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.

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.

Interview - Modular Closets

As professional organizers we spend a lot of time in closets. One of the common questions we get asked is, do I need a closet remodel? We turned to Christina Giaquinto of Modular Closets to discuss the various options.

For the busy homeowner, what is Modular Closets?

Modular Closets is a semi-custom closet system adaptable to any space. There are a few basic modules, like hanging towers, shelf towers, shoe towers, etc. in several different widths. The product is made of furniture grade TFL melamine board and high quality hardware. We hold a US government patent and are manufactured in New Jersey.

What are some of the main differences between Modular Closets and other closet installation services?

There are quite a few!

1. We're the direct manufacturer so we cut out a lot of the middlemen, making our system relatively affordable compared to similar quality products.

2. We manufacture in the US, which allows for the fastest shipping in the industry (3-5 days). With most other options you're looking at many weeks or months for a closet delivery.

3. We designed our system for easy-peasy installation - no professional installation required. In fact, Apartment Therapy ranked us as the best DIY closet system!

4. We offer free design assistance.

5. It's easy to order the entire closet online without any human interaction.

Can you describe the process, once someone decides to use Modular Closets?

You simply measure the space of your closet, select the modules you want based on your needs with our online closet design tool or in the Closet Modules section and add your design to the checkout!

Are there any limits to the types of spaces that will work?

We've done thousands of different types of dimensions - from tiny closets to massive celebrity-style walk in closets. Our narrowest width is 19.5 inches so the only time you'll have an issue is if your space is narrower than that.

What are some of the most popular systems or designs?

The beauty of our system is that it's so customizable that almost every closet design is unique. Most people come to us for bedroom closets, but there are plenty of pantry closets, laundry room closets and mudroom closets as well. I suggest you check out our online customer photo gallery for inspiration on what can be done with our system. We already have a "predesigned closet" section on the website for reach-in closets and we're actually in the process of building a similar section for commonly sized walk-in closets.

Smart Wardrobe Organizing Hacks

We partnered with a home supply company for this post. The opinions in the post are honest. All reviews and opinions expressed in this post are based on our personal views. We are excited because we know you will love it.

Regardless of whether you are blessed with a huge walk-in closet or if have to work with small closet space, the chances are that it’s not as organized as it can be. There are numerous organizing hacks that can help you organize your closet more efficiently. It is important to keep it well-organized, neat and tidy as it helps you choose your outfit more quickly as you have a clearer overview. When your closet is disorganized, you can’t really see everything you have, and that makes it more difficult to think of fashionable outfits. 

Our closets contain many things besides clothes. And they are all essential elements of our daily outfits. Obviously, our closet space is mostly occupied by our clothes. And there are different ways we can organize it more efficiently. You should use the same hangers and specialized space-saving hangers as well as rods, baskets and drawers. You can use different racks, rods and shelves to organize your shoes. Moreover, we also have plenty of accessories that include jewellery, watches, scarves and bags we can organize in multiple ways. According to Wurkin Stiffs, organizing accessories such as watches and jewelry with the right tools can make a huge difference in maintaining a tidy and stylish wardrobe.

 Clothes

Hangers

Undoubtedly, clothes make the biggest part of our closet. In order to keep them organized and neat, we should carefully consider the best ways of displaying them. So, we all use hangers. However, to make your closet look more orderly, you should have all the same hangers - it is really space-savvy. Moreover, you can consider those specialized hangers that are intended for hanging a few pants or multiple shirts. 

Rods

In order to have a place for all those hangers, you should consider adding a few more rods in your closet. Try using up space vertically. For instance, you can use the concept many stores use for displaying their wholesale jackets, dresses or skirts. That means classifying clothes: jackets and coats on one rod, shirts on the other and so on. You should also have rods that are higher for long dresses.

Baskets

Baskets are a great option both for open closets and closets with doors. They are great for organizing some special items such as swimsuits, stockings or some small things alike. What’s more, they are visually appealing. You can put a cute little label on them for an even faster and better overview.

Drawers

Drawers often come as part of dressers and they are really handy for storing socks and underwear. You can even place drawer organizers inside to organize all the items even more. They come in a few shapes and sizes. 

Shoes

Racks

Probably the second-biggest category in your closet is shoes. There are multiple ways of organizing them. You can get different racks that stand on their own or that you hang on the door. There are also racks that can be put inside a wardrobe. They can even be rotating. There are even special boot racks available.

Rods

Besides racks, you can also use rods to store shoes. You can place these rods wherever you have space for them. It’s great that they go vertically,  so you really use the space to its full potential. You can use rods that you need to fixate into the wall or you can simply use shower rods. They are easy and convenient to install and everybody can do it. 

Shelves

Another great way to display all your shoes is on shelves. These are usually built-in shelves with plenty of space and they are usually a part of a bigger walk-in closet. However, even if you have a small closet, you can buy some shelves and use them to store your shoes. 

Accessories

Hangers

And the third category is dedicated to accessories. Some of the most common accessories we can find in our closets are hats, jewellery, watches and bags. You can use different kinds of hangers to hand jewellery pieces as well as scarves. Consider using unused door space for scarves - it’s a great way to save space and keep them organized. 

Boxes

Boxes are also great for storing jewellery, especially those more precious pieces. Storing them in a jewellery box protects them from dust. You can also store watches in boxes or on some small racks. 

Hooks

Hooks are another great way for using unused space. You can use them to hang bags, jewellery, scarves, hats and other tiny accessories. 

These are just some ideas to get you going. You should consider your own space, these and other organizing hacks and decide which options work best for you. You’ll maybe even get some new ideas!

Simple Ways To Declutter Your Wardrobe

With Spring fast approaching, you might be thinking it's time to declutter your wardrobe! This is sometimes a time consuming task, but when you set a morning or afternoon aside to get it done, your day to day life will become much easier. These simple tips will cost you barely anything, if anything at all, but will save you so much time and space! So, let’s find out a few simple ways to declutter your wardrobe to help you get organized and stay organized. 

Take Everything Out! 

Although this might seem like a simple one, the best tip we can give you is to take everything out of your wardrobe! Before you try to sort through anything, take everything out of your wardrobe and drawers, as this will make it so easier for you to see everything you have and make decisions on what you will be keeping and not. 

Sort Into Piles

Now that you know everything is out of your wardrobe and drawers, you can sort it into piles. Go through all of your clothes and sort them into keep, sell and donate piles. When deciding what to keep, consider whether you wear it often, if someone else might get more wear out of it, how well it fits you and how it makes you feel. If you are unsure about whether to keep something, try it on and see how it feels this will help you make the decision! 

Next, create a sell/donate pile. If pieces are in good condition but they’re not quite right for you anymore, you could sell them online or donate them to a charity shop. Even if something isn’t in great condition, charity shops often sell the materials for textile purposes, so it is always worth handing it over! 

Vacuum Pack Off-Season Clothes

Take your donate/sell pile out of the way and now it is time to sort through the ones you are keeping! If you have all of your clothes for every season in your wardrobe and drawers, it is likely to be really cramped and hard to find anything. So, sort your pile into warmer and cooler clothes, then vacuum pack anything that you don’t need for the season you are in. You can store it in a cupboard or loft and you will find that you have so much more room in your wardrobe! At the end of each season, you can simply swap the clothes over. 

Have A Hanger For Each Piece of Clothing

Now that you have more space in your wardrobe because you have gotten rid of plenty of clothes and the rest are vacuum packed away, you should have enough room and hangers to have just one piece of clothing on each hanger. This will make it so much easier to see everything that you have and you are likely to rotate what you wear more! 

Get Drawers For The Bottom Of Your Wardrobe

Last but not least, you should get drawers for the bottom of your wardrobe. Often people don’t utilise the space in the bottom of their wardrobe properly and it can look cluttered and disorganised. So, when you add drawers, you will be making use of the space as well as helping to organise what you have in there. In the drawers, you could store things like underwear and accessories. You could also have a few baskets alongside the drawers for knitwear, tracksuits, jeans, shoes etc. This will look so much more organised and it will make your life way easier!