It’s not summer yet, so technically you can still spring clean! Now’s the perfect time to tackle those toppling piles of sheets, pillows, towels, and all the other stuff that somehow winds up crammed into the linen closet. It may be a daunting task, but it’ll take less time than you think – and leave you feeling so accomplished.

Whatever the size or layout of your linen closet, these practical tips will help you whip it into shape in no time.

The great purge

The first step is the most important: getting rid of everything you don’t need. Those threadbare sheets that you’re saving “just in case” for emergency company? You’re not going to use them. Toss sheet sets and towels as soon as you replace them, or turn them into rags when appropriate. (If they’re sentimental, pack them up and store them with all of your other keepsakes.)

Fold it right

Sloppy stacks? Not anymore. You can find dozens of video tutorials on folding, especially fitted sheets (nobody seems to get that right). Here’s our favorite:

To keep sheet sets together and neat, fold the sheets and insert each set into one of the coordinating pillow cases. It will stay together and it’s super easy to identify each set!

Do the towels properly, too:

You can also roll towels for a more luxurious feel and attractive appearance (if your linen closet is open or glass). When done and stacked properly, rolled towels can even save space.

The back of the linen closet door can be a huge asset. Hang an ironing board, towel rods (for towels or tablecloths, to prevent wrinkling), or a shoe organizer to hold odds and ends or rolled towels.

Custom shelves

No, not the expensive California Closet-esque variety (although those work too!). Once you’ve taken inventory of all of your stuff, purged the excess, and folded everything nicely, give each set its own space. That way, when the novelty of your organized closet wears off, you’ll still have to fold and put everything away neatly so that each towel fits into its compartment!

Install brackets on top of shelves to divide the space:

(You can even do it with wire shelving.)

Utilize every inch of vertical space with under-shelf baskets:

Use large totes or baskets for unwieldy blankets, pillows, or oversized towels that tend to topple over.

Use small drawers or shelves to suit your needs. Get creative! Try corralling washcloths with a file sorter.

In some newer homes, the linen closet is obsolete (who came up with that idea?) or woefully undersized. If your linen closet leaves much to be desired, store things where they’ll be used: sheets in the appropriate bedroom (when they’re folded as shown above, they won’t take up much space), towels in the bathroom (a freestanding or wall-mounted linen tower comes in handy), table linens in the kitchen, beach towels in the mudroom.