An Organized Linen Closet

You thought I couldn't do it.  Go ahead, admit it.  We alllll know Pinterest makes this crap look too easy.  It's okay, I thought I couldn't do it.  But I did!

I'm talking about my linen closet, of course.  As if you couldn't tell the subject of this post by the title.

I'll admit, the task seemed pretty daunting at first.

Ugh.  Just... don't even get me started on WHY we've been living like this for the last 16 months.  I didn't even bother to take pictures of the shitpile that was our guest room closet.  Basically it looked just like this, with some suitcases and old prom dresses thrown in for flavor.  Just know that Ryan and I both have the packrat gene (hello, future stars of Hoarding: Buried Alive!), and both run around the house in a fury shoving shit into closets right before people come over.  Not a very efficient system.

Of course the only way to start was to pull everything out and sort it all.

Ryan and I both had full size beds during our single days, and have since upgraded to a queen.  OF COURSE we only have one set of sheets for our master bed.  OF COURSE we have FIVE bedding sets for a full size!  It was definitely time to downsize the bedding.

Just as I was wondering how I was going to shove all that crap back into our tiny closet, I had a total "duh" moment.  That dresser.  Was empty.  Has been, in fact, since we moved in last December.  Commence forehead smacking on the wall now.

I kept two sets of sheets for the guest bed, as well as two different bedding sets, to change things up.  Those are kept in the dresser now, which really makes changing the sheets quick and easy.

Pillow covers and extra curtains get their own drawer, as well as tea towels and table linens.  This makes it super easy to shop my house for textiles when I want to change up a look.

One extra set of bedding is kept in the guest closet with a spare pillow and our air mattress.  We actually have guests over almost every weekend (I seem to have become the designated driver for the entire crew of the aircraft carrier Ryan is stationed on), and on Sunday mornings you'll often find the guest bed occupied, the air mattress taking up spare floor space, and someone curled  up on our couch.   Having spare bedding is pretty essential around here.

And the linen closet itself?

It's pretty spartan compared to how it looked.  Ryan and I each have a shelf for our own towels (we definitely own more than four - Laundry Day is a perfect time to organize a closet of linens), and the top shelf holds a couple spare blankets for the couch sleepers.

The new baskets hold my Turbie Twists/hand towels and Ryan's washcloths, respectively.  Our beach towels are now stowed in our beach bag, at the ready for warmer days.

And yes, I put a reed diffuser in there.

Yes, I know it seems so ridiculous and completely superfluous.  Yes, all those beautiful but totally non-functional closets on Pinterest have one.  But that's NOT why I did it.

You see, our linen closet STANK.  I'm not sure what kind of people lived here before us, but I'm pretty sure they weren't very clean.  I don't even want to get into how grimy this place was when we moved in.  There is nothing so offensive as living in someone else's dirt.  Some of the carpet had been replaced before we moved in, and it was all professionally cleaned.  The entire house has been repainted.  I've baking soda-ed, bleached, Mr. Clean-ed, and Febreez-ed every spare inch of this space.  And still our linen closet smelled like dog.  

For all you fellow dog owners, you know how it feels to walk into your own dog-smelling home.  But when you walk into someone else's dog-smelling home, it's like an assault on your nostrils.  It's kind of how new parents are always sure that no kid will ever be as cute/smart/perfect as theirs.  No dog will ever stink less than my own mutt.  And the smell in that closet was super concentrated.  To the point that if you left any linens in there too long they would take on the odor.

I'm fully convinced these people were horribly abusive and left a rat terrier locked away in there.  That's the only conceivable way that closet have retained such a stench for so long.

After less than 48 hours with a reed diffuser in there, the mysterious canine scent has now been replaced with Organic Water Pixie Fart.  Or whatever scent it was I bought.  

So there you have it, friends!  Now to find something else to attack with a scrub brush.  Have a fantastic weekend!