Ideas for Organizing the Linen Closet
- Bryan Ruzicka
- Nov 2, 2020
- 4 min read
Have you become victim to a towel explosion? Are you afraid that you’re going to be buried under toiletries and bedding the next time you open the linen closet? No worries. I can help you fix that and get organized! When we’re done, you’ll want your guests to look inside.
Getting Started
First, you’re going to want to purge any unwanted items. These include old, shabby looking towels, empty toiletries, expired medication, etc. Once you do this, go ahead and separate these items into categories. These categories can be whatever you want to help you remember where things will be, but I will list some category ideas below.
Towels
Hand Towels
Washcloths
Bedding
First Aid
Makeup
Hair
• Combs
• Spray
• Mousse
• Gel
Hair Tools
Body
• Lotion
• Spray
• Perfume/Cologne
• Deodorant
• Scrubs
• Wash
Face
• Moisturizers
• Toners
• Cleansers
• Masks
Backstock
I think you get the idea.
I’ll warn you now, it’s going to look worse before it gets better, but do not worry or ask yourself, “What was I thinking?” It’s all going to come together.
Now that your closet is empty and everything is broken into categories and scattered throughout your bathroom, it’s time to count. Count how many categories you have. Once you have that, it’s time to shop.
I know what you’re thinking. You want me to leave my bathroom a mess? Yes, yes, I do. I’ll tell you why. Now that you see everything, you have a better understanding of what kind of products and how much product you need to buy.
(Product = Bins, baskets, labels, etc.).
Here is a bit of advice. If you already have bins, use them. Do not go out and buy all new stuff unless you want to. If you are OCD like me, you will need to go out and buy all new things so that they all match. If this doesn’t bother you then use what you have and assess whether or not you need anything else. Below I will recommend some products and how I use them.
If you are on a budget, go to Dollar Tree. They have so many clear plastic bins of various sizes as well as colored ones and ones that are mesh looking. These will totally work and guess what? They’re all a dollar.
There are some other options. Depending on how you want your closet to look, you can use clear plastic bins, baskets, baskets with liners, or cloth cube bins. In the posted photos we used clear plastic bins since she already had some and we wanted to utilize what she already had. This way everything was consistent. The only difference was the fabric bins used for the towels and wash cloths. These added a little something extra to the aesthetic of the closet. Depending on how many towels you have, you may need something bigger. These were all purchased at Target.
I love a lazy Susan. I utilized two different ones for this project. A deeper one with four dividers for her hair tools. And another clear one for her daily or most used products. This included cleansers, toners, washes, serums, masks, etc. Separate these items into what makes sense for you. These were also purchased at Target.
Again, buy what makes sense for you and the kind of look you want. If you like the look of baskets or cloth bins better, then go for it. I find that for facial cleansers and other toiletries, clear bins work better because you can see what is in them, but it’s totally a preference.
For labels, you can use index cards, sticker labels, or bin labels (I will post the link for these below). If you use index cards or cardstock, you can use ribbon to tie these to the bins.
Now that you purchased your products, go back home and start placing your categories into specific bins. Take your time. Labels out. Bigger items in the back.
Once you are done its time to label. If you are using handwritten labels, make sure you use a good marker or pen. Write neatly and be creative. Add stickers, use stencils, etc. If you are using a label maker or printing out labels, go ahead and stick those on your bins. If you are using cardstock with ribbon, make sure these are tied very well and that you can actually read the label.
Finally, it’s time for placement. Again, place things back on the shelf in areas that make sense for you. The shelves that are easily accessible should be used for those items used most frequently or that you need to see inside the bin to pull out a specific item. The higher shelves could be for those items like towels, bedding, or items you do not need as often.
And there you have it! An organized linen closet worthy for guests. These tips and tricks can be used for other areas of the house too. Remember, have fun! Now what are you waiting for? Go organize!
* We also used liners for the wire shelving because she did not like the way they looked. Let me know if you would like me to write a how to on how we did that in the comments.
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