The Linen Closet

We continue with the 21-Day Challenge.  Today is day #4 - The Linen Closet.  


Getting bored of my posts about my house & my crap?  I know, I know....but until I get my house organized, how am I supposed to make honest posts about tips & tricks to cleaning & the household, if I, myself, am a total mess?!  If you have any dis-organization, have too much clutter, or just can focus or think straight because you have too many things 'to do;, then I encourage you to take the challenge!  It really helps.  It takes 21 days to form a habit.  We're trying to form a habit of organizing.  Keeping things neat and in their place so that you can find them.  It's kind of hard to dust & vacuum, if there is so much clutter, you can't get to what you want to clean.  If you too want to challenge yourself to 21 days of organization, feel free to comment here, or post on the House-wise facebook page.  We'd love to hear your trials & tribulations regarding your stuff!

My closet "before" I started

So, on to day #4! I don't really have a 'linen' closet per-say.  One thing lacking in this house is storage space.  I do have a small closet in the upstairs bath, so this is what I cleaned and organized.  When I first moved in here a couple years ago, I pained the inside of hte closet and bought 4 cloth bins for the shelves.  I like these alot because you can put all your stuff in them, and don't have to worry about neatly lining everything up on a shelf like a supermarket.  Plus, I think things are easier to get at in the bins...not to mention things are kind of hidden in there.  So, I don't think my closet was too bad.  One thing it did lack was towels.  There are four of us who share this bathroom, and someone is always yelling, "Can someone get me a towel!", because they were in the hall closet.  There just wasn't enough room in that little bathroom closet.  Well, my goal today was to get those darn towels in the bathroom!


First thing I did was grab a big bucket, and get all that stuff out of there!

Here is the closet all empty and ready to be filled.  Yay!  It looks so good like that.  Too bad a house of 4 people and 8 animals need so much stuff!  I like empty.  Anyway....

The size of this closet isn't very big.  But then, it isn't too small either. It's workable.  I went through all the cloth bins I had & threw away anything expired, old, or anything we just have never used.  I took all the small stuff like ointment tubes and put them in a little plastic box....so much better!  I emptied the half dozen bandaid boxes into one little make-up pouch I got from the dollar store.  Perfect.  I syill have four bins.  I now have them labeled so that my lazy family can find what their looking for. ;-)  I have "Sunblock", "Teeth & Shaving", Medicine", and "First Aid".  Nothing is too full, so if you need a thermometer from the bin, you don't have to dig.  I labeled them with my new laminator - LOVE it!

After arranging the big bins, I went through all my baskets and decided what containers would fit where.  From there, I separated all the items I had left over into categories, and gave them each a basket.  I had a cheap white shelf that I recruited from my daughter's room and put that on the floor. Much better than things in ugly, unattainable boxes!  I have a basket for "Prescriptions", "Shower Bottles" (Shampoo, body wash, etc. because I buy in bulk at Sam's Club), "Vitamins", "Soaps", and "Hair".  I had 3 small wire shelves that I installed onto the door.  Good for deodorant & bottles, and such that get buried. The top shelf I have storage for toilet paper. Yay!  I didn't have it in there before.  Yes, it was in the garage....not good. Talk about being in a pickle if you're in there and have no tp! Oh, and guess what? I also got my towels in there too!  Mission accomplished.

A close up of the baskets & bins

Not bad.  It took me a few hours, and the hall was a mess, but I did it in little spurts.  Twenty minutes, then a few minutes on the computer...back to the closet for another twenty or so, then made my kids lunch...back to working on the closet, etc.  It wasn't as daunting or stressful that way.







I think day #4 was a success.  How about you?  Will you challenge yourself to the linen closet?  Visit A Bowl Full of Lemons if you're interested in the challenge!

Finished product

Budget
4 Cloth bins:	$0 (Already had)
Labels:	$0 (Made 'em)
3 Wire Shelves for door:	$0 (Already had)
Hanging Shelf:	$0 (Already had)
White shelf on floor	$0 (Already had)
4 Med white baskets:	$2.50 (2-2pk - Dollar General)
2 Lg white baskets:	$5 (2@$2.50ea - Dollar General)
Total Cost:	$7.50

Thanks for reading my thoughts! <3

House-Wise

"Make yourself at home"