A well-organised linen closet can transform your home—and your sanity! No more rummaging for the right-size sheet or mismatched pillowcases. With some planning and clever tips, you can turn your linen closet into a neat, functional space that works for you. In this article, we’ll guide you through easy steps to declutter, sort, and organize your towels so everything is in its place and ready when needed.
Does your linen cupboard look a bit like this?
Step 1. Take out all your towels
How many do you have? Be honest. How many do you need?
I believe two bath towels per person is enough. A unique set aside for guests is okay, too. A beach towel or two for each person is sufficient. Everyone needs a couple of older towels for mopping up spills or mini floods – let’s store those in the laundry.
Step 2. Refold the ‘keeper’ towels
I like to half, half again, then thirds and display with the smooth folded edge on the outside.
Step 3. Repeat the above two steps for sheets
Again, ask yourself, how many do you really need? A summer set or two, a winter set or two, and that’s about it.
Now is also the time to evaluate what is stored in your linen closet. It often becomes the place to stow away items that don’t have a home. If you have the space and it works for you to store your picnic gear, for example, there, then go for it. Be tough on yourself, though, and remove items that don’t belong there, and if you haven’t needed it in a year, you probably don’t, so donate or sell it.
When you reduce the quantity, you, in turn, reduce the stress of finding what you are looking for, the time spent looking for it and the amount of laundry in your home. Be organised is not about your home looking perfect, it’s about arranging needed items in a logical and useful way.
So now, what do you do with all those extras? Donate the towels to an animal charity or your local vets. Choose a couple to be stored in the shed or garage as drop sheets and donate the rest to charity.
And remember, when you buy a new set of towels or sheets, the same number needs to leave the linen closet. One in, one out.
Good luck and happy decluttering!
Want more inspiration around the home?
- Podcast: Spring Cleaning Tips, with Decluttering Diva Kristina Duke
- Podcast: Feng Shui for health, wealth & happiness with Patricia Lohan
- Double Downsizing: Why it’s better to downsize in two stages
- Blackouts: How to be prepared (and what to do!)
- The great cover-up! Are you buying a fibro house… without knowing it?
