Organize Your Sheets

Recently a friend asked me: how can she keep her bed linens together by size?

Sheets often get stuffed into the linen closet, making it hard to figure out what size they are, and the printing on sheet tags can wear out over time.

Here are 6 ways to keep your linen sets together:

1. Put the sheet set inside the pillowcase, and label your linen closet shelves. This is my favorite way to keep sheets by size together because it is so simple!

2. Store sheet sets in small bins, labeled by size.

3. Use a permanent fabric marker to indicate the sheet size right on the sheet - just put a “T,” “Q” or “F” for example on the sheet tag, or inside corner.

4. Use a band around the sheet set, like this “sheet keeper” that states the size on the band.

5. Another option is to store the extra sheets for the bed in that bedroom, either under the bed or in a drawer or closet. That way you’ll have the right size for the bed.

6. You can also color code your sheets by bedroom or size: light blue is master bedroom, while the green and navy sheets are the kids’ rooms.

Sheets kept in the pillowcase, on labeled shelves

Updating my Linen Closet

Recently we had our bathroom completely updated. As part of the renovation, we took some space from a nearby linen closet. This meant the closet was demolished to the studs, and new walls installed. With a coat of fresh white paint, this storage space was getting a makeover.

It was so fun to design a closet from start to finish (yes, this is what professional organizers get excited about). I considered the shelf options, and decided again to install an Elfa system from The Container Store. I’ve written before about how I love this closet system for bedroom closets, I was now going to give it a try for my new linen closet.

The heavy wooden, immovable shelves were replaced with adjustable elfa solid shelving. In the former closet there was a lot of space between shelves. I kept lots of toiletries in plastic shoe boxes and had to stack them on top of each other to efficiently use the space, but it was a pain to have to move the top box to get what was in the bottom. With the new elfa configuration, we were able to add another shelf - no more stacking!

I could also set the height of the first shelf to be high enough over what I wanted to store on the bottom. Instead of having the heavy stuff on the top shelf in the old closet, they could sit safely on the bottom. The light linens are now on top. And if my needs change, the shelves can move up or down.

I also decided that my new closet deserved a new set of bins. These easy reach-in bins keep all our toiletry items corralled. I labelled each so my family would know what goes where. I’m sure it won’t stay this organized, but it will be a much easier closet to use.

Closet Before

New Walls, no shelves

elfa installed

finished closet