Simple Steps For Organizing The Linen Closet Like A Professional Organizer
Organizing the linen closet isn’t exactly the most glamorous space in your home *wink* And yet it is often where we keep some of the coziest items in our homes.
Over the years, Elegant Simplicity has helped a ton of Seattle, Washington organizing clients (and a few nationally as well) truly transform their less-than-luxurious linen closets into intuitive + functional spaces.
So, whether you’re simply on the hunt for linen closet organization ideas OR you’re looking for us to do it for you in our full-service organizing membership — you’re in luck friend!
AND if you’re wondering how much clutter is actually costing you — then you should definitely check this out :)
We know linen closets can be tough to tackle for you, so we’ve created a few simple steps to follow to help you with organizing the linen closet.
Let’s dive in sis!
HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR LINEN CLOSET
REMOVE EVERYTHING FROM THE LINEN CLOSET
Regardless of how big or small your linen closet is — the very first thing we need to do is remove everything.
And we know that sounds crazy, especially for big closets or linen closets that are over stuffed — but it’s necessary.
By pulling everything off the shelves + then taking everything out what you’ve done is now allowed your mind to objectively envision:
If this storage space even functional or do we need a better closet solution for linen storage?
How to make better use of the space?
Does everything that was in this space need to go back in it?
And of course my friend, as an added benefit we’ll likely find that missing pillowcase, the cozy blanket you forgot about or hand towel you’ve been looking for *wink*
SORT ALL THE STUFF
Now that your shelves are empty + everything has been removed from the linen closet, we can actually begin sorting.
Sorting is the process of grouping like items.
While this is a fairly simple process, it is extremely important because it’ll give us clarity around what we may have too much of, not enough of OR none at all.
With over a decade of experience as professional organizers we can tell you that one of the main reasons people need help decluttering + organizing their linen closet is simply because they have too much stuff.
For whatever reason, the linen closet winds up becoming a bottomless black hole for everyone to shove things we otherwise don’t know what to do with. Which makes sense, because when we have too much stuff it becomes really challenging figuring out how to make sense of any of it.
Creating linen closet organization isn’t always easy for everyone but we try to make the process feel simple.
Grouping items together by category. And then, continue grouping anything else that might fit into their own category.
Example of linen closet categories:
duvet covers, duvet inserts, comforters + blankets
pillows + pillowcases
mattress covers, bedsheets,
towels, toiletries + bathroom supplies
Everyday tablecloths, placemats + dinnerware
Holiday-themed tablecloths, placemats + dinnerware.
And while you’re at it…
CREATE A DONATE PILE + A TRASH PILE
Create a ‘donate pile’ for items that are still in good shape but that you no longer use or feel compelled to keep.
Create a ‘trash pile’ so you can easily toss + dispose of anything that’s heavily worn, is broken or happens to be expired.
What these piles do is not only separate the things you’re keeping from what you’re giving away or trashing BUT they help you make the mental shift — that it’s ok to not keep it all. The goal is to keep everything you need + nothing else®
STRATEGIES FOR PUTTING THE LINEN CLOSET BACK TOGETHER
With everything grouped in ‘like items’ piles (+ after doing a bit of decluttering along the way), it’s now time to explore the best way to put things back on your linen closet shelves.
If you have adjustable shelves, consider leaving 20” or more from the top shelf to the ceiling. This way, you can put any bulky items like extra duvets on the top shelf. All other shelves should be between 10-14” so that your piles of linens don’t become teetering towers that look like they’re going to fall over.
With your shelf height set — you can start to put things back. And you can do this a few different ways.
We prefer to organize linen closet shelves by designating a shelf (or two) for everyday use by room: bedroom, bathroom, dining, etc. and place the extra bedding that you would use every day on the bedroom shelf, the extra towels on the bathroom shelf + so forth.
Depending on your lifestyle, if you like to have overnight guests you might have a shelf that’s designated + has extra bed linens, bath towels, etc for when your family or friends stay over.
WHAT TO DO WITH SEASONAL LINENS IN YOUR CLOSET
What about seasonal linens? Things you don’t use very often — or it’s only for special occasions (holidays, gatherings, etc.)? What do you do with that stuff?
Well, space permitting + if your linen closet allows for enough storage, we love to create a separate shelf for seasonal items (typically this winds up being one of the harder to reach shelves).
What this does is allows you to know exactly where to go when the need for these things arrives.
CONTAINERIZING YOUR LINEN CLOSET
With everything categorized, this is the perfect opportunity for us to use those swoon-worthy shelf dividers, baskets, bins or any other storage containers to help corral + maintain those categories we created earlier.
Now, what we don’t need to do is outfit the entire linen closet (from top to bottom) with so many bins that we eliminate any breathing room. Breathing room is the empty space we leave in your linen closet which allows you a little room to grow + for the linen closet to maintain some flexibility to adjust with that growth.
When it comes to containerizing your linen closet — what we want to ensure is that our beautifully folded piles don’t topple over + make a mess of all the hard work we’ve done together organizing *wink*
Regardless of how organized your linen closet is right now — or when you’re done — the most important thing is that it makes sense for the way you + your family use it. And if you’re wanting our help creating a fool-proof gameplan, download our Organizing Roadmap.
LABEL THE LINEN CLOSET
So, we’ve spent this time decluttering, sorting + then, organizing your linen closet.
Everything looks great + you feel a TOTAL sense of accomplishment. But there’s one more obstacle and it just so happens to be a BIG one.
How on earth will you get everyone in your home to maintain this gorgeous linen closet? I mean after all, you just sacrificed your very own blood sweat + tears to create it?! *wink*
And here lies what can often be the problem + why the linen closet organization can become messy really quick — how should they or anyone else know where things belong?!
Once you have everything on the shelves + neatly containerized in the bins you want them in, label what the item is, where it belongs or in which season you’ll use it.
This way, when someone in your home (be it your partner, kids or housekeeper) flings open the linen closet doors to shove (put away) a freshly folded stack of king sheets, they’ll know exactly where you want them :)
HOW TO MAINTAIN AN ORGANIZED LINEN CLOSET
There are no linen closet organization ideas out there that will do the work for you. But now that you’ve created a system — doing the work isn’t so difficult.
If you notice something isn’t getting put back where it’s supposed to you’ve got a couple methods to approach it with:
Put it back yourself
Identify the root cause of why it’s not getting put back
Ignore it
It’s probably pretty obvious that the last choice: ignoring it won’t do much good. In fact, it will likely revert your linen closet back to the state of complete chaos.
Putting it back yourself means you’ll always be the one who has to do the brunt of the work to maintain an organized linen closet.
So, the BEST way to maintain an organized linen closet is to identify the root cause of why it’s not getting put back. Maybe, it’s an item that gets used every day + while it makes sense to you it just so happens to be about 3 inches too high or too low for others to easily reach. If this is the case make some adjustments as it should be swapped out with something you use less frequently.
Maintaining linen closet organization is all about your habits.
One thing that we typically tell our clients to do upon buying new linens is to go through their organized linen closet and either donate or trash older textiles before putting the new linens away. In the long run, this helps ensure that you’re never overwhelming your linen closet with too much stuff.
John + Sherri, actually have a recurring event on their personal calendars that reminds them yearly to purchase new bed linens, towels, etc. Now, if something wears out prior to the reminder we replace it. But if nothing needs to be replaced when we’re reminded, then they don’t. It’s the perfect way to ensure you’re holding yourself accountable for maintaining an organized linen closet.
TIPS + TRICKS IN OUR PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZING TOOL BAG THAT WE THINK YOU SHOULD CONSIDER
Learn to Fold
Understanding how to fold towels to the depth of your linen closet or how to fold a fitted sheet the right way can go a long way in ensuring that you keep a linen closet that is organized. It can be time-consuming and frustrating to fight with making that darn fitted sheet look good.
Linens That Mix + Match
It’s no secret that we love neutrals! They make life a lot easier because as long as the size is correct you can mix + match your neutrals to create what feels like infinite sets that work together. And, neutrals don’t have to be boring or basic.
Customize Your Linen Closet
Not only do we love custom closets but custom linen closet shelving makes maintaining an organized linen closet so much easier. Consider freshening up your closet by painting it or adding a wall covering. Closets can be a great place to add some fun patterns on the walls or even add shelf liners.
Psst… we’ve got the inside scoop + know the absolute best custom closet contractors in Seattle + Bellevue, Washington. So don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re needing help with custom closet solutions or your linen closet shelves :)
Shelf Liners
If you have wire shelves, we strongly recommend plastic shelf liners. These keep things from falling through + ultimately they make stacking a heck of a lot easier because your piles don’t look like they’re leaning.
If you don’t have wire shelves then you’re in luck because you can add pops of personality to your linen closet with shelf liners.
Stack Your Linen Closet Front-to-Back
Consider how you’ll use the linens in your linen closet.
If you have space front to back, then you’ll want to rotate your freshly laundered linens to the back + use what’s in front first.
If your linen closet lacks depth then put your new linens on the bottom of the pile + grab from the top. This will ensure you’re not wearing through some linens too quickly.
There you have it, boo — how to organize your linen closet like a professional organizer. If you find yourself unmotivated to do it alone or feeling like you could really benefit from working 1:1 with an accountability partner you can get started here. But honestly, whether you’re looking for a Seattle professional organizer to help you clean out the clutter or not we’re glad you’re here.
Home should without question, be a place full of endless love + laughter. It’s also a place full of endless laundry *wink*
And yes, you guessed it… a linen closet that’s organized.
Ultimately, when home is everything you need + nothing more®, there should be no other place you’d rather be :)
And if you loved this blog post then without question, you’re absolutely going to go nuts for our FREE video course: 4-Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home
Also, don’t forget to check out our amazing Free Resource Library or if you’re looking to start your home organizing journey, request a FREE 30-minute Clarity Call and… let’s chat!