Well! Week two of the January Declutter challenge kicked my butt!! While the kitchen was a major project last week, the linen closet closet was just as challenging. Organization of this linen closet was actually quite fulfilling. Here is the schedule from week two:
If you missed Week 1’s declutter challenge you can read about the kitchen here.
Linen and Medicine Closets
Like last week, I combined a few days into one. Most of our medicine cabinet items are kept in our linen closet at it is a ceiling to floor closet. And she is jammed full! This will be a very intense declutter challenge.
Besides towels, we also keep our bed linens here and miscellaneous items such as humidifiers, small fans and electronics, throw rugs, etc. This is an area that is usually only reorganized when I’m frustrated that I can’t find something. You know, when the jack in the box keeps spewing items back at you? So, I started by completely emptying the closet.
As I emptied the closet, I sorted items into the following piles:
- Pool towels
- medicine
- pet supplies
- first aid
- small appliances
- Master bedroom linens
- all other linens
- Bath towels
- pillowcases
- lightbulbs
- candles
I started with the bath linens and sorted this pile again by keep, donate, trash. The bath towels were neatly folded and placed back in the closet.
Next up was pool towels. I sorted all of these into keep and utility. The utility pile was relocated to the garage. This will be further separated into keep and give to No.3 who can use them for her dogs.
Can you ever have too many pool towels? The answer is YES! That neatly styled pile is almost 3 feet tall! And way to many towels for this closet that is nowhere near the pool!
TIP: If you don’t have beautiful new bath towels that perfectly color coordinate with your magazine photo worthy the home, you can still make the towels look lovely by folding them neatly, crisply, and with the rolled side out. Do this for your hand towels, your washcloths and pillowcases as well. It makes a big difference in aesthetics.
It is so easy to let things spiral out of hand when you have a large closet. How many duplicates do you really need? I’m sure you can only imagine…from a household with 5 children…
As I placed items together and back into the closet, I set the items that we use the most up front. The box of light bulbs, for example, went up high and out of sight. The same for those extra little household appliances like a small fan, a Scentsy Pot, home healthcare items, etc.
I was sure to keep at analgesics, cold medicine, and over the counter pain relief front and center.
We had so many prescription medications in that closet. Our city’s Police station has a drop off site for collection of prescriptions that are no longer needed. This wonderful service keeps harmful narcotics and other substances out of our landfills and water supply. Check to see if your town has this service.
I revisited all of the extra bed sheets (we have every size mattress in our house) and promptly donated quite a few sets along with extra pillow cases. Everything was refolded and returned to a shelf. I kept an extra duvet cover on the floor of the closet along with a spare mattress cover for the MBR. Mr. Blu and I giggled at the thought that we might actually be like normal families who keep their spare toilet paper on the floor of the linen closet. Could this be possible? I think so!
Bonus Space
I think I am most excited about a new spot for hiding seek when GBaby Blu comes this Friday to spend the night! It’s definitely the little things in life that make you smile.
Here is the final linen/medicine closet after the clean out…
You will notice that, although I was able to use a few baskets in my linen/medicine cabinet overhaul, I do not have a vast array of expensive and gorgeous matching bins or baskets. Who wouldn’t want to have a Pinterest-worthy, drop dead gorgeous, drool worthy linen closet? Me! I would! But that stuff is expensive. So, as I always do, I started now with what I have. And, I made a few things a little better with some tape and spray paint. I will work on buying the pretties but just one item at a time. No doubt I will give an update again next January as this challenge has been so helpful
Maintenance Issues
I took advantage of the empty closet to repair this wonky shelf that no doubt was the victim of a swinging child sometime in the last 20 years.
I simply removed the shelf and bent it back into shape. No more sagging shelf to annoy me. This would be a good time to paint the closets as well. But, I will save that for another day.
If I were to completely update this closet, I would start with wood shelving. So that is now on my list of projects. Then I would use all of the gorgeous dividers and organizing tools available…provided I don’t have to buy them all at once.
Here is an affordable option that I did stumble upon at, of all places, The Dollar Tree.
These baskets come in varieties of sizes in packs of 1-3 for $1 each! They are not super durable but will work until I gather my dream tools.
I grabbed some and started to switch them out in my linen closet. I figured I can grab a few once a month or so and update. Until, of course, I buy all of the pretties!
Guest Bathroom
This bath has been in decent shape since its $100 Makeover several years ago. But the drawers and the area under the sink must be maintained. Here are the drawer photos…
I still need to pull out my Homeright steamer and clean those drawers.
And here is under the guest bath sink…
The most satisfying part of this process is reuniting like items and centralizing all tools, cleaning supplies, and specific task oriented items. I always feel so much better when all of the tools are together!
Well, that’s enough of my decluttered cabinets and drawers. I will be moving onto the master closets but not this month. I’m spent. Thank goodness this will be a once per year challenge. I need a vacation.
Continue with the rest of the month and pick some of those areas that really really need attention. The smaller and less critical areas can be scheduled into monthly cleaning. I’m so glad my kitchen, bathrooms and linen/medicine closets are finished. Now I smile when I open the doors!
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