Organize a Linen Closet

Tuck the folded fitted sheet and pillow cases inside the fold of the top sheet to make an easy package for putting away and taking out. You could also tie each set with a ribbon to keep it together. Sort by bedroom, color, size, or season and then stack sheets sets flat. Set them on their shelf with the folded edge facing out.

Store blankets, seasonal comforters and extra pillows in large zippered plastic bags and keep them on the bottom or top shelf where they're out of the way of everyday items.

How you organize your towels depends on how you run your bathroom.

• If you like to mix and match, keep separate stacks of bath towels, hand towels, finger towels and wash cloths.
• If you favor matched sets, place the folded small towels in the fold of the bath towel. If you have more than one bathroom, cluster each room’s towel sets together.

Regardless of how you organize them, each towel in a stack should have the folded side facing out and the loose ends facing the same way to keep the pile stable and tidy. Don’t overstack towels on closet shelves; it is better to have multiple short piles to avoid tipping.

Be sure to assess the state of your bath linens periodically and turn worn or ripped towels into rags.

Divide your table linens into tablecloths, table runners, placemats and napkins. You can further divide by season, style, or by the table where they are used.

Group napkins, which are the most apt to get dirty and wear out, by color or size. You might want to buy extra napkins for each design or set so that you're sure to have enough clean and in good shape each time you use them.

You can hang tablecloths and runners on the back of the closet door on padded hangers, or simply place a towel over the hanger before folding your linens over it to avoid creasing. An over-the-door towel rack also works well.

If you're short on space in the linen closet, you can easily store table linens in sideboards or a chest of drawers in the kitchen or dining room. Flat storage bins are the perfect place to keep holiday table linens. House them with your other holiday decorations.

To keep guest linens nice, consider storing them in a covered bin or basket under the guestroom bed instead of the linen closet. Stock it with summer and winter sheets, pillows, blankets and a few complete sets of towels. keep a portable basket with travel toiletries — you can quickly make up the guest space, and guests feel absolutely pampered in your home.

For when you have people over for a few hours, have handy a small container of pretty hand towels and scented soaps.

Some linen closets house extra family toiletries, first aid and sewing kits, cleaning supplies and a myriad of other household items. Having baskets or other containers can be so helpful — keep similar items together for easy grab-and-go.