Easy Guide to Organizing the Linen Closet

Are you searching for how-to organize your linen closet? I’ll show you exactly how to get organized, maximize the linen closet storage space, and share lots of storage solutions that are beautiful too!

Here’s your easy guide to organizing the linen closet like a PRO!

Every time I opened my bathroom linen closet I wanted to immediately shut the door. It’s been a dumping ground for everything from bath towels and sheets to medicine for 15 years.

Now my organized linen closet give me peace of mind…I want that for you too. I’m going to share 12+ linen closet organization ideas to help inspire your own makeover.

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How to Start Organizing Your Linen Closet

It’s SO important to assess what you current have in the linen closet along with what you have in your bathroom cabinets and drawers.

Ask yourself these things:

• What do I use on a daily basis?
• When am I having trouble finding what I need it?
• Where are my seasonal bedding items?
• What am I storing in cabinets and drawers that I wish I wasn’t?
• What items do I buy in bulk that I am having trouble storing?
• Every time I go to grab x, y, or z I think “I need to organize this better.”

Thinking through all of this will help you start knowing your linen closet organizational needs plus help you determine if you need new storage bins for certain items.

I’ve written all about strategies to declutter and organize every room in your home. So start there if you are really stuck knowing where to begin.

13 Ideas to Maximize Linen Closet Storage Space

Most linen closets are behind closed doors and are framed in. That leaves vertical space above the top shelf and side to side behind the door frame.

Then within most builder grade home’s is a linen closet with wire shelving. The most annoying shelves ever!

Not only is the space hard to organize, but the shelves typically are stationary and inefficient.

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It’s hard to stand up anything on wire shelving, your towels and linens are instantly wrinkled, and well they are just plain ugly.

I’m going to share not only how to cover your ugly wire shelves to make them more useful, but also the best linen closet organization ideas and strategies.

You’ll be able to not only have an organized linen closet, but keep it that way long term with the RIGHT linen closet organization.

Easy Linen Closet Organization Ideas

Now let’s run through ALL of the ways I took my linen closet from unorganized (and frankly ugly) to organized and beautiful.

I must tell you I laid awake at night envisioning the linen closet of my dreams and worked hard to find the perfect solutions to my storage problems.

Many items were ordered and returned in the making of this linen closet. Now everything fits perfectly and I will keep it that way for years to come 🙂

Towel Storage | Quilt Storage | Narrow Bins | Clear Dividers | Clear Tiered Drawers | Sheet Set Boxes | 3 Bag Laundry Hamper | Hanging Bra Organizer | Cleaning Caddy

Idea 1: Wire Shelf Covers

One of the reasons our linen closets get so messy is because of wire shelving. Maybe you are lucky and have solid shelves. If you do, skip to the next idea.

Solid shelving will help you maximize the storage space within the linen closet. Plus opens up the opportunity to use a wider variety of organizers.

You can easily DIY wire shelf covers in an afternoon and create a custom built-in look. You can see the before and after in my linen closet.

Another idea to take out some or all of the wire shelves and add solid shelves. This is what I did in my linen closet to create better spacing between shelves and to add more storage.

Idea 2: Use Vertical Space to Maximize Storage

You look up at the empty space above the top shelf of the linen closet and wonder “How can I use this space?”

I’ve found the PERFECT organizers for the top shelf of the linen closet with labels and handles.

They have a clear cover that zips closed to keep off dust plus a clear window on the side to see what’s inside.

Storage Ideas for the Top Shelf of a Linen Closet

1. Use under bed storage organizers vertically
2. Roll comforters or quilts and stand them up
3. Stack extra tissue boxes or toilet paper

Use these narrow storage bins which are the perfect size for square tissue boxes and rolls of toilet paper.

Another vertical space is the back of the door. Don’t forget about it either!

Storage Ideas for the Linen Closet Door

1. Hanger for bras or jog bras
2. A shoe rack
3. Pocket organizer for socks or underwear

There are a ton of organizer options for the back of a door. I added a Command hook and special hanger, so I have better storage for my bras.

Idea 3: Create a Medicine Closet on a Shelf

I found the BEST clear tiered pull-out drawer organizers so everything is easy to see on just ONE linen closet shelf.

With clear pull out drawers, you now can grab things in the back without having to pull everything off of the shelf first.

These clear drawers are ideal for storing bottles and boxes of pills, thermometers, first aid supplies like band aids and antibiotic ointment, bandages and other wound care.

The sectioned clear drawers will organize extra toiletries, cosmetics, and beauty supplies. Store extra make-up, cotton pads, lotions, razors, eye drops, toothpaste, soaps, etc.

At a glance you can see everything and it’s in easy reach. That brings me to the next idea, which is lighting!

Idea 4: Add Motion Lights to the Linen Closet

Linen closets are typically dark without much or any natural light making it harder to see what’s inside.

It’s easy to add rechargeable LED motion lights to your linen closet shelves.

The best part about these lights is they are MAGNETIC, so they easily attach to the wire shelves.

They come with a special magnetic holder you can mount to walls, ceilings, or the bottom of a shelf.

Ideas for Rechargeable Motion Lights

1. Attach by magnet to the underside of wire or solid shelves
2. Use as side lights on the walls
3. Place just above the door frame to light from the top

They are the perfect solution to brighten up the inside of your linen closet. I attached the LED lights above my “medicine cabinet” shelf with the clear drawers.

Now every time I open the door they light up and I can see everything in the closet.

Idea 5: Storage Bins for Towels

Ok, so I am a professional towel folder. Seriously! Back in my early career I work for one of the largest towel manufacturers.

As part of my marketing role, I helped design towel walls at major retailers long with our New York City show room.

I have a passion for making towels look fluffy and arranging them by color palette.

Reasons to keep towels in storage cubes with lids:

1. You can see the towels inside
2. They stay perfectly stacked
3. They are covered to stay fresh longer

To store the hand towels, I used a clear divider and turned them on their side with the folded side out. It looks pretty and they don’t fall all over the place!

Rolling towels is another idea for these same storage pieces.

Idea 6: Wash Cloth Storage

Just like the towels, I couldn’t stand the large stack of wash cloths that ALWAYS fell over. To get the one I wanted, I’d dig through the pile.

Now I can keep the wash cloths neat and folded, see exactly what I have, and grab the one I want while everything stays in place.

Just add a slotted clear divider inside a long narrow bin or basket. Fold the wash cloths to fit between the slots. You can store one to two per section.

Idea 7: Store Sheet Sets

Do you or your family have allergies? Storing your sheets in sealed containers will help keep off the dust. Plus they’ll stay smelling clean and fresh longer.

I LOVE these linen storage boxes with a handle, label and window. They zip and velcro closed.

You can put up to 2 sheet sets in one box. The handle is ideal so you can take them to the laundry room or with you to change the sheets.

There is the benefit of a clear window so you can see what is inside and a customizable label for the size or type of sheets.

If you are anything like me, you may be terrible at folding sheets…especially fitted sheets!

Using linen boxes that zip closed are the perfect storage option to camouflage a bad folding job.

Idea 8: Store Duvet Covers and Shams

The sheet storage containers can be used for seasonal duvet covers and sham sets too!

You may be tempted to store a quilt inside, I tried and they just aren’t large enough to hold quilts and zip closed. My next idea will cover that!

These foldable containers can store a couple of duvet and sham sets, if you are meticulous in how you fold them 🙂

Idea 9: Organize Pillow Cases and Shams

Are you like me and like to have extra pillow cases beyond just the ones that come with the sheet set?

Or you may have this problem…you like Queen pillows on a King sized bed?

These simple storage bins with clear shelf dividers inserted are the perfect solution to storing pillow cases and standard or euro shams.

Just fold them in half lengthwise and fold over a few times to store them so you can see them. I like to organize them by color palette.

Idea 10: Organize Quilts and Comforters

This is my favorite linen closet storage hack! I laid awake at night trying to find the perfect solution for storing my seasonal quilts.

I’d seen others roll, tie and stack comforters and quilts, but I didn’t like the fact they would get dusty and wouldn’t stay neat.

Instead, use under bed organizers with clear covers and stack them vertically on the top shelf.

The organizers I found are perfect for quilts and comforters with handles to help you take the on and off the shelf. Plus they have a clear window and labels.

Idea 11: Laundry Hamper Inside the Linen Closet

Think about it, you get undressed more in my bathroom to take a bath or shower than you do in the closet. Why not install a laundry hamper in the linen closet instead!

There is a lot of unused space on the floor of a linen closet. I ended up taking out shelving to make mine fit.

Plus I had to assemble it INSIDE the closet, so make sure you measure!

I’ll link several different hamper options, but if you like the idea of hanging bags you can grab and take to the laundry room mine is perfect!

• My 3 bag hanging laundry hamper
• Narrow hamper with lids and bags
• Rolling 3 slot hamper

Idea 12: Bathroom Cleaning Products

If you have the extra room, think about storing your cleaning products inside your linen closet.

Organize them in a container with a handle, so the you can take them around with you as you clean.

Include rubber gloves, paper towels, rags, glass, toilet, floor and shower cleaner. Plus any cleaning tools that are small you like to use.

Idea 13: Organize by Room or Person

Say you only have one linen closet or a large linen closet. You can use all of the above storage solutions and group them together by room.

Think about organizing linens for each bedroom or ensuite. You can also by family member using the labels on the containers. Or you can use shelf dividers and labels to separate things into groups.

Your kids can easily grab their linens or bath towels by the handle of the storage container when they need them.

Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Linen Closet

Feel inspired to take on a full linen closet makeover? Let me know in the comments your favorite storage solution or idea you found in this tutorial.

What you’ve learned:

• How to think through organizing everything in your linen closet.
• That wire shelves can EASILY be covered. Solid shelves will help you maximize storage space.
• New ideas to use the vertical space above the top shelf for storage.
• Storage solutions to keep things neat and organized that you can maintain daily.
• Ideas to store bedding and towels so they stay fresh and clean.
• Using storage bins with handles will make laundry day easier!
• How to create a “medicine cabinet” inside of your linen closet.
• Why having a laundry hamper inside of the linen closet is a GOOD idea!
• That motion lighting can be added to your linen closet quickly and easily.
• Plus how to label and store bath and bedding items so they work for your family or how you like to organize.

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