I received this email last week from a reader:
Help! I have been trying to organize my linen closet over the past couple of weeks. I went to Walmart and bought a big 3 drawer storage unit and several other storage containers. Yesterday I took them out …….. didn’t work for me. I’ve got my sheets and blankets organized, but what is my problem is all the extra stuff. I want to store my toilet paper, paper towels, extra shampoos, soaps, bath products, etc. Do you have any suggestions? My shelves are deep and wide. The measurement from the bottom shelf to the floor is about 28” and each shelf is 13” between each shelf. They are 24” deep and 36” wide.
Great question! There are so many different solutions to this space, I had a hard time narrowing down just one. What I’ll often do when I’m uncertain what will work in a space is I’ll actually go out and buy some different totes/containers to try out. Then I’ll come home and arrange and re-arrange them to figure out what works best. To me it’s like doing a puzzle trying to get the pieces together just so. Whatever doesn’t work I can always return if I can’t use it somewhere else.
In this situation, I can see that this reader has the following things she is uncertain how to store:
– extra shampoos, soaps and other misc. bath products
– cleaning supplies
– heating pad, ace bandages, neck braces
– toilet paper
– garbage bags
My suggestion is to stack two of these type of stackable bins on the very bottom shelf….one to store the extra bathroom supplies and one to store cleaning supplies. The bins work well because they allow the products to stand upright rather than laying down. Can never be too careful with spillage and it’s easy access. I love stacking bins because they make excellent use of vertical space. These ones here are from
Stacks and Stacks and are a nice size.
Then along side the bins I would include this three drawer rolling container which can be found just about anywhere. I would use this to store the garbage bags, heating pads, neck braces, bandages, etc.
Finally on the first shelf I would store the overstock toilet paper/paper towels along with the under shelf basket that the reader already has for her small products (nail polish, toothpaste etc). I wish I was there to help her out! It would be so much fun. I can’t wait to see what this reader decides to do and hopefully she’ll let me share her after photo with you.
I did my own linen closet not that long ago, you can check it out
here.
Updated to add: The Chatty Housewife made some excellent points in the comments that I should have mentioned. This organizing stuff is so second nature to me that I sometimes forget that not everyone is a “freak” like me…lol. Two things to remember is to always store “like with like” (in other words don’t have multiple storage spaces for bandages for instance, keep them all together) and store items where you use them (although I do think it is totally acceptable to have one spot for the overstock).
Have a wonderful weekend everyone….I hope you have some happy organizing adventures!
I received this email last week from a reader:
Great ideas! I may just have to tackle my linen closet sometime soon!
When I tackled my linen closet I did the following and it helped and made things look a bit nicer- this was just for the towels, sheets, etc. I put my sets together- fold the fitted sheet, flat sheet and ONE pillow case- put them all in the second pillow case- voila-they are always together. When I fold my towels, I put them on the shelf with the folded side facing out- for whatever reason it just looks neater. I also use lots of baskets for the extra stuff!
Thanks Laura- I LOVE LOVE LOVE your site- as I said on my site-since moving into my new house you have saved my sanity!!!
Laura, you truly are a genius! But I’m sure you already know that. Perfect solutions. “Reader” will undoubtedly have her closet in tip-top shape in no time now. Hope she does pass along pics so we can all see the final result. I just love those “before” and “afters”!
I love those blue stackable bins. They are great for kid’s closets too!
Okay…are you tired of me coming on and saying, “great idea”? Because I think you’re going to be getting a lot of that. 🙂
Laura:
I am so glad that I found this site thanks to the hip mama blog ring. I read your ideas for the lazy susan and am getting ready to tackly mine right now – I suppose I’d have to say it’s Freshen it up Friday!
Oh, good idea! Laura, I’m getting so excited to come back and read all of your great tips. We’ll be moving in very soon and I know I’m going to need them!
I guess it is a different feeling when its YOUR house, huh?!
I think one of the most important things is learning how to fold. When things are folded properly and all to the same size, with smooth edges, ANYTHING can look organized.
1. one extra pair of sheets per bed ONLY.
2. cleaning products stored where you use them.
3. like items stored together.
-My bandages are with my other first aid items in a large shoe box.
-Garbage bags are under the sink because that is closest to where we use them.
– I don’t buy extra shampoos or other items until the one I have is almost totally gone. The extra items go beside the almost empty ones wherever they are, and when it’s empty it gets tossed right away.
I’m delurking to say I love your site and read it daily. This linen closet matches my own troubled one so closely, that I have some questions–
The blue bins you have–do those go on the floor with the rolling cart next to it?
Second, what do you do about medications? This closet is where we keep those. Currently, I have an open basket that I put cough syrups and things in up high, but it always worries me with having a three year old who likes to climb. Any ideas for that?
I hope your reader does post the end results so I can copy him/her! HA! Thanks!
there is a blue bin from ikea (if you have one near you) that looks like the one in your response . my sister has a bunch of them on her shelves that she stores everything in by category and then labeled the bin. it seems to keep everything contained and you can take them out easily. and the best part! they only cost 99 cents!
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/57192396
if you dont have an ikea near you, they are cheap enough if you knew someone close to one they could buy them and ship them to you.
Hi Crazymomcat, yes I would put the blue bins on the floor with the rolling cart beside it.
I did a post on where I store my medications:
Organizing Medications
Hope that helps!
Hi Laura,
just wanted to jump in & say “hi” from New Zealand. I’ve been enjoying your site for a while.
Cheers,
Cate
I just started organizing my linen closet, too. I think I will be incorporating your ideas as well as one I used from meckmom.com who suggested using the giant Ziploc bags to create a “bed in a bag”. We have a lot of family visitors and have plenty of extra sheets and pillows. This worked wonders and opened up two shelves! I’m still working on it, but am loving the ideas! Thank you!
I like the idea of putting the sheet sets inside the pillow cases! I may have to retackle the linen closet today. I have the same closet as in the pictures. My main problem is extra blankets. They seem to take up way too much space.
this is for helen- for your extra blankets you could get those giant storage bags that you suck the air out of. i had those for my daughters baby clothes and extra blankets. just dont let you husband slide them across the garage floor when your moving! they dont work so well after that.