An organized closet isn’t necessarily one that looks like it’s come out of a catalog, but it is one where your clothes and shoes are stored in a way that’s easy to access and that keeps them in good shape. Getting your closet in order doesn’t have to be a daunting prospect, either. With these simple, straightforward tips from professional organizer Emily Wilska, you can bring a dose of organization to your closet with relatively little time and effort.

#1: Get rid of dry cleaning bags
When you get clothes back from the dry cleaner, leaving them in plastic bags is a bad idea. Plastic can trap vapors and moisture, both of which can damage clothes; in addition, these bags make it harder to see what’s what, and can make your closet feel crowded and cluttered.

Most clothes–especially those made of natural fibers like cotton and wool–do best simply hung up uncovered (or folded and put in a drawer). If you have items you really want to protect, such as special occasion clothing or pieces made of very delicate materials, choose sturdy suit bags or shoulder covers made of breathable nylon or cotton.

What to do with all of those plastic bags you take out of the closet? Many dry cleaners will take them back (often along with their accompanying metal hangers) for recycling. You can also try recycling them with other plastic bags (such as grocery sacks) at your local supermarket or recycling center.

#2: Re-hang anything that’s fallen
Your closet floor is a fine space for shoes, but not for clothes. Take a few minutes to re-hang anything that has slipped from its hanger. If the clothes on your closet floor need to be laundered, dry cleaned, or repaired, gather them together in bins or bags and then do something with them (e.g., put them near the door so you can bring them to the cleaner’s). Don’t let the floor serve as a space to store clothes; if something’s not worth hanging or folding on a shelf or in a drawer, chances are it’s not worth keeping at all.

#3: Standardize your hangers
Most of us will get through life just fine without having a full set of perfectly matching hangers. That said, there are benefits to choosing and sticking with two or three types of hangers: you’ll save space, make it easier to find things and put them away, and potentially keep your clothes in better shape.

At the very least, you’ll likely want one type of hanger for shirts and jackets and another for pants and skirts. You might also want specialty hangers for things like sweaters and dresses. Rather than choosing several different models of the same type of hanger (several different kinds of shirt hangers, say), find one model you like and stick with it. While you’re at it, get rid of any broken or rough-edged hangers, as well as any of the flimsy metal ones you get from the dry cleaner. Your clothes will thank you.

#4: Keep tabs on what you’re wearing
Most of us–yours truly included–have things in our closets we haven’t worn in a while, many of which can (and should) probably be weeded out at some point. It can be hard to remember for sure what you have and haven’t worn, though.

Give yourself a visual reminder with this simple trick: turn all of the hangers in your closet around so they’re hanging backwards, with the open part of the hanger facing the front of the closet rather than the back. Each time you wear something, turn its hanger around so it’s facing the back of the closet. Within a few months, you’ll have a good sense of what you’ve actually worn and, judging by the hangers that are still backwards, what you haven’t.

#5: Hang like with like
Finally, take a few minutes to sort the clothes in your closet in a way that makes sense to you and will make it easier to get dressed each day. You might choose to hang all of your short-sleeved shirts together, all of your long-sleeved shirts together, all of your pants together, and so on, or you might opt to hang things based on how often you wear them (everyday clothes together, weekend clothes together, special occasion clothes together). Choose categories that work for you, and get into the habit of returning things to where they belong, rather than simply hanging them wherever there’s space on the closet rod.

Get your closet more organized and more functional quickly by putting these five tips into practice. You’ll keep your clothes in better shape and will shave time off the process of getting dressed in the morning so you can focus on other things.

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Emily Wilska is an Inaugural Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of the San Francisco based company, The Organized Life. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), and the Director of Professional Development for the NAPO-SFBA Chapter. She is the Editor of the BellaOnline Organization site, the chair of the Scheme Committee of the Board of Certification for Professional Organizers, and the Editor of the NSGCD’s newsletter, The Chronical. Emily is also the author of Knack: Organizing Your Home.