A linen closet can easily become the junk drawer equivalent to everything bedroom and bathroom-related if you don’t know how to organize a linen closet properly. It can also be the best hiding place ever. Playing hide and seek with my sisters, as a child, I would climb into the linen closet, which was already in disarray. Proud of my creative hiding nest, I covered myself with sheets and towels and no one could ever find me. I mean, NO ONE could find me until I had to climb back out and ask, “What is taking so long?”
The truth is, your linen closet is probably overflowing with towels, bedding, sheets, and other similar items that have just accumulated over the years. Click To Tweet
You don’t need a magic wand because the linen closet is an easy makeover. You can do something about those toppling stacks of towels and hastily folded sheets faster than Cinderella slips on her glass slippers.
I’ll show you exactly how to organize a linen closet in an effortless manner. Once you’re done with the space, you may actually be excited to open that closet door.
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How to Organize a Linen Closet
1) Empty Out Everything
The first step is to take everything out of your linen closet. Place all the items you remove from the closet on a clean and spacious surface such as a bed. Chances are, the closet is dusty inside. So, take this opportunity to wipe it down. Vacuum the floor, including the sides of the closet.
2) Sort
Now that everything’s out in the open, sort through all your items. Put everything you want to keep to one side. You’ll give this your attention again shortly. Anything that’s torn, stained, or damaged in some way can be recycled, repurposed, or donated. Decide which items you’ll repurpose as rags and which you’ll be donating. Animal shelters are always in need of towels or sheets and would be grateful for your donation. Sheets that you no longer want make great covers for off season clothing.
3) Line the Shelves
I always line the shelving in a linen closet. Not only does it add extra protection for your clean linen, but it looks lovely. You don’t need to make it complicated. Simply cut the shelf liner to size and lay it on top of the shelves. (There are also pre-cut liners.) You can use double-sided tape too if you want to prevent it from moving around when you add the linen. There are many different types of shelf liner such as non-slip, scented, liner with a design, contact paper, liner for wire shelving, quilted, vinyl, washable, so you can get really creative.
4) Categorize & Organize
If you’re wondering how to organize a linen closet and then keep it organized, the secret is to create groupings. One way to categorize your linen closet is by dedicating each shelf for a specific item:
- Towels
- Sheets
- Blankets
- Pillows
- Comforters
- Miscellaneous items
Another way to categorize is by how you use the linen – so you would arrange it according to its specific purpose as I outline in the sections below.
5) Towels
I separate my towels according to which bathroom they are used in. Occasionally, I separate the towels by color – a different color for each member of the household so that everyone knows which towels belong to whom. This is especially useful if you have a houseful of children or just for sanitary reasons.
Neatly fold and stack the towels with the folded edge facing outward. This will make it easier to remove them. You can also roll all towels to use your space most efficiently. Keep sets together on the same shelf. (Bath sheets, bath towels, hand towels, washcloths.)
6) Sheets
I generally separate sheets according to the bed size (twin, queen, king, etc.). Another option is to organize the sheets according to the bedroom that they’re used in. This is a good option if you’ve organized your towels the same way. Keep your organizational process simple by choosing one method and sticking to it.
When it comes to bedsheets, it’s important to keep your sets together by storing them on the same shelf. This will prevent you from accidentally losing a pillowcase or mistakenly making up a mismatched bed. One way to keep sets together in your linen closet is to stack each item within the other. (As with towels, have the folded edge facing out). You can also fold and stack the set together and then slip everything into one of the pillowcases that match the set.
7) Other Items
Linen isn’t the only thing you can put in your linen closet. Depending on how much space you have, you can fit a number of other items in this space:
- Spare beauty supplies.
- Extra bathroom supplies and toiletries.
- A sewing kit.
- The first aid kit.
- Non-toxic bathroom cleaners.
- Swimming items.
Keep your linen closet looking tip-top, by placing these products into storage baskets according to category. Lazy Susan’s also works wonderfully for toiletries.
8) Label
Your linen closet can look amazing, but it’s not complete until you’ve added labels. Label each basket or category so that everything is easy to find. This makes it simpler to grab what you need and put away clean linen; even for other people in your household. There are some really lovely handmade labels available that can be purchased, printed, or customized with a label marker.
How to Launder Whites
- Separate whites from everything else.
- Read the labels.
- Soak heavily soiled items first, even overnight, in warm water using an enzyme detergent or 1/2 cup Borax before washing.
- Pre-treat stains with liquid detergent. (Scrubbing with a bar of Ivory soap can work wonders too). Gently rub the liquid into the fabric.
- Wash with a detergent that has a brightener. Add 1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice or 1/2 cup of baking soda to the wash.
- Use the hottest water the fabric will tolerate.
- Add 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar to the rinse cycle to brighten and ensure that all the detergent is removed from the fabric.
- Check garments carefully before placing them in the dryer or applying heat. If a stain remains, treat and wash again. Never dry a garment that still has a stain because it can become permanent.
- When possible, hang clothes outside to dry or dry at a low temperature.
Laundry Tip: Linen and cloth hand towels that have been handed down, hand-stitched, or pricey should be hand washed with a gentle soap made for fine linens.
Summary
No more worrying about how to organize a linen closet. You’ve done it! And the next time you open your linen closet, you’ll be in awe of the practical, functional, organized, and beautiful space you’ve created.
Not only will it make your life easier, but it will even simplify things for your family members.
Being able to find what you need when you need it is a time saver we all need. This is why it’s worth the effort to organize your linen closet too.
Are you ready to take on your linen closet now?
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