What is the best way to organize a linen closet?
Sheets, bath towels, comforters, wash cloths, blankets, beach towels, extra toiletries, small appliances, air mattress – these are some of the many things that often get put in the small closets in bathrooms or hallways. But what actually belongs there, and how do you organize it?
What belongs in a linen closet?
Today we aren’t in my house, we are working in one of my wonderful clients’ homes who gave me permission to share her before and afters. In her linen closet we had a big mix of actual linens, extra towels for both beach and bath, and some other bathroom adjacent supplies that need a storage home. What belongs in a “linen” closet is very much up to you and what makes your space works for you. So what belongs in a linen closet? The things that you use near that space. Here’s how we decided what belonged in this space.
Where is your linen closet?
The closet we worked in today sits near the upstairs bathroom and two bedrooms. The things that make sense to put in that closet are things that are used regularly in that space. We used one shelf for wash cloths and hand towels. Because that top shelf sits higher than an average height person can comfortably reach, small labeled bins hold categories of items. This makes it easier to pull things down and put them away. It also hides items you don’t feel like folding on a busy day. The next shelf now serves as the spot for beach towels and bath towels. Because beach towels are oversized, we again chose to use a bin to hold them. Roll them and stand them vertically, or just toss them in when you’re short on time. The bin next door also keeps stacked bath towels from slipping all over the shelf.
Another shelf already conveniently held two baskets full of completely random odds and ends left over from the bathroom. Once we sorted through them and threw out anything expired, used up, or that belonged in a different place, two obvious categories emerged. We used one basket for mouth care. Things like toothpaste tubes and mouthwash bottles often lead to clutter, but a basket keeps them contained and prevents knocking them off. Another basket held items for wound care: bandaids, hydrogen peroxide, athletic tape, and related items. Anything that involves little pieces or round or slippery packaging works well in containers rather than stacked on shelves. Broad categories help keep things in their proper place so everyone in the house knows where they are.
The lowest shelf now holds surplus bathroom supplies in square boxes that are easily stackable plus small appliances. These things don’t need a new container because their packaging already works for organization. Now the family can also access the perviously buried air mattress together with the sheets that fit it.
What doesn’t belong in the linen closet?
Notice what didn’t end up in the “linen” closet? The double digit sets of sheets the family previously stuffed into the closet wherever they would fit. After going through all of those linens, many of them were stained, children’s patterns that had been outgrown, seasonal items, or redundant. The client made the decision that the closet worked better for bathroom storage. Now they store linens in inexpensive zipper pouches under the beds they belong on. This solution works for many situations with inadequate closet space but unused bedroom floor space.
Organization that fits you
The key is to make your space work for you. If you need to store extra Kleenex and bandaids in your linen closet, go right ahead. If you prefer to store all your sheets and blankets in one space so that bedroom laundry all goes to the same location, go right ahead. You get to decide how your space best works, but it works best if the things you need live where you need them and how you use them.
The best part? This linen closet reset took less than an hour and required no new purchases. The client already owned the baskets and bins we used. She temporarily stored linens under the beds in tote bags they already owned until she decided whether she wanted to purchase a more sophisticated option. Getting a handle on a space that seems overwhelming does not have to take a lot of time or a lot of money.
So if your “linen” closet has been driving you crazy, take just 5 minutes to go clean off one shelf today. Get rid of the garbage. Donate the things you no longer need. Move things that don’t belong to their true homes. Shop your own house for bins and baskets. If you don’t have an hour, do 10 minutes at a time. And before you know it, your linen closet will look good as new and work for you, too (even if it doesn’t have any linens in it!)
