Keep Your Linen Closet Tidy With These 10 Tips

Lauren Murphy
Written by Lauren Murphy
Updated December 14, 2021
A tidy linen closet
Photo: kostikovanata / Adobe Stock

Don’t rummage through your linens ever again

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When you’re fresh out of the shower, the last thing you want to do is spend five freezing-cold minutes rummaging through a messy linen closet searching for a clean towel. The good news: iI’s easy to avoid this situation entirely by keeping your linen closet tidy and organized at all times. Use these tips to get started down the path to a beautifully organized linen closet.

1. Empty It Out

Remove everything from your linen closet before you begin organizing it. This will give you room to clean the shelving inside and allow you to take stock of what you have. 

2. Sort Through Everything

Over the years, you’ve probably collected sheets and towels that no longer fit your bed or match your decor. Get ready to purge! After you have emptied out your linen closet, take a good look at what’s there. Only keep items you love and use, and donate the rest.

3. Makeover the Shelves

Maybe your linen closet shelves are old and worn, or maybe you’re a renter with flimsy wire shelving. Either way, you can easily makeover your linen closet shelves to look brand new with a new coat of paint, simple shelf covers, or new shelves altogether.

Keeping your shelves looking fresh will make your entire linen closet look put together, which will encourage you to keep it tidy. After all, you won’t be able to admire your beautiful new shelves with a messy closet!

4. Create Spaces for Each Item

Closet with bed sheets and towels
Photo: kostikovanata / Adobe Stock

Before putting everything back in your linen closet, figure out a way to separate items by function. For example, place all your towels in one spot and sheets in another. Separate kitchen towels and bath towels so you don’t accidentally grab a tiny tea towel when bath time hits. 

Creating distinct spaces for each item is a great organizing tactic. It allows you to quickly scan for the supplies you need and keeps everything looking tidy.

5. Roll Your Towels

Instead of simply folding your bath towels, roll them up tightly and store them in a bin, basket, or just a neat stack. Rolled towels are easy to grab before you hop into the shower or take a trip to the gym, and you won’t have to dig through (and mess up) a pile of folded towels ever again.

6. Organize with Bins and Baskets

Smaller items, like washcloths and laundry supplies, don’t fit nicely into piles. So place them in bins or baskets instead. 

Organizing with bins and baskets allows you to pull down the entire thing when you’re looking for a specific item; you won’t need to rummage through the entire cabinet and disturb everything else. Find bins and baskets that match your home’s decor to make your space seamless. Then, they’re both functional and decorative.

7. Stuff Sheets into Pillowcases

Stuff your sheet set into its corresponding pillowcase after you wash and dry them. Store these stuffed pillowcases side by side in your linen closet for easy access. When it’s time to change the sheets, all you need to do is grab a pillowcase. 

Not only does this organization tip make it easier to grab what you need, but it also keeps things neat and tidy. Although it doesn’t necessarily reduce the number of items in your linen closet, it definitely declutters it.

8. Install Shelf Dividers

Shelf dividers are powerful organizational tools. They essentially turn your linen closet into a cubby system—a storage solution that makes closet organization much more streamlined. You can store similar items in each cubby to make them easy to find.

If you have kids, designate a cubby solely for their bath supplies. They’ll be able to grab it themselves before bath time, leaving you to sit back and supervise. You can purchase closet shelf dividers at any home goods store or make your own.

9. Label Everything

Organizing and labeling are practically one and the same; some say you can’t have one without the other. 

If you’re diving into a linen closet organization project, grab your handy label maker and get to work. Label all bins and baskets with what’s inside them. For even further organization, slap a label on the inside of each shelf to decipher what goes where. Accurate labels will make it easy for anyone, including kids and out-of-town guests, to quickly and easily find what they need without making a mess.

10. Hire a Pro

You may not have time to stop everything to reorganize your linen closet, or maybe you just want some help figuring out a system that works. Hire a professional organizer near you to implement the right linen closet organization system for you and your household.

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