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Are you daydreaming of an Organized Linen Closet?

The trees are about to bud and I can hear the birds chirping early in the morning. They are surely as eager for spring as I am. This spark of spring has me motivated to declutter and have the organized linen closet I’ve been dreaming of.

I’m on a 3-day plan to spring clean our home! If you missed the previous days go back to day one here and to get started.

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Does an Organized Linen Closet Exist?

Has your linen closet become just another junk drawer too? Despite our best intentions, it is easy to become overwhelmed by stuff. But, with careful planning and strategy, even the most cluttered closets can come to order. Use the following steps to cut down on clutter and maintain a simplified, organized linen closet.

Step 1: Purge Non-Essentials

The first step to organizing any space to remove everything! Chances are, you do not use everything in your linen closet. Ask yourself why are you storing each item. Do you really need four Christmas tablecloths or three sets of spare guest sheets? Rather than cramming everything back in, it might be best to give away a few items or relocate them to a more appropriate space.

Start by Organizing into Four Sections:

1. Start filling bags with items you want to donate or give away. If you know the recipients’ names write it on the bag.
2. Are you finding stains or a little too much wear and tear on anything? Toss it out!
3. Just like all junk drawers, I’m sure you found several things that simply don’t belong in your linen closet. Put them a basket and pass the task of returning each to their place onto another family member if you can. Just make sure this done before you get to step three, so they don’t find their way back into the precious space you have.
4. Last, place everything you really want to keep in your linen closet in this pile.

Step 2: Clean and Launder

Now, that you’ve cleared everything out it’s time to clean up. Start by placing any items which need to be laundered into the wash. Try my recipe for a borax free Natural Liquid Laundry Soap.

While that is washing, spray the shelves and containers with an all-purpose cleaner such my recipe here. Or if you have wood shelves give them shine with a natural recipe for Lemon Cedar Dust Spray and Polish.

Wipe away any cobwebs, change a light bulb if needed, then clean the floor. If you have carpet as I do in my linen closet give a boost with a Lavender Carpet Refresh Powder. Just sprinkle it on, let stand for 10 minutes and vacuum to refresh.

Step 3: Sort and Organize

After purging non-essentials and cleaning up you’re ready to categorize. Return to the items you want to keep in your linen closet and group them into categories.

There are a few ways you can do this: by type, size, use, or room. For example, if you have distinct sheet sets and linens for each room in your home, separating them by room makes sense.

If, however, your towels and sheet are interchangeable, you may want to organize them by size or color. Being able to distinguish between your full-size and king-size sheets at a single glance will make it a breeze to find exactly what you’re looking for whether you want to take things out or put them away. In addition, storing like items together such as toiletries or guest soaps is helpful.

Step 4: Label and Store

Use fabric storage boxes, cloth bins, baskets, and drawstring bags to separate and store like items. All of which help prevent small items from getting lost in the shuffle or items from falling off the shelf. If you want your linen closet to look straight out of a magazine, invest in coordinating storage containers to create a clean, uniform appearance.

When storing items in your linen closet, it’s not always easy to see what’s inside each basket or bin. That’s where labels come in!

A label easily solves the mystery as to where things are and where they belong. Labels are an important organization tool, especially when you have other family members using the linen closet too.

So, add a hanging tag or label to your storage containers. Chalkboard labels are versatile since you can wipe them off and re-label without any extra expense or waste.

Spacing Save Tips

• Keep sheet sets together in the closet by placing sheets in one of the matching pillowcases. This is quite the space saver, see how it’s done by Martha Stewart.
• Roll towels instead of folding them to save valuable space in your linen closet.
• Store frequently used items front and center in your linen closet for easy access.
• Rotate off-season or little-used items to the top shelf or the back of the closet. Rotate these items every season or twice a year depending on the climate you live in.

Step 5: Keep Things Fresh

Nothing destroys an organized linen closet faster than moths, must, or mildew. Use these simple tips below to keep things fresh all year round.

• Place cedar hearts or blocks along the closet shelves to prevent moths and bugs.
• Put a lavender sachet inside or next to your organized sheet sets to keep them smelling fresh and clean. Follow my instructions to make your own Herbal Lavender Sachets on a rainy day.
• Toss a few natural scented soaps in a towel or linen basket to help them maintain that soft, just-washed scent. See just how easy it is to make your own Lavender Hand Soap!
• Store a box of baking soda on your closet floor to absorb bad odors.

Grab all the seasonal cleaning checklists for spring, summer, fall, and winter in the Simple Living Library!

If you can hardly shut the door on your heaping mess of cloth napkins, sheets, and towels use these 5 steps to an organized linen closet. It’s time to finally get your closet neat and tidy!

As a good rule of thumb, the more often you work on your closet organization, the less time it will take. So return to these steps a few times of the year and don’t be scared to give your closets a quick makeover once a month.