Linen Closet Organization
In our little home we have very few closets. One of which is our linen closet, which in the grand scheme of things isn’t too bad in size.
Like our old office downstairs that collected all the big stuff nobody knew what to do with, our linen closet became the place where all the little stuff landed when it had no other “home”. Everything from linens, to gift wrap, Wii accessories, scrap book supplies, table linens, books, nail polish, and everything in between.
In my ongoing quest to organize and simplify our lives, it was time to tackle that beast.
There was no point in putting it off any longer, or pouting about the fact that “I” had to do it despite the fact their are 3 other adults contributing to the clutter!
Okay. I pouted a little bit. But quietly and when no one was looking.
I first emptied the entire contents of the closet onto our bed, which is a mere 6 feet from the closet. Yup. Our house is that small!
I knew that by piling everything on the bed I had to commit to finishing the job by the end of the day or we would be sleeping on the living room floor.
I then gathered up my all purpose cleaner, some paper towels, a couple bags for garbage and a box for things I would donate to Goodwill. I gave it a good cleaning and a thorough vacuuming.
I toyed with the idea of painting the inside, but I knew that should really wait until a day where I had more time or we really would have been sleeping on the floor!
I sorted through each and every thing, putting it into either garbage, donate, its rightful home, or back into the closet. How we managed to accumulate 5 huge bottles of mouthwash is beyond me. And, I don’t think my girls need to buy nail polish for at least 5 years!
Two very stuffed garbage bags and one box full of donations later the job was all done!
Using some dollar store baskets that were purged in the process I gathered like things together. One for nail products, one for first-aid supplies and one for extra soaps, hairsprays, etc.
While we haven’t played bingo in almost 2 years, I held on to 4 bingo dabbers, but threw away 8 so I thought that was a good compromise! As far as hand soaps go, I don’t think I will need to buy any for the next several months.
I discovered lots of things I forgot I even had, but I also discovered I really need more towels!
This linen closet organization took me about 2 hours to complete and I feel like a weight has been lifted. I actually don’t cringe when I have to open the door and find something anymore!
In the spring we will renovate the closet, putting up new drywall instead of the paneling that is in there now. Fresh paint will brighten it up. We would really like to put in a proper closet system to help keep the space neat and organized! Our furnace pipes run straight up through this closet making it a bit awkward, and our water meter is also tucked in there which has to be exposed for meter readings.
Until next time….
Maureen
Aagh. That’s much better. Now I’m inspired to clean out my pillow/blanket/game/catch-all closet!
I sooooo need to do this with my ‘craft room’ which is really just code word for junk room. Looks like you got rid of lots of stuff, great work!
I’m living in a tiny little home too, and every little storage space is so precious! How in the world do I let mine get so overloaded and cluttered? It’s in the long line of places waiting for a good overhaul and decluttering.
Right now, I’ve got a lot of teacher homework that takes precedence and a garden that is needing to be put to bed for the winter! We had a frost this week and there are now some plants that have truly had it! They’re just crying to be pulled out and put out of their misery. I really do enjoy the fall season but that first heavy frost just finishes off any remaining ‘garden glories’.
Oh Jan, how I can relate! I think that is where the “out of sight, out of mind” really plays a roll in how we prioritize all the things we know need to be done. At least that was the case for me! When the doors kept popping open and it was no longer always out of site, I knew I just had to bite the bullet!