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How to Organize a Large Linen Closet

Darria Deatherage • Nov 19, 2019

Many people believe that organizing a large closet is easier than organizing a small one. While that can be the case, a large linen closet can invite you to store items that don’t really belong there, which raises the chances of creating too much clutter in this area of the home. If you are fortunate enough to have a large linen closet in your bathroom or hallway, we have some tips for you on how to get it organized.

If you have a small linen closet, we can recommend an article called Tips for Organizing a Small Closet, published recently by Closet Decor & More. If yours is on the large side, though, read on!

Decide What You Need to Store in the Space

Any large storage area, including a large closet, is going to be a natural magnet for a wide variety of items. These extraneous items fall into two categories: things that should not go into the closet at all and things that should go in the closet but not in the quantity you have.

If you have items that don’t belong in the linen closet, consider where else you might be able to keep them. For example, people usually keep towels, sheets, toiletries, bathroom tissue, facial tissue, and sometimes medications in the linen closet. These are all items that you would use in the bathroom or bedroom. If you have extra items such as children’s clothing that is meant to grow into, cans of paint, or tablecloths in your linen closet, you might think about moving them out of that area (unless you have decided that that is where you want those belongings to live).

The more common issue is that people might have too many of the right kind of items in the closet. A family of three people probably does not need 20 towels, for example. Look at where you can downsize. A good rule of thumb is to have two sets of sheets for each bed (three for young children who might wet the bed and need frequent changes) and four bath towels per person. You should also have seven or eight washcloths per person if you are washing laundry weekly and two hand towels. If you wash laundry more often, then you don’t need as many of these items. Keep in mind that if you have guests coming to visit, you will want to have a few towels of all sizes on hand for them, too.

Any extra items beyond this, you can find a way to repurpose or you can give away. Many people downgrade old towels to line dog crates or to keep in the car to wipe up messes. This keeps them out of your linen closet and still being put to good use.

Don’t Stuff Items Together

If you have the luxury of a large linen closet, go ahead and use the space. Place dividers on the shelves and stack towels by color in between each divider. There’s no need to try to fit eight towels in a stack when you have the option to stack them in piles of four and let them stay fluffy, rather than squashed.

This not only looks nicer but also makes it easier to pull out what you need. You have likely had the experience of pulling out one towel and having several more pop out at the same time because they were pushed together.

For sheets, consider folding each set together and placing them neatly in one pillowcase. This is also a tip that is good for small linen closets. It makes it easy to remove the bedding you need without having to look through a pile of fitted sheets or pillowcases.

Make Good Use of the Floor Space

In a small linen closet, it’s often easiest to keep the floor clear. In a larger closet, however, you have more options. You could place your laundry baskets on the floor and use those to corral dirty laundry that people take off in the bathroom. Have three baskets (solids, whites, and towels/sheets). This will allow you to grab one basket at a time, getting your laundry done without overloading your laundry room.

If you have enough space, you can even use your large linen closet to store your vacuum cleaner and other cleaning supplies. If you have young children, remember to keep dangerous cleaning supplies either up high or locked up. Small and large vacuum cleaners, brooms, dustpans, mops, and buckets can be stored safely in the linen closet, however.

Use Containers to Keep Items in Order

The nice thing about a large linen closet is that you can use containers of various sizes to keep your items in the right places. You might need to use smaller containers in small closets, but you can bring in big plastic totes or baskets to keep your toiletries, extra toilet tissue, guest towels, and other items.

A chest of drawers is another way to keep this space neat and tidy. You can keep your sheets, blankets, or extra pillows dust-free and out of sight until you open the drawer. Or use it for items like a hairdryer, curling iron, hair straightener, and other accessories that you or other household members might use. A bin placed inside of a drawer can be the perfect location for those sample-sized shampoos and moisturizers that you might pick up when you travel. Then, when you have guests, they can help themselves to anything they might have forgotten!

A professional closet organizer from Closet Gallery can install high-quality storage systems in any closet or space in your home. If you are ready to look into a professionally installed custom closet in your linen closet, please contact us to schedule a free, no-obligation in-home consultation.

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