Linens Galore!

When was the last time you opened your linen closet and something didn’t fall out? The very worst thing is when you forgot that the guests are arriving in 30 minutes and you can’t figure out which sheets will actually fit on which size bed. Here are some ideas to help you sort out sheet sets into useable groups that are conveniently located.

As always don’t forget to get S.I.M.P.L.Y. Organized. If you don’t know about this acronym then start with the blog post Six Step Method to get S.I.M.P.L.Y. Organized pt 1 of 6. Once you follow the steps enough times you get the hang of it and it becomes rather, well…simple.

So what really is the purpose of your linen closet? Is it really for sheets and blankets or towels too? Does it work double duty as a game closet or perhaps where you store your gift-wrapping supplies? Those are all things you need to take into consideration before you begin organizing this space.

Today we are going to focus on sheets and give you some tips and ideas to help ‘iron’ out those issues, to help you ‘fit’ them all in and to ‘flat’-out make that closet useable. (Puns intended J)

~ Folding the Monster

When folding fitted sheets, lay out the fitted sheet wrong side up on your dinning room table. The main part of the sheet that would cover the top of the bed should be laying flat on the table while the sides are folded inward on top of the sheet. Now use your existing visual corners and edges as the new corners and edges of the piece you are folding and fold as you would normally fold a flat sheet. In that way all of the ‘fitted’ part that make up a big bulky mess is neatly tucked in and the end result looks almost as nice as a flat sheet.

~ Stacking the Tower

Once folded, place both sheets and the pillowcase into the second pillowcase of the set. That keeps everything together. If the end result is too large for your shelves, then fold it to half the size of the pillowcase and place it inside and then tuck under the end of the pillowcase.

~ Discerning the Difference

Ideally you should buy different color sheet sets based on the room they will inhabit. The twin sets go in the brown room, one full set in the blue room, and one in the green room etc. In that way you can quickly glance at the color and know what size the sheets will be.

~ Locating the Label

If you just love one color or you only buy white sheets for easy bleaching, then you need to denote which set is which size. This can be done several different ways. You can buy fabric labels and place a label on each piece in an inconspicuous place. (That seems like too much work to me.) Another option is to label the shelf and make sure the sheets are placed on the correct shelf ie…all the twin sets on one shelf and all of the full sets on another shelf. (That is totally doable.) An easier option is to put them in the closet of the bedroom where you will use them. It really doesn’t take up much room at all and they are very conveniently located there.

~ Doubling the Fun

When my children were young, I had two sets of sheets for every bed. So if in the middle of the night one of them had an accident or was sick, the sheets could be changed rather quickly and I could throw the dirty set into the washer and go right back to bed.

~ Cushioning the Cause

Don’t forget about those mattress pads. If you have extra bed pads, they are folded much like the fitted sheets. They should also be housed in the room where they will be used. If there is no room in that closet for one more thing (then you need to organize that closet next), then place the mattress pad inside the other pillow case that goes with that set or place it on the shelf that is labeled according to the bed size.

~ Warming the Soul

Finally, you should decide where the extra blankets will live. During the warm season you should place them in the closet toward the back and up high so that they are out of the way. Or perhaps there is room under the bed in a rolling tote for those bulky blankets. However, when it is winter, you will again want to place them in the closet of the room where they will be used. Another option is again on the labeled shelf of the bed size for which they are used.

Once you are finished you should have a nicely arranged closet with labeled shelves. Next time you have guests, you can find those sheets in no time. If you relocated those sheets to other rooms then your closet should be half empty. In that case, the possibilities are endless as to what you could use this new found closet space for….perhaps a craft closet…or toy storage for the kids ….or depending on the size of the area, maybe you could take the door off the closet and turn in into a mini office with a built in desk. The possibilities are endless!