Spring Cleaning - Organizing Your Linen Closet

Here's a Spring Cleaning project that can be tackled in a few hours that will make a big difference each time you open the doors of your linen closet.

Start by taking everything out of the linen closet and placing on a nearby table or bed.

Sort the linens by type – towels, tablecloths, sheet sets, etc.

Once you’ve sorted by type, it’s easy to see what’s still worth keeping and what’s ready to be cut into rags or donated to charity (if still in good shape). Donate old towels to your local animal shelter or grooming facility.

The rule of thumb is to keep two sets of sheets per bed. Store the unused set folded inside the pillowcase so all parts of the set are kept together.

A similar rule applies for towels – three good sets (bath towel, hand towel and washcloth) per person. Keep older towels on hand if you have pets or wash your car at home.

Fold all items neatly by type and size. Don’t over crowd shelves. Keep your linens fresh smelling by allowing air to circulate. Keep piles small and make sure that your linens are completely dry before storing away to prevent musty odors.

When placing items back on the shelves, place the items you use most frequently at eye level. Place the freshly laundered items on the bottom of the appropriate pile to ensure that everything wears evenly. Store seasonal and infrequently used items on upper or lower shelves.

Store out of season quilts, blankets and comforters inside space bags (large plastic bags which can be vacuumed sealed to half their original size). Make sure all items are clean before storing.

Label each shelf with its contents (e.g. master bedroom sheets, guest towels, winter blankets, etc.) to keep the linen closet neat and organized.