By: Consumer Reports Updated 01 May 2022, 18: 01 pm EDT
Linen closets have a dark little secret: they can hide a lot of clutter behind closed doors. So when all the towels in the house seem to be gone, or if all you can find are single sized sheets when you’re looking for queen, these organization tips should help you remove what you don’t need, tidy up, and make items easier to find, not just for a day or a week, but for the long haul.
The best organization experts have provided their best strategies for this project, their estimation of the time needed to sort and put the objects back, and their recommendations on products that can help improve the results .
As you do the work, keep in mind the words of Sharon Lowenheim, Certified Professional Organizer and founder of Organizing Goddess: “Organizing isn’t about having everything in order; it’s about knowing what you have and how to find it when you need it. Deciding where everything goes -and putting it there systematically- is the key to achieving and maintaining organization”.
Control the chaos of the linen closet
– Time needed: 3 hours
– Useful materials: Shelf dividers, bins and baskets, labels, vacuum storage bags
Arrange the shelves according to the frequency of use
Use the shelves at eye level and just below for the things you use regularly. Bulkier, less-used items like extra blankets and pillows can go in soft-sided bins on a top shelf or on the floor, says Jeffrey Phillip of Jeffrey Phillip Organization and Design. Consider storing seldom-used bedding in stackable cube-shaped vacuum storage bags or hidden vacuum bags in boxes, like Oxford Gray Storage Boxes with Vacuum Bag ($30 to $2022 in Container Store); the latter are attractive and stackable, says Amy Tokos, certified professional organizer and founder of Freshly Organized.
Order the room shelving
Use shelf dividers, like Jucoan Shelf Dividers ($22 on Amazon), to keep the stacks of clothes from each room together and upright, and label the rack by room or person. Fold the towels and store them in a rectangular basket. Give away bedding that isn’t part of a set. (Animal shelters, for example, often welcome bedding donations).
Leave fair
No one needs 30 towels; a bed should have two sets of sheets, the one it has and one spare. An easy way to keep sheet sets from falling apart: Store them inside one of the pillowcases from the same set, says Tokos, who is also president of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO). Productivity and Organization Professionals).
Save and hide
Opt for small dark containers that hide the clutter inside (over-the-counter drugs, cosmetics, etc.); Label each container on the outside so you know what’s in it. Throw out anything that is expired or no longer used; pharmacies usually accept the return of medicines. Store medications out of the reach of children.
Store bulk purchases elsewhere
Calculate how many rolls of toilet paper, paper towels, and packets of soap you need in a month, and let your stocks dwindle so that your wardrobe is not cluttered. Store department store club products in the basement or garage, and stash smaller amounts under bathroom sinks, replenishing when needed, says Tokos, who keeps a magnetic shopping list taped to her refrigerator so completed by family members.
Editor’s Note: This article was also published in the May issue of 2022 of Consumer Reports magazine.
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Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works with consumers to create a fair, safe, and healthy world. CR does not endorse products or services and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2022, Consumer Reports, Inc.