Good morning all! The sun is SHINING today everyone! It only takes one day of sunshine to lift my spirits and cause me to start dreaming of summer! When I dream of summer, I dream of sun kissed grass, lounging outside, and sheets blowing in the breeze on the clothesline.
And that is what leads me to today's topic: linen closet organization!
This is a difficult area to organize, and for good reason! So many of us have random sheets, towels, and other miscellaneous items that we have collected from the following different locations:
your wedding registry (and sometimes items passed down from your parent's registry!)
wedding gifts (the ones you didn't register for but got anyway)
hand me downs from grandparents
crib sheets or single bed sheets your children have grown out of
FITTED SHEETS - need I say more?
the odd bedding or towel item your children have brought home from camp
the extras you keep for guests
the sheets and old towels you keep for random painting or otherwise messy projects.
And let's not stop there! Here are the numerous items that people keep in their various linen closets:
blankets
toilet paper
paper towel
pillows
towels
face cloths
beach towels
hot water bottles
diapers
random items that have no other home
We ask a lot of our linen closets, and so much of the time the items are just tossed in and the door forced closed.
I promise you, an organized linen closet will help to make your home feel more calm and less chaotic! Let's get to it!
The 5 things you need for an organized linen closet
1) The right number of linens, towels, and other items
Let's start with the basics!
Pull everything out and take a good look. How many queen sized beds do you have in the house? How many queen sheet sets do you have? My rule of thumb in my home is to have 2 sheet sets per bed. This way when I pull the sheets off to wash them, I have a fresh pair waiting to go onto the bed.
I have heard of other people who are able to pull the sheets off the bed, wash them and get them right back on the bed before bedtime. I applaud those who are this on the laundry ball - and if this is you, you most likely only need one set per bed!
Figure out how many linens and towels you feel you need, and stick with that number. Pick your favourites that are in good condition and get rid of the rest. I promise your linen closet will thank you!
2) Baskets, Bins or Shelf Dividers
Nothing will help to keep your linen closet more organized than keeping like items with like items. I place my toilet paper into a wire basket for easy access, my queen sheets together into a plastic bin so I can always find exactly what I need, and pillow cases together in another basket.
If you don't have baskets or bins, shelf dividers work really well also. Anything to help you keep items together so they are easy to find, and so you are aware just how many you have!
3) Learn how to fold fitted sheets and towels
I know, I know, this is everyone's LEAST favourite thing to do. But I promise if you can master this task, your linens will go from messy to mastered in no time!
The easiest way to learn how to do this is to watch a youtube video showing you the exact steps to take. This video here by Linen House is my favourite for how to fold a fitted sheet, and this video by Martha Stewart is my favourite way to fold towels. They both explain the process easily and simply with clear steps.
Your beautifully organized linen closet will thank you!!
4) Create sheet packages for each bed
One of my favourite tips for an organized linen closet is to have packages of the sheet sets you need for each bed.
Once you have learned how to fold the fitted sheet, fold the flat sheet and package them along with one pillow case into a little bundle. Use your second pillow case to neatly "wrap" the bundle and contain everything you need for one bed inside this package!
This makes sheet sets easy to grab, and you know you have all of the things you need to quickly make up a bed.
5) Label, label, and label again
The key to items belonging and staying where they belong is labelling! Once you have a designated location for all of your linen closet belongings, label the basket, the bin or even the shelf so that everyone in your home is aware of where things belong.
I promise it helps so much in the long run to have your family able (and willing, although I can't help with that part :)) to help keep things neat and tidy.
If you follow these 5 tips, I promise your linen closet will become a place you stare at for fun just to enjoy the view. Or at least you'll be able to find what you need ;)
Happy Organizing!
Jerilyn
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