Organizing the Linen Closet

Even if you are lucky enough to have a linen closet or two in your home, you know they can easily become a black hole of stuff! I wrote recently about how I updated my closet, here’s how to keep it organized:

• To start, take everything out. Sort out what really belongs in the linen closet, and clear out all the things that can get stored elsewhere.

• Put like with like: sheet sets together, bath towels together, pillows together…you get the idea. Do you have more than you need? Some say to keep only 2 sets of sheets per bed in your home, and 2 sets of towels per person.

• If it’s challenging to keep your sheet sets from getting mixed up, try this trick: store the sheets in one of the set’s pillow cases. If you like to keep all your flat sheets together, pillow cases together, store them in canvas bins.

• Put aside any linens you never use and donate them. Many pet shelters look for donated sheets and towels. There may also be places in your town to recycle textiles. Our town has fabric recycling bins at every elementary school.

• If you have toiletries or cleaning items in the closet, get appropriate containers to corral the items. I have used clear shoe boxes for toiletries, and just got new reach-in white bins for my updated linen closet. My cleaning supplies are in a crate on the bottom of the closet, and can easily be pulled out when needed.

The linen closet is one of those spaces that needs a tune-up every few months to keep it organized.