How to Organize Your Linen Closet in Less Than 2 Hours

How many of us have linen closets with dust bunnies, towels from the 1960's and lord knows what else? This is a simple and short way of making a big change in your household and a nice way to keep at least one area fresh.

1) DUMP IT ALL OUT That's right, you heard me, take everything out. Even the neatly folded things. Make a giant pile (clean and dirty) somewhere to be sorted. I like to use my bed, but if you have pets that may be an issue.

• Separate those old towels/pillow cases that are too old or frayed that you never use. They take up space and are pretty much useless. So toss them. They aren't worth hanging onto.
• Recycle them into re-usable cleaning rags, burping pads or pet crate liners. Or my favorite, cut the older things into 4"x4" squares and make them into new pillow cases, pot holders or aprons. Using "antique"fabric that is soft from use makes your creations unique and fun.
• WASH I think a good rewash of all "keepers" is always good, it ensures the dust (and our nasty little friends dust mites) and any odors will be gone, literally giving you a fresh start! AND in order to actually kill dust mites you need to wash the items at 140 degrees
• BUY Buying a few extra pillow cases/sheet sets when you find them on sale extends the life of your linens and can brighten things up a bit. My son loves bright colors, so last year when a local linen store went out of business I bought 14 new cases at a dollar each. It was so worth it, we will have pillow cases forever!

2)CLEAN

• start by dry dusting every inch of your linen closet.
• using a spray bottle and a solution of 50% white vinegar 50% distilled water spritz every inch of your linen closet. Wipe it down and let it dry fully while you finish the rest of the task. Vinegar has a high acidity level, so it kills most bacteria, mold and germs. There are no artificial harsh products and it is environmentally friendly! Ok and its cheap.

3) KEEP THEM SAFE - your wool blankets and other duvet covers and blankets. The container store has some wonderful clear zipped cases specifically for this purpose.

• Wool - in each wool bag I like to put a small cedar block (not touching the fabric directly as it will cause yellowing) to keep moths away (just in case).
• Blankets & Duvets in each bag place a small lavender sachet, it is a lovely way to keep things fresh if you don't use them for months.
• Holiday Table Linens - we only bring them out once a year so it is important to keep them safe, especially if they are heirlooms.

4) FOLD FOLD FOLD Fold is a 4 letter word,

• LEARN If you don't know how to fold anything properly, go to youtube.com orwalk into your nearest high-end linens store and ask them to show you!
• SYSTEM there are several systems to organizing your actual linens. My sister, for instance, keeps her sheet sets together, I however fold pillow cases together, flat sheets together and keep my fitted sheets neatly rolled into a rattan basket, I like to mix up my bedding sometimes! Whatever your system may be, make it simple.

5) WAIT! Before re-placing your freshly washed and organized linens back into your clean closet...

• Place several of those scented bars of soap you receive as gifts or impulsively buy, at the very back corners of the closet. When I started doing this my son raved about it every time I changed the sheets!
• Use Lavender or rose petal sachets in the back of the closets as well for more fresh spring scents!

OTHER TIPS:

• Your bed linens should be changed at least twice a week
• use a mattress cover that is laundered once a month
• Use pillow case protecters under your pillow cases ( I like Target Brand) and wash them when you wash your mattress covers.