
A resource for those seeking information on organizing and transforming spaces.
How to organize your linen closet
Nothing beats a good night's sleep on fresh new bedding. Considering the fact that you probably have four or five sets of sheets (don't we all?), the spare sheets will be stored in your linen closet. This is where the situation gets complicated. Your linen closet is most likely where you are keeping years worth of accumulated towels, sheets, and bedding. If you are dreading that your guests will somehow open your linen closet and see the mess inside, then you are most likely all too familiar with what a disorganized linen closet looks like.
Nothing beats a good night's sleep on fresh new bedding. Considering the fact that you probably have four or five sets of sheets (don't we all?), the spare sheets will be stored in your linen closet. This is where the situation gets complicated. Your linen closet is most likely where you are keeping years worth of accumulated towels, sheets, and bedding. If you are dreading that your guests will somehow open your linen closet and see the mess inside, then you are most likely all too familiar with what a disorganized linen closet looks like.
To organize your linen closet, all you need is a bit of imagination, creativity, and resourcefulness. But, most importantly, you must want and be ready to put in the effort. Just like a bad day can ruin your night's sleep, so can unsanitary sheets. Unfortunately, where there is mess and chaos, there are also sanitary concerns.
Out with the old, in with the new
Are you still holding on to the dinosaur sheets you had when you were a child? Is your linen closet so stuffed that when you pull on a towel, the whole pile comes tumbling down? In reality, you are most likely not using at least half of the items you have in your linen closet. Decluttering is an important part of regular household maintenance, but this process becomes even more important when relocating to a new state, city, or even home. There is no reason to hold onto superfluous and unusable items, so make your linen closet the first place that will be rid of all the excess items.
Forget about emotions on the day you decide to declutter your linen closet. That will only lead to you holding onto items you clearly no longer need. Instead, let your reason guide you so that you end up with the array of items your family frequently uses.
Wash before you stack
Even though this one should go without saying, it deserves at least an honorable mention. Never put unwashed linen in your closet. All it takes is one bad apple to spoil the bunch and compromise the cleanliness of all of your linen. The health hazards of sleeping on dirty sheets and bedding are scary, so keep this tip at the back of your mind at all times, especially if you have kids and have to keep their well-being in check. Their tender skin deserves the best, and that's certainly not a piece of clothing that is unwashed.
This is also an important step when packing your linen for a move. The experts at Excalibur Moving and Storage say that many people skip this step, which leads to damage to their items as well as their health.
Keep your linen smelling fresh
Washing your fabric won't be enough if you leave it in the back of the closet for a long time. Eventually, the pleasant aroma will diminish until it completely fades. Once your linens get a neutral scent, it's only a matter of time before they start smelling bad. The good news is that you can prevent this.
When organizing your linen closet, get sachet bags of lavender, pine, or vanilla wrapped in cheesecloth and place them in the back of your linen closet. The effort you have to put into this is minimal, yet it will keep your towels and sheets smelling fresh for a long time.
Organize your linen closet by categories
What happens when one shelf contains everything from towels to summer blankets and king-size bed sheets? That shelf becomes so disorganized that finding the item you were looking for becomes a time-consuming endeavor. And if you are sleep-deprived and feeling the effects, the last thing you need is to spend ten minutes trying to claw your way to a fresh set of sheets.
There are many different systems to organize your linen closet. For starters, you can separate your items by their type. Put towels on one shelf, sheets on the next one, bedding on the third one, and so on. Secondly, many people like to organize their items based on location. Put all the things you use in your kitchen in one place, separate those you use for the bathroom, and definitely make sure your bedroom linen has an area of its own. Finally, you can always separate your items by size. This way, you might be able to stack up many smaller items on one shelf, leaving the others to be taken up by bulkier ones.
Keep your linens in boxes, bins, and baskets
If you have dozens of different linens in your closet, putting them all in separate bins won't be a feasible option. Unless you have a walk-in linen closet, there won't be enough room for separate containers, and you will have to make stacking work. But if your linen closet isn't overstuffed, then you can invest in some aesthetically appealing boxes or baskets.
Everything depends on the look you are trying to achieve. Opting for woven baskets will give your closet a homey vibe, while coordinating boxes will make everything look neat and clean. It is also a great way to add more storage space to your home, and thus keep everything neat more easily.
Labeling as the final part of organizing your linen closet
Now that everything is decluttered, separated, and in order, all you have to do is make sure it stays that way. Simple pieces of washi tape or adhesive labels will help you and your family remember the organizing system and ensure your efforts have not been in vain. Whether you have organized it by location, size, or type, a simple label will help everyone remember the system, which will hopefully prevent your linen closet from becoming messy again.
There is a lot of debate as to which factors help us sleep better at night. Some people find cold rooms to be the determining factor in whether they fall asleep quickly or not. Lots of students report technology-related problems and claim that it disturbs their sleep. And then there are those who believe that without hours of rigorous physical activity, all efforts to fall asleep will be vain. No matter which belief is your guiding light, the fact is that clean sheets and bedding can only help the case. And in order for them to stay fresh, they will have to be placed in a clean closet. Luckily, you now know how to organize your linen closet and achieve the best functionality with the space you have at your disposal.
Spring Cleaning: What to Donate and What to Dispose Of
When the bitter frost of winter melts away, spring brings a fresh revival of life to the world. As nature makes room for beautiful flowers, rain showers, and sunny days, it's also time to make room in your home. Spring is the perfect time for cleaning and decluttering your home. This is the reason why spring cleaning is such a popular concept. If you're not sure what to get rid of this year, there are a number of places you can probably start the process. Consider the following categories as you figure out what to donate and what to dispose of.
When the bitter frost of winter melts away, spring brings a fresh revival of life to the world. As nature makes room for beautiful flowers, rain showers, and sunny days, it's also time to make room in your home. Spring is the perfect time for cleaning and decluttering your home. This is the reason why spring cleaning is such a popular concept. If you're not sure what to get rid of this year, there are a number of places you can probably start the process. Consider the following categories as you figure out what to donate and what to dispose of.
Clothing
While those jeans from high school might seem like a motivator, you might want to replace them if high school was decades ago. Plus, it's better to get rid of clothes you haven't worn in at least a year or two. If you're waiting to get back into those smaller jeans, just donate them to a local shelter or thrift store. You’ll feel much better having a closet of clothes that actually fit you. If the clothing is tattered, stained or in extremely used condition, dispose of it.
Electronics/Heavy Machinery
Living in the age of technology, people change phones almost as often as they change jobs. In some cases, people get a new phone every year. The same concept applies to other smart devices. However, even if you have a damaged phone, you can still donate it. There are shelters that fix up the phones and give them to women who've been victims of assault or domestic violence.
If you have your hands on heavy machinery that is no longer in use, you can always dispose of certain items at local junkyards. If you're a lover of cars, don't throw a car away. Instead, donate it to a company like Cars 2 Charities. Donating old cars can be a good way to make a difference in your community.
Food
Yes, you'll want to clean out the refrigerator, cupboards and pantries to get rid of old food, spices and other expired items. However, if the non-perishables are in good condition, consider donating them to a local food pantry. Once you have enough non-perishables to get through a potential emergency, it's a great idea to donate the rest to a local food pantry, a church or a soup kitchen.
A clean space is connected to a lot of positive benefits. For starters, you'll be able to find things you're looking for. Additionally, a clean, decluttered space is often connected to a decluttered mind. When your home is cluttered, it can add to feelings of overwhelm, anxiety and depression. By becoming intentional with your spring cleaning process, you might discover some mental health benefits along the way.
How To Avoid Losing Your Stuff While Moving
Are you moving soon and worried about misplacing your belongings? Ensure nothing falls by the wayside in your move by following these simple tips.
While moving, there are so many things you have to worry about—your items are correctly packed, nothing breaks, and you don’t lose anything. Make sure your transition goes off without a hitch by keeping these tips for how to avoid losing your stuff while moving in mind.
Create a Master List
The best way to keep track of everything when moving residences is to create a comprehensive master list. Before you pack a single thing, go through your stuff and make a list of everything you’re packing, breaking it down by rooms, like the master bedroom or kitchen.
A master list will be beneficial when it comes time to unpack, and you want to make sure that everything arrives safe and sound. It’ll also be handy when it comes time to decorate your new place since you’ll have a list of everything you own.
Back-Up Photos and Videos
The last things you’d want to lose are priceless family heirlooms, old photos, or precious home videos. It’s easy for a picture or video to get misplaced or damaged in a move, so the best protection is backing up your photos and videos.
If anything bad should happen, you still have a digital file stored safely in a cloud storage service. Plus, digital backups are much easier to access in the future for those times you want to take a trip down memory lane!
One Room at a Time
It may seem tedious, but the best way to keep everything together and keep track of it all is to go room-by-room. Put all the packing materials you need, like boxes, bubble wrap, and packing tape, in the room beforehand to stay focused on packing.
When you’re running from room to room, packing as you go, it’s easy to misplace things and forget what’s packed and what you still need to box. This way, you’ll also know how much longer you have to pack, and all the boxes for specific rooms will be together when it’s time to unpack.
Labels, Labels, and More Labels
Consider investing in a label maker for your big move if you don’t have one already. A simple label on a box or tote may seem unnecessary, but it can save you a surprising amount of time when packing and unpacking, and making sure you’re not leaving anything behind. If you don’t have a label maker, a few permanent markers will work just as well.
It’ll also help the movers and yourself when moving boxes and totes. Label your fragile belongings and heavy boxes to ensure that they’re handled carefully and make the trip in one piece.
Moving isn’t exactly loads of fun, but the last thing anyone wants is to lose their belongings in the process. Follow our tips for how to avoid losing your stuff while moving, and we’re sure you won’t leave any of your belongings behind!
7 Ways to Make the Most of Your Vertical Space
Curious about what you can do with vertical space in your home? Read this list of 7 ways to make the most of your vertical space now!
At some point in everyone's life, there will come a time when your space starts to feel cramped or dull. This is only natural after living in the same place for a long time. You will gather more and more belongings as time goes by, and eventually, you will run out of space. Then, it would be best to consider how to use your space without having to get rid of some of your belongings. Exploiting the available vertical space can help. Additionally, if you are bored with your home, you can even use your vertical space to decorate your abode without much effort. To help you out, we have put together a list of 7 ways to make the most of your vertical space.
1. Add storage
Vertical space is perfect for adding more storage space to your home. In addition, vertical storage is a great way to add a bit of decorative flair to your home. For example, you can add an armoire to the bedroom or a baker's rack to the kitchen. Organizing for parents can be difficult, but why not add some corner shelves to put your kids' toys on? Utilizing your vertical space with furnishings is the perfect combination of decoration and functionality. So, before considering getting rid of your belongings or expanding your home, try to use your vertical space for more storage first.
2. Stack your things
The concept of stacking things to save space should be very familiar to all of us. At the very least, Bunk beds are something we have all heard of. However, there are many more ways you can stack things to make the most of your vertical space. For example, you can get a stackable washer and dryer. There are platform beds that combine your bed with a set of drawers right beneath them. Stacking shelves and cabinets are nothing new, as well. These are a fantastic way to create more storage space in your home without too much effort. And, after all, if you have limited space in your home, thinking outside the box to add more should be a priority.
3. Freestanding shelves
Whether you need a solution for storage or decoration, freestanding shelves solve both relatively easily. Collapsible and stackable shelves are easy to fit, even in oddly shaped rooms. And, of course, shelves are a perfect storage solution since they can fit almost anywhere, and their purpose is to hold things. On the other hand, if you need an easy way to display items for decoration, then freestanding shelves are perfect. Put them up in an empty area or above your other furniture, and show your decorations. When trying to declutter and organize your home, the process is much easier when you have plenty of shelving to arrange items.
4. Modular storage options
Combining the convenience of prefabricated construction with the flexibility of custom design, modular storage is the perfect combination for filling in vertical space. In addition, modular storage is effortless to install, and with a bit of planning, you can tailor it to suit your space perfectly. And to top it all off, there are modular solutions for almost anything - dispensers, shelves, bins, anything to fit into your office, garage, attic, laundry room, etc. Experts from Heart Moving also note that these modular pieces are very easy to move because of their modular nature. All in all, you can't go wrong with a piece of modular furniture.
5. Add art
If you have more vertical space than you need storage space, you might consider making the place more inviting with some art. After all, art is a great way to decorate a room without much effort. In addition, placing art pieces in unexpected spots is a great way to draw attention to them. So, if you have some vertical space but have no idea what to do with it, why not add some art?
6. Add lighting
Another terrific aesthetic idea when trying to make the most of your vertical space is adding more lighting. If you feel like some of the rooms in your home could use a change in lighting, then adding lighting fixtures in the unused vertical space is a beautiful way to do it.
7. Vertical Garden
Do you feel like adding a bit of green to your home? Then, why not use your vertical space for plants. You can get small, stacking hydroponic setups which will bring greenery into your home without cluttering your windowsills. Vertical landscapes use much less space but still grow healthy plants. Alternatively, a vertical garden on your patio, seeded with some vegetables, can bring impressive yields without taking up a lot of space.
Make the most of your vertical space
There are many fantastic ways to use your vertical space functionally and decoratively. And, of course, the best solutions are a combination of functionality and aesthetics. We hope you found this list of 7 ways to make the most of your vertical space helpful.