Before 
After
To start off the fall season right, Rae really wants an organized linen closet so she can find what she needs quickly. In addition, she wants the putting away after laundry to be easier. To start, everything was pulled out and placed in categories which enabled Rae to see how much she had. There were also items that do not belong in that linen closet, which needed to be stored elsewhere or given away. An overstuffed closet can make it challenging to keep it neat. One of the tricks is to reduce the number of sets of sheets and towels. Rae does not need more than two to three sets per active beds in the house, and just two towels per person if laundry is done on a regular basis.
The items that do not belong in that particular linen closest were items that the youngest kid already outgrew. If there’s a plan for another kid, those items should be stored elsewhere until a new baby arrives. No need to take up valuable space in an active closet. Also, in that closet was a bin of table cloths. Since the linen closest is on the second floor and the table cloths are for first floor tables, ideally, they’d be stored on the first floor.
Some people prefer using duvet covers as top sheets. In this family’s case, because I made space for queen tops and bottoms piled side by side along with single sets, the top sheets can be stored higher up or be given away if the family doesn’t use top sheets. By removing top sheets space opened up for duvet covers at an eye level shelf that’s also reachable.
Is your linen closet set up to your liking?
Note: These blog stories feature real clients and their organizing solutions. To maintain client privacy, all names have been changed.