The pain that the linen cupboard brings is REAL. This Aussie mum took the bull by the horn sheets by the corners, overhauling her linen cupboard, whipping it into ship-shape and wowing us all with the result. AND YOU CAN TOO!
When Bec Collins posted in Kmart Inspired Homes Facebook Group, her post read “I jumped on the linen cupboard make over bandwagon today! (My before shot is very embarrassing)“, paired with photos of a cupboard bulging with manchester galore. And it really struck a chord. Don’t be embarrassed Bec, this girlfriend is real life.
You see, this image below IS 90%* OF US. (Not an actual statistic – just allowing for the ultra-organised Marie Kondo’s out there). And this stupid linen cupboard we (mostly) all have drives us crazy.
Linen storage: the battlefield we all face
A Narnia wardrobe if ever there was one. Many resonated with the feeling of flinging open the linen cupboard doors, forcefully wedging towels in there any old way, slamming the door shut and making a hasty exit.
We keep far too much stuff. Things never fit, we have WAY too many towels, too many OLD towels with barely no absorbency, 700 pillowcases … and don’t even get me started on the fitted sheet situation.
Bec shared her mid-way progress pic, or what I like to refer to as ‘the point of no return’, with the Facebook group and the consensus is that she’s a magician for fitting so much in there in the first place.
“I’m actually impressed you got all this to fit in the cupboard haha” one fellow group member said.
Light at the end of the tunnel
In a true case of reward for effort, a trip to a favourite utopia for all things storage and organisation, Kmart was inevitable. Bec bought several of Kmart’s grey felt storage box (with lid), $6 each and black baskets, similar to this Kmart black rectangular basket, $10. Everything in the linen cupboard now has a home. Hooray!
With towels, sheets, pillowcases and quilt covers all sorted and refolded … order has been regained.
We bow before you Bec, you’ve done an AMAZING job in organising your linen cupboard. We hope it makes finding clean sheets or a face washer a breeze from here on in!
3 steps to organising the linen cupboard at home
1. The ruthless cull
Be like a Spice Girl and decide on what you want, what you really really want and get rid of the rest. What you’re keeping for the sake of keeping is what creates chaos. Do you need 16 towels? No. Do you have single bed linen but no one has a single bed anymore? You know the answer … you shouldn’t have so much stuff and you know you’re likly never going to need it again. Stop holding onto ‘just in case…’
2. Divide and conquer
Compartmentalise the linen cupboard and STICK TO IT. Towels of all sizes. Sheet sets together or grouped in size. Baby linen together. Spare pillows and blankets – a match made in Heaven. Whatever you choose, be consistent.
3. Store it so EVERYONE can find it
When people can’t find what they’re looking for is when things start getting messed up. Baskets help keep linen contained and don’t forget to label, label, label. It doesn’t have to be a fancy label, even a bit of tape on the shelf that reads ‘QUEEN SHEETS’ will suffice. Just. Do. It. And, as a result, you’ll lead a much more pleasant linen loving life, we promise!
Fitted sheets are painful AF – so here’s a tip
I’m not going to lie, I can’t fold a fitted sheet for love nor money. They’re more ‘rolled and bundled’ into the cupboard than folded per se. Most definitely guaranteed to have more wrinkles than 85-year-old Uncle Ned when they spring open. Watch the video below and you’ll soon be a pro at folding fitted sheets!
Tell us how does your linen cupboard at home stack up?!
