Clever Ideas for Organizing Your Linen Closet

Is it tough to tell a fitted sheet from a pillowcase when you open your linen closet? Are numerous bath towels, some faded and worn, taking over your storage closets?  Baskets, fabric crates, and other containers can assist you in organization with your linens to keep them neat and orderly.

Straighten up an unruly linen closet with the below simple steps.

Sort it Out

Spending a little effort to use organization when putting your linen in storage can save you frustration and time. First, remove all linens and sort them by type.

For example, all towels, all flat sheets, all pillowcases, etc. Sorting is easier if you assign one linen color to each room—Blue for the guest bathroom, green for the master bedroom, etc.

Continuing, a large flat surface such as a bed or dining room table is a good workspace.

Examine each linen for stains, holes, or worn, thin areas. Worn bathroom and kitchen linens can be cut up for cleaning rags or thrown away. If you’ve accumulated too many bathroom towels over the years, give extras to friends or donate to charity to make more storage space in your closets.

For bulkier items, such as comforters, consider storing them in another room.

Set Some Limits

Limit your bed sheet sets to three per bed. Keep three-bath sets (bath sheet, hand towel, washcloth) per family member.

You’ll have:

• One set on a bed
• One set in the hamper
• Store one set in the linen closet, ready to go.

Keep more than three bath sets if your washing and cleaning your towels daily. Finally, for regular overnight guests, keep two guest bath sets.

Divide and Conquer

Divide each linen into groups according to the room- bedding for each bedroom, towels for each bathroom, tablecloths, and napkins for the kitchen. Keeping special occasion linens together in a storage closet is also a good idea.

Lastly, organize groups according to size and color.

Closet Prep

After you’ve decided what to keep, start cleaning the empty closet shelving with water and a damp sponge. Let the storage closet dry. Optional: Line the closets with scented acid-free tissue paper. It helps prevent fabric yellowing.

If you have adjustable shelves in your closet, raise or lower them-

• 10″ vertical space for sheets and table linens
• 12″ to 16″ vertical space for bathroom towels, and
• 18″+ for top shelf, bulky items like blankets, quilts, or comforters

No adjustable shelves? Customize the available space with closet accessories-

• Baskets
• Plastic lidded bins
• Canvas crates

If funds permit, purchase storage closet extras such as under-mount wire baskets or shelf dividers at home improvement or container stores.

Frequently used linens, in the bathroom and kitchen, should be stored at eye level so they can be reached easily—place out-of-season linens on the storage closet’s top, bottom, or back.

Next, stack beach towels behind bathroom towels. Lastly, place bulky items like quilts, pillows, and comforters on the top shelf in zippered storage bags.

Antique and Cherished Linens

Precious family linen like lace tablecloths or fancy napkins should be hung on a non-wire hanger or fold and stack on a closet shelf lined with acid-free tissue paper.

 Hints and Tips

• Place each linen infrequently used in the guest room toward the back of the storage closet.
• Store each table linen (table cloths, napkins, runners) in labeled, lidded boxes.
• Leave space between stacks, boxes, or baskets to allow air to circulate since an overstuffed linen closet can lead to mildew and funny smells.
• Keep each linen smelling fresh with a box of baking soda or activated charcoal.
• Tuck in small sachets of French lavender, cedar chips, or vanilla to impart a pleasant aroma.
• Utilize the space behind the closet door by hanging small baskets to store soap, bath toys, or personal items.
• To keep each bed linen neat and tidy, slip folded sheets into matching pillowcases.
• Finally, make sure each linen is evenly used by placing newly laundered items on top of the stack. To use, pull from the bottom.

Labeling

Labeling is a good idea to identify sections of the closet by a particular linen type. When every linen is sorted and stacked, you should also label the front of the shelves.

In addition, metal label holders, available at hardware stores, can be attached to the bathroom shelf front with two small nails. You can also use printed or handwritten adhesive labels taped to the shelf front.

 

Quick Towel Folding Tutorial

Folding towels using this method makes it easy to hang on the towel bar and easier to store in a bathroom closet too.

Step 1-

Fold the towel in thirds, lengthwise.

Step 2-

Next, fold the bathroom towel again, width-wise. Then fold again to make a rectangle.

Since linen closets are rather small, consider rolling your bathroom towels to save space.

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