Success!
As you may have read from my previous post, my hallway linen closet had some major issues. I had blankets and sheets bursting from behind the door. The problem has been solved. Thanks to everyone who gave their input.
Let me recap how I ended up organizing this problem area of my home.
1) I pulled everything out and sorted into piles. My piles included comforters, blankets, sheets, table linens, sleeping bags, throw pillows, stuff we don't use but want to keep as a 'memories' (baby blankets), and most importantly... throw away or give away. Without a doubt the most important piles were the throw away or give away piles. I found a pair of sheets that I think I had during college, which was.... let's just say... a while ago.
2) Once everything was in piles and I boxed up the items I was giving away (comforters and pillow sets for kids and a table cloth or two), tossed the old sheets and pillow cases (saved one sheet for painting), I was now able to make sense of what was left. This was a very pivotal moment in the process.
With all the unwanted/unneeded items removed I realized I now had a very manageable inventory which would easily fit into my linen closet. It also became obvious that the culprit to my disorganized and messy closet was clutter. Clutter I no longer needed or wanted. This clutter was keeping me from achieving a state of zen in my hallway linen closet (OK, maybe not zen, but as least orderly).
3) With a much smaller inventory of linens my next step was to determine how I needed to utilize this space. Some of the items, like afghans my grandmother made and baby quilts we wanted to keep, didn't need to have easy access. These items I placed in a medium sized clear tote and stored on the very top shelf of the closet.
I kept a few blankets and comforters to use when the kids had sleepovers. I also stored those in clear totes and placed those on the floor. This way the kids could have quick access to them but still be able to put them back neatly (even if they don't fold them they are still stored neatly). The remaining items were folded and placed on the middle shelves where my wife and I could access. All-in-all, a well organized linen closet that should work very well for our life.
INSIGHT: One of the most helpful tips was to store an entire set of sheets together in a bundle. This is a great idea. Previously we stored pillowcases in one place and sheets in another. We could never find a matching set. Now, I've folded the entire set, flat sheet, fitted sheet and pillow cases, all together. It's unbelievable how much of a difference a small trick like that makes.
So, the moral of this story is.... if I can get my linen closet organized, you can too. All it takes is a little thought and a little time. Enjoy.
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