How to Organize Your Hallway Linen Closet
When you have small kiddos running around the house, it can seem difficult to keep things organized. Oftentimes when my youngest is done playing with a toy, she will just leave it behind or throw it on the floor and walk away, despite continuous attempts to break this habit… Oh, this is a battle I will not lose.
But, when we are so focused on tidying spaces in plain sight, areas like closets can become neglected, and slowly turn into disaster zones. And, when clutter and disorganization get out of hand, it can affect the entire household. According to Psychology Today, studies demonstrate that while clutter creates stress and inefficiency, disorganized clutter exacerbates everything.
I can definitely see the truth behind that. What about you?
At times it can feel like literally every corner in my home has become a catch all space. But, there’s something about having a disorganized linen closet that proves a bit extra challenging. And that’s simply because our family reaches into this one particular closet multiple times a day.
Over the past couple of years, I have created zones for specific things in our small rental home – like towels on this shelf, first aid on another but, everything always seems to gradually spread out and get misplaced. So, it’s time to get this closet organized!
Items To Keep In Your Linen Closet
- Bed Linens and extra blankets
- Towels, hand towels, and wash cloths
- Bath and body products (hair, dental, personal products, etc.)
- Hamper/laundry basket
- Iron/steamer
- Cleaning supplies
- Toilet paper, paper towels, tissues
- First Aid kit, thermometer, over the counter medications
Organize Your Linen Closet in 9 Steps
1. Open the doors to your linen closet and make a list of everything currently inside.
If you live in a small home, you know that most spaces have more than one purpose. Our full bathroom is tiny, and has zero storage except for an even tinier 14 inch medicine cabinet. So, our hallway linen closet acts as multipurpose storage.
2. Assess what items can be grouped together, which would be better stored somewhere else, and what to toss.
We purchased peel and stick tiles for our rental when we first moved in. The current linoleum in our full bath is beat up and cannot be saved. Regardless, the tiles are still sitting in the linen closet, in their original packaging. Updating the bathroom floor is not a project we plan to take on any longer. It’s an old house (and a rental), and once you start digging you are bound to find other issues. So, it’s time to move these tiles out of our linen closet.
3. Pull everything out of your linen closet.
When you see the space completely bare you will have a better idea on how to utilize it, and what size bins, baskets or supplies you may need.
4. Clean your space.
Take time to dust and wipe down the shelves, sweep/vacuum out the floor, etc.
5. Take inventory of what you have.
It’s the perfect time to take a look at the items you have. Could you use an extra set of sheets? Running out of wash cloths? Fever/pain meds expiring soon for the little ones? Make a shopping list of the items that need to be refreshed.
6. Pair similar items together.
Keeping all of your hair care products and tools together or extra toothbrushes and toothpaste will make it easier to find what you are looking for.
7. Use what you’ve got.
We are constantly rearranging things around here and trying to clear out clutter but, two things we never get rid of? Baskets and bins. Check around your house for any unused supplies. I’m a big fan of using what we already have before heading out to the store to purchase anything new. My closet may not be uniform when I’m done with it but that’s okay with me.
8. Decide what goes where.
The configuration of your linen closet layout is completely up to you. Seriously, anything goes. It’s truly dependent on how you use the items you are storing. I like to keep personal items on the very top shelf, along with things I don’t want to kids to get their hands on, like rubbing alcohol and band aids. Never, leave your little one alone with band aids…trust me on this one. But, your top shelf might be for extra pillows or seasonal items.
9. A place for everything, and everything in its place.
It’s time to put all of your linen closet essentials back in the closet. If you’re doing this on a budget (like me) I highly suggest the dollar tree. They’re plastic and fabric closet organizing bins work perfectly. If you’re in your forever home and looking to glam it up a bit, then I say go for it and spend the money on something more stylish, and decorative
I can’t explain how it makes me feel to have our linen closet tidied up. When I finished this project I would just open and close the doors to our linen closet over, and over again. Seriously, I’m not joking. I think I stood there for more than 5 minutes just basking in the glow of a well-organized closet.
There are so many benefits to an orderly linen closet – knowing where to find that extra roll of tp or bandaids can save precious moments when you are sending someone to find them in an emergency situation. All jokes aside, it truly provides clarity of mind each and every time I open those closet doors.
But, now I need to hear from you. What’s one space in your house you’ve been dying to organize?
Linen Closet Labels
