The Cobb Group Blog

Here are some closet organization tips that’ll help you organize even a small linen closet in no time.

Pull everything out

You might be surprised by what’s lurking behind that mountain of towels in your closet: Photo frames! Umbrellas! Your long-forgotten bag collection! Prepare for some surprises. But today, you will reclaim your linen closet as a spot for sheets and towels alone—and maybe extra toiletries.

That’s because once you have taken everything out of shelves and baskets and created a closet organization plan, you’re less likely to use the closet as a dumping ground for random items, says Kristin MacRae, owner of Organizing in RI, in Providence, RI.

Don’t store more than you need

Let’s start with the obvious linen closet organization rule: “Don’t keep ratty, worn-out, or fraying sheets and towels,” says Christina Hidek, a professional organizer with Streamlined Living, in Cleveland.

Her idea? “Donate them to an animal shelter instead.”

But what about linens that don’t qualify as obvious pet material? Resist the urge to keep multiple sets of linens and pillows, since they’re just going to create closet clutter and foil your attempts at organization.

Hidek recommends a max of three or four linen sets per bed—maybe two sets of lighter-weight linens for warmer weather and two sets of flannel sheets for cooler nights. She advises two bath towels per person in your household (this isn’t a hotel after all), plus four or five extra sets of linens for guests.

Zone out

Once everything is out of linen closet shelves and drawers and you know what you are keeping, organize a storage “zone” for each item: towels, sheets, blankets, and maybe bathroom/wellness supplies, depending on how many sets and how much space you have. That way, you’ll know exactly how much space you need for each item.

Zones don’t just make it easy to do that initial organization; they also help you maintain an organized linen closet.

“You’ll notice when one zone has gotten out of control, and you can quickly tackle that one shelf to reorganize,” Hidek notes.

Keep the linen closet supplies you use most often (e.g., toilet paper) on the middle shelving, and reserve the top shelf for bulky, less frequently needed items such as sleeping bags, extra pillows and bedding, and air mattresses. Try to keep small items in drawers or baskets, to declutter your linen shelves.

Buy organizing products

We know—it’s so easy to get caught up in the excitement of buying baskets and bins that we forget what our real job is: organizing the unruly linen closet. Still, though, the right baskets, dividers, and other closet supplies can make all the difference if you choose right ones.

Hidek prefers a two-tier Lazy Susan to a basket for organizing health and beauty supplies in the linen closet, because it uses less space while allowing easy access with a quick spin. Use shelf dividers to keep stacks of sheets or towels from toppling over and intermingling. To create additional vertical space, use shoe holders, over-the-door storage, or a hanging shelf.

Fold bedsheets and towels

Some people recommend putting one entire set of sheets inside the pillowcase for quick retrieval, but Hidek finds that is easier said than done.

“Most people shove the sheets into the case haphazardly, and instead of everything being wrapped up into a nice little package, it’s more like a big blob that’s hard to store nicely.”

Her better idea is taking a pillowcase that’s folded in half widthwise and wrapping that around the fitted and flat sheets for a neater pile that’s easier to stack in the linen closet.

If you have different-size bedsheets, keep like sizes together in the closet and—the clincher—label linen closet shelves for grab-and-go ease—instead of having to unfold the entire sheet to figure out what size it is, MacRae recommends.

There are two schools of thought on the best way to organize towels in the linen closet. One method is to purchase all of your towels in one color and separate them by type (e.g., bath, hand, washcloth, and beach). Another idea is to choose a hue for each family member or bathroom closet, and keep entire sets together.

With countless good tips for linen closet organization, just pick the best ideas for your linen closet, and vow to stick with them. You’ll no longer dread opening the hall closet or the closet door. With a working organization plan, you can spend less time looking for matching sheets, and more time enjoying time with your company.

Article written for Realtor.com, Image by Getty Images