THE LINEN CLOSET
My linen closet is in my laundry room. I store sheets, towels, cleaning supplies, medicines, first aid, extra health & beauty supplies.
Inspired by the book "It's All Too Much" (se side bar for link to book at Amazon), I started the "clean sweep" in my home a couple of months ago and spent a little time in this room. I realized that we had towels in the linen closet, in the dirty hampers, in the washer & dryer, on hooks in the bathrooms, and occasionally on the floor in the kids' rooms. I realized that just because there are ten of us doesn't mean we need 20+ towels! I pulled all of the older thining towels (maybe 4-5) and cut them into small cleaning cloths. I stored another 4-5 towels in a hiding place that I could go to if we really did need the extra towels. I immediately noticed a difference in the laundry. Also, my fear of not having a towel when we needed one still hasn't been realized.
Yesterday, in preparation for this blog entry I tackled the linen closet once again. I decided to pull a few more towels (less is more!) and sort through my medicines again. I also pulled excess heath & beauty items I purchased for almost free at CVS and added them to my yard sale pile. Here are my before and after shots of the medicine/first aid shelf.
My linen closet is in my laundry room. I store sheets, towels, cleaning supplies, medicines, first aid, extra health & beauty supplies.
Inspired by the book "It's All Too Much" (se side bar for link to book at Amazon), I started the "clean sweep" in my home a couple of months ago and spent a little time in this room. I realized that we had towels in the linen closet, in the dirty hampers, in the washer & dryer, on hooks in the bathrooms, and occasionally on the floor in the kids' rooms. I realized that just because there are ten of us doesn't mean we need 20+ towels! I pulled all of the older thining towels (maybe 4-5) and cut them into small cleaning cloths. I stored another 4-5 towels in a hiding place that I could go to if we really did need the extra towels. I immediately noticed a difference in the laundry. Also, my fear of not having a towel when we needed one still hasn't been realized.
Yesterday, in preparation for this blog entry I tackled the linen closet once again. I decided to pull a few more towels (less is more!) and sort through my medicines again. I also pulled excess heath & beauty items I purchased for almost free at CVS and added them to my yard sale pile. Here are my before and after shots of the medicine/first aid shelf.
BEFORE
AFTER
Next, I pulled sheets that were never used because they were torn or the elastic had worn out. (Why was I keeping these?!) I organized the sheets in stacks according to bed size. We use 1 crib, 5 twin beds, 1 full and 1 queen size beds in our home. I have special linens and comfortors I use in our large bedroom for when we host another family - I keep these in that bedroom. I store the queen sheets and the crib sheets in a chest of drawers in the master bath. So, all I have in the linen closet are twin and full sheet sets. Looks pretty messy here.
I found that I have 12 sets of twin sheets and 4 sets of full, including those sheets on the beds. I removed the "Barney" sheets, but will hold them in reserve for #8 when he moves to a big boy bed. Next, I pulled two twin sets and one full set to donate. I need the remaining 2 fulls and 2 twins for when the house is filled with blow up mattresses and cousins. The extra 2 twin sets are cotton and will replace the flanel sheets currently on two beds. The flanel sheets will be packed away. They will not be stored here. Doesn't this look better?
Now I know that I don't need two sets of sheets for every bed. I don't wash all 5 sets of twin sheets on the same day. And, because we have fewer towels and less clothing I don't have such a back log of laundry. I find that when I do wash sheets, they are ready to go right back onto the bed before bedtime the same day. If I don't, the kids have a slumber party on the floor and they are back on the following night.
Now I have fewer possesions and greater peace! :o)
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