresh and trendy.
- Color code
Make color coding your mantra. Try it and you’ll see how easy it becomes to grab the workout clothes you want from your drawers.
- Use uniform hangers
Buy uniform hangers. It might seem like a little detail, but matching hangers can give your fitness closet a really neat look.
Some hangers even let you hang multiple leggings or joggers one below the other. This type of well-organized hanging can help you make the most of your closet space.
- Fold
Folding your workout clothes neatly takes just a few extra seconds but it can make a huge difference in keeping your fitness clothes drawer organized. Avoid stuffing clothes in without folding them first.
- Use bins and baskets
Use bins, baskets, or drawer dividers when you’re organizing your fitness clothes drawer. One type of item in each bin makes life so much easier and keeps your workout gear looking organized and neat.
- Sort
Follow the natural order of things in your fitness clothes drawer. Meaning, keep your underwear, socks, and sports bras on top, followed by your tops, and finally your bottoms like leggings and shorts in the lower part of your closet.
Conclusion
Did you find this information useful? Tell me in the comments below if you have any other tips on easily organizing your workout clothes and activewear. I’d love to hear your feedback.