I kinda sorta really love a linen closet. Talk to me about linen closet organization and I’m all yours.

Might sound like an odd thing to say, but I’ve always had a thing for neatly folded towels!

Having said that, my linen closet went through a time, (shortly after the birth of #4) of being a hot mess. I can’t believe I’ll be showing you guys! But here it is.

Before

After

Linen Closet Organization Plan

Something I’ve learned (after years of failing at keeping it looking this way) is, PLAN TO GROW!! I used to organize a space based on exactly what was in it at that given moment, and then no matter how great it might look for a few months, eventually we’d outgrow it. There’s such a snowball affect once we didn’t put things back. It just goes downhill!

Let’s get into the steps I took to get my linen closet back in shape.

Take Everything Out and Start Fresh

The first thing I do when I’m tackling ANY organization job, is completely take everything out. I mean it, might seem overwhelming but it’s the BEST to get down to the bare bones.

This is what the hallway looked like when I took everything out of the closet. Fun right??? (Deep breathing into a paper bag). Once the closet was empty, I vacuumed and and wiped all the shelves. My toddler ‘helped’ me during this process. Now I can finally begin the process of organizing.

Sort & Group Everything

I then made piles of items to donate, recycle, keep and store elsewhere. I also gave some thought as to what I wanted most accessible from this closet. We have storage cabinets in our laundry room, also on this floor, so I didn’t need to stuff the closet to the brim.

Sheets

Something new I incorporated in this closet was bins (similar) to house our linens.

I had soo many sheets in this closet, with unused or worn out sets that I decided to keep only two sets per family member. That meant, one set that was being used and one that was stored. Plus a couple guest sheets. By doing this I was able to group them in these bins so that my older girls could also easily find their sheets if they needed them.

Plus aesthetically it’s so much more pleasing to look at bins rather then mounds of sheets. Also, I don’t have to stress over making sure those pesky fitted sheets are folded neatly.

Sources: Bins (similar)

One other thing on sheets, I also bundle each set together, by folding the sheets and putting them inside a single pillowcase. Makes it a lot easier when grabbing your set. Group group group!

Towels

Hand towels are also grouped together and also stored inside a basket. Easier to grab what you need, instead of having them topple over. The bath towels I’ll leave on the shelves.

One more thing on towels, I pared it down to two towels (hand/bath) per family member plus some extras, guests and powder room. (Guest towels currently being used as my mom is staying with us for a few days).

Toiletries

Toiletries (soap, shampoo, toothpaste etc.) again grouped together for easy accessibility in cloth lined baskets (similar). With a couple teens in the house they keep their individual products in their own bathrooms, this is strictly overflow.

Sources: Cloth Lined Baskets (similar)

Travel & First Aid

I also store travel items and our first aid kit in this closet, clearly labeled, so that anyone in the family can find the items they need quickly. These clear bins (similar) are perfect for this! Plus, AGAIN, helps in putting it back! (Hopefully).

Sources: Clear Bins (similar)

Toilet Paper

Any way to make those huge toilet paper stacks not look so bad??? Store them in the closet, and layer them like a pyramid! Not sure why but this looks so good when I open the closet door now.

Put Everything Back Based on Accessibility

Finally after grouping sorting etc. I started putting everything back into the closet. With the plan and leg work completed, the next step was to put everything back. Let the fun begin!

Layout

Top shelf I kept our guest pillows and extra blankets. Followed by the sheets for the king and queen beds.

Towels and toiletries were on the next two shelf, again easy to access as it’s the middle shelf. And finally on the floor was the toilet paper basket.

Those are my tips for linen closet organization! By making sure everything has an easy and accessible spot, you’re sure to keep things organized! Keep things simple and group away!

Sources: Cloths Bins (similar) | Lined Baskets (similar) | Clear Bins (similar)

Check out some of my other home organizing posts!

Coffee Bar at Home

Home Gym Organization

Nursery Room Ikea Hemnes Dresser