Bathroom closets have a way of becoming quiet clutter zones. Half-used products, expired backups, and “just in case” items pile up until the space feels cramped and hard to manage.
Mine is long overdue for a good, clear out, becoming a complete jumble of towels and holiday gift sets, making the doors more difficult to shut every day.
I hardly have time to declutter a bathroom fully, however, so I'm starting with these three things to make a big difference, quickly. Here's why the experts think they're great to boot first.
3 Quick Things to Instantly Declutter a Linen Closet
1. Worn Out Towels
If you want to make a drastic change to your bathroom storage, I find that towels, wash cloths, and linens are the best place to start. They are typically the bulkiest items in your closet, after all, which means getting rid of just one big item, or a few smaller cloths, can make an instant difference.
When clearing out my closet this time, post holiday-hosting maddness, I was on the lookout for the signs you need to replace your towels – fraying edges, scratchy fabrics, staining and bleaching, to name a few. This makes deciding what to declutter a lot easier. The next items on the chopping block were wash cloths that I simply never use, not even when my house was full of guests who may have forgotten some of their own essentials. If they weren't used under pressure, they likely aren't going to be used again.
Towels are one of the many items I never throw out if I can help it. Instead, they are reused as household cleaning rags or used for DIY. Pinking shears, from Amazon, make fabric easier to cut without fraying. If I have no other use for them, I offer them to my mother for craft projects, but they can also often be washed and donated to local animal shelters to help as bedding or extra cleaning supplies.
For the towels you are keeping, Ryan Eiesland, professional organzier at Home Sort, suggests, 'Bathrooms are another area where items tend to pile up, and you likely have multiple products that you want to be able to access easily. We recommend using baskets to store hand towels and washcloths, so they're available to you and guests but aren't in the way.' These Rosecliff woven bins, from Wayfair, are ideal.
While I keep my best bed sheets in my bedroom, if you keep your linens with your towels, it's a good idea to check through these, too. Assess which ones you never use, and which ones are looking worse for wear, before considering repurposing or donating, depending on their condition. For those you are keeping, consider using labeled bed sheet file boxes from Amazon to keep them neat.
2. Excess Cleaning products
Cleaning a bathroom is less than desirable at the best of times, which is why I keep my essential cleaning products in the room they are used in, removing one of the roadblocks to getting started.
However, an overflow of products can take space away from essential toiletries, while making cleaning that little bit more daunting. The solution? Pairing back down to the absolute essentials – A surface spray such as the non-toxic Attitude Bathroom Cleaner, from Amazon, washable cleaning cloths, also from Amazon, and a toilet cleaner such as Seventh Generation from Target.
Cutting back instantly saves space while making it easier to find the right cleaning balance in my home.
3. Non-Bathroom Items
Having lived in a small storage-less home for two years, I have been drawn into some unorthodox storage habits, such as keeping non-related items in one storage unit just to keep them out of the way. However, this unconventional organizing method has quickly led to clutter and makes it far harder to navigate my already tricky home storage ideas.
So, anything that is not directly related to the bathroom is removed. Small travel bags that had been kept tenuously with travel-sized toiletries, overflow laundry items that really needed to live nearer to my washing machine, those sorts of things.
To avoid them lingering elsewhere on surfaces around your home, find alternative storage. Meggie Mangione, professional organzier and author of Give Clutter The Middle Finger, available at Amazon, shares, 'Anywhere you can take advantage of unused vertical space is a win. Stackable drawers [available at Wayfair], small shelves, or risers can instantly double what you’re able to store. This setup may not be ideal for items you reach for every single day, but it’s perfect for things you only need once or twice a week.'
What to Shop
Method's bathroom cleaner breaks down grease and grime without the strong smell of chemicals lingering afterwards. They are a personal favorite for freshening up the space at the end of each week.
Sponge cloths are plant-based, meaning they are free from plastics and decompose in compost heaps in around 10 months, making them a eco-friendly, hygienic alternative to traditional sponges and paper towels.
These stacking storage bins are ideal for use in cabinets and drawers, making better use of vertical height to save space while easily categorizing items for easy use. The cut-out design is great for ventilation, preventing mold and musty odors in a bathroom.
For those items you are keeping, make sure they are well-organized. These handy drop bins are perfect for tidying up shelving and cabinets quickly while prioritizing easy access in a high-traffinc room like a bathroom.
The Pomodoro Technique is a popular time-management method that breaks work into focused 25-minute intervals, called "pomodoros," separated by five-minute breaks designed to make tasks less overwhelming.
Pair chores with something indulgent, such as a nice home fragrance, to help energize you or help you to relax. This sleek and understated glass vessel matches the fragrance it exudes perfectly – refined, fresh, and unique. These reed diffusers are authentically made in Japan. Strength: 4/5. Read our fuller review.
Meet the Experts
Looking to make 2026 the year you ace your bathroom flow? Check out the five things people with tidy bathrooms always have for inspiration.
