5 Things People With Perfectly Organized Linen Closets Always Do

A linen closet is generally a smaller version of a regular closet or wardrobe. It's commonly used for storing linens, towels and bulkier soft furnishings. These small and niche spaces in the home can quickly become overrun by things that aren’t supposed to be there or that haven’t found a home elsewhere. Try and avoid this from happening by designing a well-thought out and well organized closet.

Not sure where to start? We consulted the experts who let us in on some of their organization hacks to keep our linen closets looking in their best shape.

5 tricks to organize a linen closet

The great thing about these ideas is that they can all be done today, and don't require you to invest in any new organizers — however, it's fair to say that a few well-chosen storage additions can really elevate your linen closet.

'I've had so many professional organizers tell me they love sheet storage boxes and bands (like this set from Amazon),' our decluttering writer Lilith Hudson says. We've add in some of our choice linen closet organizers along the way that we think make a great addition to better laid out storage spaces.

1. Take everything out

When the time comes to how to start decluttering a linen closet, your first port of call should always be to take everything out so you can see what you’re working with. ‘The first step is to review everything. Remove every item from the closet and match all of the sheets, comforters, blankets and towels. You will probably find ripped, damaged or worn times that should either be donated or put into fabric recycling. Over the years, people tend to accumulate linens from different stages of their lives’, says Ben Soreff from H2H Organizing.

We often spend a lot of money on bed linen and towels so it can be tricky sometimes to throw things away. However, in order to organize a space properly this is key to achieving a clutter-free linen closet.

2. Sort into categories

The next step in organizing a linen closet should be visually sorting everything out into individual categories. This will inevitably make your life easier when it comes to keeping it tidy on a day-to-day basis. Ashley Murphy, co-founder and CEO of NEAT method explains that ‘after removing everything from the space you have a fresh start. Sort items like-for-like together into broad categories, sub-categorising as necessary for larger categories’.

For example, ‘bedding’ can be a master category and the sub-category would be the different sizes of bedding you have in your linen closet. Shara Kay from SK Organizing suggests ‘folding everything consistently with the solid edge facing out so you can see what’s what. It’s important to label shelves and containers’.

3. Do a thorough edit

Once everything has been taken out of your linen closet, this is the perfect time to do an edit. You will clearly be able to see what categories are bursting at the seams and could do with a clear out. Ashley recommends that you ‘remove items that are stained or no longer used, they can either be tossed or donated. Only items you truly need and use should be left’.

Furthermore, Ben goes on to say ‘now that you know the quantity. You can set up the linen closet by either size, person or room. You may find for space reasons that keeping certain bed linens in the rooms they are going to go in. For instance, the guest bedroom back up linen set could live the guest room closet. Most people lack space in this area so the linen closet may do double duty and store back up health, medical, and beauty supplies’.

4. Figure out the space

Next up, you want to think carefully about how you are functionally going to use the space and what categories you are likely going to reach for the most. ‘Map out the space by placing each category back based on frequency of use, making sure to prioritize eye level shelves for those accessed most often’, explains Ashley.

You could always invest in some portable shelves to divide the space even more. This way, it’ll be easier to see and grab the items that are stored at the back. It’s usually the case that if we can’t see things then we forget they even exist.

5. Zoom in on organization

This is where you can personalize your linen closet and tailor the space to suit the rest of your interior style and personality. ‘Add bins, baskets and labels as needed to contain each category. For toiletries, opt for wipeable materials in case of any spillages’, explains Ashley.

Labelling things might feel laborious but it’s definitely worth it to achieve a clutter-free linen closet. Get creative with the entire process and use a vintage style label maker, like this one from Amazon, and search for innovative storage containers and stylish baskets that will make you smile every time you open the door to your closet.

How do you make the most out of a small linen closet?

If you've only got a compact space to work with, there are a few tricks to make the room you do have go further.

First of all, it comes to how you store towels. Rolling towels, rather than folding them, is a good way of tightening up how much storage space they take up. Combine them with a vertical organizer, like this one from Yamazaki Home on Amazon, and you'll create loads more room in your linen closet.

You can also look to add more storage to spaces like the back of the door. There are some great door organizers out there that help maximize space, and even if they don't always look the best, at least they're hidden inside your closet. Try this door organizer from Walmart.

Lastly, if you're storing spare duvets or pillows in a linen closet, always try to contain them within something where you can, as this makes everything more stackable. We like these storage cases from Joybos, but you could also use vacuum sealing bags for these bulky items to take up even less space.

How do you fold a fitted sheet for a linen closet?

Fitted sheets are one of the trickiest things to fold, especially if you're not using an organizer to help contain them. We've got this handy guide to how to fold fitted sheets that tells you exactly how to tackle them.