Linen closet organizing often gets pushed back to the end of the chore list simply because it isn’t as important as organizing the clothes closet. However, it is an important aspect of housekeeping and reduces the headache involved in searching for fresh bath, bed or table linen. Having fresh, clean linen makes it easier to welcome houseguests and maintain a well-kept home.
Empty Out the Linen Closet
The first step is to empty out the linen closet completely. Remove the shelf liners and wipe them clean. Line them with fresh, acid-free paper. Take a good look at the shelves and decide if they need to be adjusted to accommodate bigger stacks. Place sachets of lavender or potpourri to keep linen smelling fresh. Check to see that the closet is not too humid since it would cause mold and mildew to attack linen.
Sort Linen into Categories
Next, sort linen into categories. Depending upon the kind and type of linen, classify into formal, everyday, guest and seasonal. For instance, crisp, white starched cotton table linen can be formal while a casual, lemony floral tablecloth can be everyday. Similarly, bed sheets of the finest Egyptian cotton should be reserved for guests while regular cotton and linen bed sheets can be kept for everyday use. Blankets and quilts would be in the seasonal section.
Fold, Roll and Stack Linen
Bed sheets should be folded neatly and placed along with their pillowcases. Table linen should be either folded and placed with corresponding napkins or hung on wooden hangers. Towels should be rolled up neatly and stacked one on top of the other. Do ensure that stacks are not too high since that would cause them to topple over or cram up the shelves.
Arrange the Linen Closet
The final step would be to arrange the neatly folded stacks. The easiest way would be to stack all the categories together. So, formal bed, bath and table linen would go together as would everyday use linen. Place seasonal and guest linen on the top and bottom shelves since they don’t need to be used frequently. Label the shelves and put in a few baskets to hold odd knickknacks such as, napkin rings.
These simple and easy steps would leave the linen closet looking well-organized, neat and tidy. Make it easier to maintain it by stacking and sorting linen as soon as it gets laundered and ironed and also, be going through the closet every month to discard old, worn-out linen, mend tears and see if anything new is needed.
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