The title of this article may make you laugh, especially if you have a large family.  I grew up in large family with five kids, so I know where you are coming from.  When we are told to live simply, it doesn’t always seem to be a very realistic expectation.  The laundry is always piling up, the linen closet does not have room for it all, and the clothes just pile up more and more on the closet floor.  Most homes do not have large enough laundry rooms, and then the linen closet becomes completely out of control.

Our linen closet definitely was overflowing with towels, comforters, and blankets. We only had one shelf in it for a year, so everything was packed into it in bins. This was not working, and we knew it. We just didn’t have the time to add more shelving with everything else we had to do during the first year of living in our new home. After we finished other more important projects in our home, we were ready to tackle our closets with some much needed extra shelving.

Maybe, you are ready to simplify your linen closet now that you have more time at home.  If so, here are a few easy ways to simplify your linen closet after you add the shelving you need into this space.

Note: I would recommend you have at least 3 or more shelves added into your linen closet if you don’t have them before beginning.  You could also put closed or open shelving into your laundry room for additional space.  This way, you have the space you need for your family. You may need 2 linen closets depending on your family size. 

1.Use Labeled Baskets

I enjoy using these baskets throughout my home since I am able to fit 4 on a shelf. They look nice and keep everything organized. I added them to the bottom of this post.  I also use these baskets in my bathroom closets. The labels can be used in both your bathroom and linen closet which is nice, so you don’t have to look for other labels elsewhere.  Those are also added to the bottom of this post.

2. Keep Each Shelf Consistent

Think of what works the best for your family.  You could give each family member their own shelf they are responsible for. For us, it made more sense to have our king sheets on the top shelf.  My son uses the queen sheets, so I put those on the second shelf. We seem to be constantly going through the hand towels and washcloths, so I put those on my third shelf.  We don’t use the beach towels, the extra hand towels, or the wash cloths as often. Because of this, I placed them on the ground in more baskets.  I also put in extra bath towels that were not needed in the bathroom closets here.

3. Give Yourself Room to Grow

Don’t forget to give yourself room to grow with some empty baskets.  You could do 16 baskets with 4 on each shelf if you needed to.  I would encourage you to take those bulky comforters  out of your linen closet if they are not fitting into it.  They never have worked in our linen closet. You could store those under your bed or your basement. This will give you the space you need to grow.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope that you are able to reorganize your linen closet and get the space you need out of it for your family.  If 1 linen closet is just not working for your family, add in more shelving in your laundry room or elsewhere.  I hope you can get the space you need out of your home so it can work better your family.

Cheers!