3 Tips for Organizing Your Linen Closet

Ah, with warmer temperatures approaching and the exodus of winter, many of us are starting to fire up our spring cleaning project list.

 

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I’ve been tackling our linen closet in phases, and I’m so excited to share it with you!  I started two years ago, and since my blog was just a dream at that point I don’t have any before pictures to share. Feel free to use your imagination!

This project covered three organizing basics.

Purge
Organize
Simplify

 Purge the old linens

Years ago, I came across a tip for organizing bed linens. Place each sheet set into a pillowcase and only keep two sets of linen for each bed.

Since our children share bedrooms, I simply organized the pillowcase bundles by room. Once I delegated the folding of towels and linens to one of my children the stacks started to resemble the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

I invested in a few foldable bins from Target and placed bed linen for each room in a basket. This made the closet a little more appealing to the eye and the children were relieved of their obligation to make the stacks look super neat.

We still place each set in a pillow case before placing it in the basket. The sheets occasionally peek out of the baskets as you can see from the photo below.

 

 

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I put the final touch on the baskets last summer by placing a clip on label (also from Target) on each bin. I used my label maker to identify the contents of each basket.

If purchasing a label maker isn’t in your budget, you can also print  your own labels  (using address labels) and affix them to the bin clips.

 Purge ( the old towels)

Truth be told, our towel supply was in a sad state. We had towels that were unraveling, towels that were faded and towels that most of our children had outgrown.

It was just one of those “to do’s” that wasn’t a priority. That is until two months ago when five family members came for a visit. We were going to need five extra sets of towels for 2-5 days!

After purging the towels that were unfit for use (on a person or for cleaning), I picked up matching towel sets for our guests during Target’s White Sale. I identified these as our guest towels, meaning not for everyday use. Which should preserve them for a while.

A long standing idea on my organization list had been to give each child a specified towel color. An easy way for them to differentiate their towel from another sibling and hopefully reduce the “ You used my towel!” outburst in our house.

  Simplify 

 

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Continuing with the basket theme. I simplified by grouping  all similar items together and placing them in a basket. With a label of course.

  • Washcloths
  • Hand towels
  • Pool Towels
  • Crib sheets
  • Laundry bags
  • Tablecloths

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That’s it! Now we can easily find what we need and the closet has enough eye appeal for me to share with the world!

Now it’s your turn.  Leave a comment and tell me what Spring cleaning project you’re working on.

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Comments

  1. I wish my close was half as organized as yours! My closet looks like a mess. I really need to organize it this weekend. Thanks for sharing.

  2. I really appreciated the idea! I have an area in my bathroom where this would work. By any chance can you give some step by step details on how you placed all the sheets for each bed into the pillow case?
    Elizabeth recently posted…How Can It Be?My Profile

  3. Tiffany, wow – did you read my mind? Where you in my house the other day when I opened up the upstairs hall closet (just a few feet from our washer and dryer)? Did you hear me say, “We need to organize this. It’s so out-of-control!” 😀 I know what you mean by the Leaning Tower of Towels! (This only began to happen when my oldest two began putting the linen away. How come it leans for them they ask and not me? Practice, I tell them. Practice!) I will be showing this post to my husband so he knows what I will be doing. I like that you said your children were relived they did not have to have the linens folded so “perfectly”anymore. I think my children will feel the same way. Thank you for the inspiration to get this done! ~Adrienne
    Adrienne recently posted…Gluten Free PB&J TacosMy Profile

  4. I love the idea of the baskets in the closet, I use them in other places for organization around the house, but have never thought of using them in the linen closet. thanks for that piece of inspiration…
    As spring is upon us I will be re-organizing my office. I use it as a studio also and as my little sanctuary.
    Christine Paul recently posted…Small Dog Agility: 4 Reasons to ParticipateMy Profile

  5. This is such a practical post, and a project I’ve been wanting to do for a long time! I will definitely be using your tips…I love those little bins!!
    Carla recently posted…Name Recognition & Writing Series!!My Profile

  6. Great idea. I recently got some baskets to do something similar to this in my kitchen pantry.

  7. I loved the look into your linen closet. Everything fits in very well, doesn’t it? Kudos on getting organized. Our spring cleaning goal is to get down and scrub those floors lol It’s been too long (I regretfully admit) since it was done 🙂
    Vicky recently posted…Book review: The Case of the Missing Moonstone by Jordan StratfordMy Profile

  8. I feel like I organize my linen closet every single week. And it always goes back to looking seriously scary. I think the idea of linen in a pillow case, but also in a bin is great. Your closet looks neat and organized and the best part is that it is easy to find things. Kudos for such a great organization technique. Can’t wait to see more!
    Jenn recently posted…Friday Means Free Kids’ AppsMy Profile

  9. Ah, a label maker really comes in handy. I need to make better use of mine. I like the idea of keeping linens in baskets like this…keeps everything tidy. My spring cleaning tasks will involve sorting my wardrobe into spring/summer attire and storing the winter clothing. I will also have to declutter my living room, it’s starting to feel suffocating in there.
    Yona Williams recently posted…Congrats to the Winner of the caseable GiveawayMy Profile

  10. This is a project I have been wanting to tackle for a long time. Thank you for all the great tips! Your linen closet looks amazing. I just did the purge part recently, so now it’s on to the organizing. I love the bins you chose. I might have to make a trip to Target! Thanks again!
    Lynne recently posted…7 Tips on How to Style Your BookshelvesMy Profile

  11. Bertha Brown says

    These are great ideas. My poor closet needs lots of organization and sadly i’ve been putting it off far too long. This would be helpful and make my linen closet look pretty like I have been wanting it to.

  12. Oh using those bins help with organizing so much! We have them in different parts of the house! Seeing your organized closet has me thinking about tackling the closet in my kids’ bathroom. It could use a good purging, cleaning and organizing!
    Michelle recently posted…Your Beautiful Heart, Lauren ScruggsMy Profile

  13. I love the fabric bins and I use them everywhere I can. They are perfect in keeping things organized. Thanks for the motivation.
    Danielle recently posted…Precision Pet Products Dog Sleeper $4.56My Profile

  14. Oh I have so much to do – and it never seems to all get done! We just did a good cleaning of the windows and next we are weeding through toys to see what can be donated.
    Danielle recently posted…Daily Deal Roundup – Deals Posted Today That Are Still AvailableMy Profile

    • Ooh, we need to give the toys a good purge too. Kudos on getting your windows clean, that can be a big job (one I’m not fond of by the way) 🙂

  15. I love the idea of storing these items in the bins! I would have never thought of that, but I can’t wait to give it a try. We keep towels in one place and sheets in another and somehow both end up in a mess. And, I have baby towels still and no babies and way too many sheet options that either don’t have matches or just don’t get used. I think you just motivated me to get to work, thanks for the great idea!
    Stephanie recently posted…5 Common Mistakes in MarriageMy Profile

  16. I love your closet! We already use the sheets stored in pillowcases trick, but could definitely stand to invest in some cute bins. Thanks for sharing. Your family seems so sweet. I love your purpose here! I’ll definitely subscribe. 🙂
    Melody Maynard @ Joyfully Ever After recently posted…Put It In Your PurseMy Profile

    • Melody, your comment brought a smile to my face! My family is sweet, & I’m so thankful for them. Thank you for signing up to my email list, that means a lot.

  17. I am SO into storage boxes – they make everything in ANY room look great. You can maximize so much space. I did a purge on linens years ago and now keep a minimum amount and love it. Now, if I could just convince my mom to do the same!
    Andi recently posted…Traveler Tuesday – Denise of Kuanyin’s TravelsMy Profile

  18. I am in love with the bin idea. Sadly, my linen closets are much smaller and bins won’t fit. I did use those plastic baskets for the small items though which helped the kids know where to find those smaller things and they aren’t falling out the closet and ending up on the floor anymore.
    My current project is my home decor closet. One of my basement closets contains a bunch of old home decor that I was sure I would use some day. Turns out, by the time you decide you want to use it, it is no longer useful because it went out of style 10 years ago. Who knew? So I decided it was time for it to go. Those items that were worth something, I sold on one of those Facebook sales sites, which is a bit time consuming, but much less so than an actual garage sale. The rest went to GoodWill. Now my closet is ready for something else fun! Great post, thanks for the visual of what an organized closet should look like, I had forgotten. 🙂
    Kris E. recently posted…Sunday is for Meal Prep – by KrisMy Profile

  19. What a great idea to use those fabric baskets for holding sheets – never thought of that! Mine are always sliding…and having my kids help with laundry never helps! 🙂 I’m actually putting that on my list of items to buy. One simplifying tip I instituted about a year ago was buying just one towel for each of us in the family. I bought thick linen towels, which can be an initial investment ($40+ per towel) but last forever. They are naturally antimicrobial so can be used a few times before washing. I bought neutral tones but different patterns so it’s easy for the kids to tell theirs apart. They’re easy to wash and they hang to dry and dry within a couple hours. Simplified my laundry routine! No more loads of towels. Helped purge our linen closet too. I do keep a few regular towels on hand for guests, but that’s it. Been working for us for over a year now.
    Christy recently posted…Roasted Balsamic-Glazed CarrotsMy Profile

  20. My closets really need some organizing. Thank you for your suggestions. I especially like the labeling suggestion. Then I can open the doors and see where everything is. I am motivated.

  21. Great ideas. I have done a good cleanout of my linen closet, but the bins would make it easy to find towels and washcloths. I’m going to keep my eyes on Home Goods for just the right bins.
    Carol Z recently posted…Happy St. Patrick’s Day…My Profile

  22. Living in a small, shoe box apartment, there shouldn’t be much of a spring cleaning to do as it’s fairly easy to arrange or organize things on weekly/monthly basis. But the truth is – it’s just the opposite — funnily enough the smaller space the more to organize 😉 Thank you for pointing at the linen department, Tiffany – I’ve been rotating between only a couple of towels and bed linen so it’s a good time to shake up the household and bring new patterns on the scene.

    I have looked through your site, Tiffany and really like it here. I’m glad I’ve found some interesting articles like Eating the elephant or Teaching with life. And I love the picture of your children. I’m looking forward to get to know you and your little nook of the wide web better. Have a great day 🙂
    Eli recently posted…SPRING ART PROJECT – POKE YOUR NOSE INTO OUR GARDENMy Profile

  23. Thank you for some great ideas. I have so many random sheets and pillowcases. Every time I get in my closet to find something, I have to unfold sheets and try to match the right ones together. Your idea of putting the sheets in the pillowcase is great. I am going to do that. My closet looks organized, but it takes me a long time to find what I am looking for. I also need to get rid of my random sheets. I always needed sheets for ghost costumes and other things when my kids were at home, but now they are gone and I need to get rid of some. Thanks for your suggestions.

  24. I like your idea for organizing the linen closet. I may just have to do that myself. There is no major spring cleaning project on my list at the moment. I just need to finish my bedroom closest from a project that I did a few weeks ago on my room.

  25. We did the purge and simplify a few months ago. I purchased a bunch of new things because our were so ratty. But I have my stuff in ugly totes. Why it never occurred to me to put them in cute little fabric cubes alludes me. It looks great. I am going to do this ASAP! I love it. Looks so much better than what I have going on.
    Amanda Smith recently posted…My 30 Days’ Journey to a Fulfilled Life {Book Review}My Profile

  26. What a fabulous idea! My linen closet has been silently begging me to organize it for some time! I hope to put some of your beautiful ideas to work. Dividing linens by placing them in lovely baskets is a fantastic idea. Awesome!
    Melanie (Wren) recently posted…Family, Fun & Homeschooling! Featuring Jen from Happy Little HomemakerMy Profile

  27. I love storing things in pretty bins with labels! Great idea on the different colored bath towels for each kid. I need to do that. Your linen closet looks great!
    Debi Randol recently posted…Why I Finally Bought a Bratz DollMy Profile

  28. What a way to speak my language! ORGANIZATION! What great ideas.. Purging and not keeping no more than 2!
    We currently have 7 beds in our home.. Not to include the fold out bed. I will be purging a bed, and the other hundred sheets:) Towels – wow.. A set for company will definitely keep a smile on their face when they don’t have to grab one of our very used ones:) THANK YOU – more purging coming right up!

  29. I love the basket idea! A great way for you to help the kids, help you. I think this is something I will be incorporating into my house. Thanks for the idea!
    Tori recently posted…My favorite HammerMy Profile

  30. I don’t have a linen closet: ( We downsized and now our family of 5 (plus a dog) live in a 970 square foot home. We divided the linens among 3 bedrooms and two bathrooms. Each room has a laundry basket at the top of the closet with all the back up linens. It’s a tight squeeze but it works.
    Dorothy @ The Creative Recycler recently posted…DIY Easter Egg CrayonsMy Profile

  31. Our big project, as of late, is to get our movie collection under control. We own nearly 1,000 movies on DVD, Blu-ray or digital. They took up almost three bookcases and a lot of space in our home. After getting them under control, I’m planning to create a blog series to help other get their movie collection under control – no matter the amount of movies you own. Plus I’ll be giving away the stack of duplicate movies that I discovered.

    (If this duplicated, I apologize. My internet went out the moment I clicked post comment.)
    Angi recently posted…Garlic Herb Mashed PotatoesMy Profile

    • Wow, that sounds like quite a job. We have some lonely movies that will never see the inside of a DVD player at our house that could use a new home. Maybe I’ll add that to my Spring Cleaning list. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment Angi!

  32. Great ideas! My linen closet is a hot mess. I definitely need to re-organize. I have about 8 sets of sheets for our queen bed, which is now a guest bedroom after we upgraded to a king. I also have all my old college dorm day towels in tons of fun colors that do not even match or go with our decor. Time to purge!!! 🙂
    Rachel recently posted…MARCH MADNESS!My Profile

    • We have four sets for our bed, but those are stored in our bedroom. I had to smile because I too had towels from my college days that I finally parted with just a few months ago!

  33. Wow, you’re super organized! Some of my favorite tips from the article were (1) placing the sheet set inside a pillowcase. What a great way to keep everything together! Even without the bins this would make for a more organized look; (2) saving a set of towels for ‘guest only’ – I agree, that would definitely prolong them (we don’t have guests over often) but it also makes you prepared for the unexpected guest; (3) towels color coded by person – I don’t have kids – its just me, my husband and our two dogs – but I can see how that would be a great idea for a family. My brother and his wife have two kids and as the kids get older I think they might like this idea.
    Jennifer recently posted…Rebel Heart Review: Can Madonna’s New Album Revive an Old Fan?My Profile

    • Hi Jennifer! It’s a true time saver to be able to open the closet and find what we need so quickly. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

  34. With the winter we had I never thought I’d be so happy to see the words “SPRING cleaning!” These are some great tips! Aren’t baskets awesome for keeping clutter looking organized?!
    Deb recently posted…Allure Sample Society Subscription Box Review – March 2015My Profile

    • Oh so true! We had a winter that felt like it wasn’t going to end. So thankful to see sunshine, warmer temperatures and hear birds chirping.

      And yes, baskets are one of my go to items for keeping clutter organized. I’m especially a fan of the collapsible type because they take up minimal space should I need to store them. Thanks for stopping by Deb 🙂

  35. I love baskets. I recently used them to organize our DVD’s. I sorted the dvd’s by genre and then put them in baskets with labels on the front. I also recently packed up all of our children’s books (hundreds of them). Now every couple of weeks we open up one box and enjoy the books until it’s time to repack them and get another box. No more books scattered all over the house.
    I do the same thing with towels – one easily identifiable one for each child.
    Jennifer S. recently posted…What I’m Loving (3)My Profile

  36. Your closet looks great! I really need to take everything out of my linen closet and do exactly what you have done. Well, at least the part about the purging and organizing. My linen closet is too small for those baskets, but I’m sure I could find some sort of containers that would help me to organize the things that remain.
    Elaine recently posted…Coffee TalkMy Profile

  37. Although I don’t have a linen closet these are 3 fabulous and easy ways to clean any closet! I like the idea of getting the collapsible bins for storage. Thank you for sharing!
    Stevi recently posted…A Walk In The WoodsMy Profile

  38. What a timely post for me to read. I have been doing this exact thing in my master bathroom. I took the time to purge and organize for a simplified appearance. I am still in the process of making the labels for my baskets, etc. but am a looking forward to finishing the project since reading your post. Thanks for the great ideas and inspiration you shared here!
    Kelly recently posted…Margin. What is it and How do we get it?My Profile

  39. I seriously need the help for my linen closet. It’s such a mess and the towels have gone beyond the leaning tower of Pisa. Linen closet has been on my “to do” list forever, I just didn’t want to tackle it to have it end up looking the same way again. Your post gives me inspiration! Love the bins for sheets in each room and LOVE the labels! We do a lot of bins here so they can come in handy in so many places. Looks like I will be hitting Target!
    Scarlett recently posted…The Truth About Weight LossMy Profile

  40. I love your ideas. I am in the middle of a 12 Week Organization Overhaul and we tackle our linen closets tomorrow. I am going to implement your ideas and send my readers your way! I LOVE, LOVE the clip on labels. I will be searching for those at Target. Great post!
    Kelly O’Brien recently posted…The 12 Week Home Organization Overhaul~Day 49My Profile

  41. Labels! YES!

    I have a lot respect for anyone who uses labels in smart ways, I loved this! Nice work.

    The one funny part I liked was your comment about the towels… and having towels for kids that they’ve outgrown… years ago haha We have the SAME situation here.

    I have a feeling my fiancé and I are going to be doing something just like this, seriously, THANK you for sharing this.
    Alan recently posted…Unity 5 – The Blacksmith Demo YouTube GDC 2015My Profile

    • Alan, thanks for stopping by I’m delighted that you found this post helpful. Labels are a lifeline in our house. Helps everyone know what goes where and where to find what we need. Huge time-saver for sure.

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