It’s time to
change bed linens and you go to the closet. When you open the door of your
linen closet, will a pile of towels come tumbling out? If so, it’s probably
time to clean and organize your closet.
Unfortunately,
the first step in cleaning the closet is to completely empty it. Thoroughly
clean each shelf. A 10% bleach to 90% water mixture will clean any mold and
mildew while making the closet smell clean. Once it air dries, you can start to
put things back inside.
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| Organize linens and towels. |
You can cover
the shelves if you want to perk up the look of the closet. Non-acid paper can
be used. An alternative is using rubbery shelf liner. It will keep stacks of
linen from sliding around wooden closet shelves.
Generally,
shelves can be moved closer together and you can even add some and make more
surface area. If you decrease the amount of space between shelves, the stacks
of linens will be shorter and less likely to topple over. If the shelves are
not easily moved, you can put dividers between the stacks of towels and other
linens. This will help keep them upright. You may even consider putting a towel
rack or two on the back of the closet door so you can hang things there.
Some people
use Space Bags, or
other types of sealed bags with the air sucked out of them, to store winter
blankets or other seasonal items. While using those bags compacts the contents,
you will still need to leave a bit of space for them. If large comforters can
find a home in a bedroom closet, you can clear out a lot more room for other
linens.
Small items
like travel size shampoos and soaps often end up scattered all over the closet.
Add some clear bins, so you can see what is inside, to keep the little
containers in one location.
If you decide
to hang onto heirloom linens like tablecloths and cloth napkins, keep those
items up higher in the closet. They are more difficult to clean so avoid
putting them on the floor unless they are in sealed containers that will keep
them from getting dirty.
If there is
space in the dining room, tablecloths may be stored there instead of the linen
closet. You will now have easier access to them when you need to dress up the
table and free up more space in the linen closet for sheets and towels.
Towels can be
sorted by size or color, whatever works best for you. A good rule of thumb is
to keep about two to three sets of sheets per bed and the same number of towel
sets for each person in the house. Excess towels can make great rags or can be
used for pets, donated or given away.
Have you ever
located a fitted sheet and then spend the next 15 minutes sorting through
everything looking for the matching flat sheet? You are not alone! Fold the
sheets and put one inside the other, along with the pillowcases. Some people
tuck all the sheets inside of the matching pillowcase. Finding the complete set
will now be breeze.
Sometimes
linen closets have a musty smell. An inexpensive little box of baking soda,
changed on a monthly basis, can go a long way to help with closet odors. There
are all kinds of air fresheners and potpourri products that will make any
closet smell wonderful. Mothballs can keep insects at bay, but may transfer
their odor to the linens.
After you put
everything back into the closet, it will smell great. Think about how easy it
will be to find the towel you want or the fresh set of sheets. There may be a
nice stack of things to donate or give away. On the surface it might not seem
like a big deal, but in the end you will have a fantastic feeling of
accomplishment.
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