Day 6: Sheets {31 Days of Easy Decluttering}

Welcome back to 31 Days of Easy Decluttering! Throughout this series I’m sharing easy decluttering projects that you can complete in 10-15 minutes.  If you do them, then by the end of the month you’ll be enjoying a less cluttered home!

If you’ve missed any of the previous posts, there are links to them all here.

Today’s Easy Decluttering Project

Today we’re decluttering sheets.  Open any linen closet and often you’ll find sheets falling off the shelves.  Or if you store sheets in bedrooms, then there are likely sheets hanging off the shelves in your bedroom closet, or overflowing in a dresser drawer.   Why is that?

For one thing, we often keep old sheets when we get new ones.  So over time we end up with multiple sets of sheets for each bed.  People also like variety (just like with clothes or shoes) so they want to have several sets of sheets to choose from.

But I want to tell you something earth-shattering.  It’ll blow your mind.  Are you ready for it?  Here it is…

We can only use one set of sheets on each bed at a time.  

Yep… it’s true.  Each bed can only use one set of sheets at a time.

If you like having a second set of sheets so you can make the bed as soon as you put sheets in the laundry, then having two sets of sheets per bed is good. And maybe you like having flannel sheets for winter.

But aside from that, do you really need more than 2-3 sets of sheets per bed?

I’ve had clients who tend to keep multiple sets of sheets for guest beds as well, but really there’s little need to do that unless you usually have guests who stay longer than a week.

{Note:  if you’ve got bed-wetters in your house, you get a free pass to keep a few extra sets of sheets.  No one has time to be doing that much laundry on a daily basis!}

Let’s think back to our definition of clutter:  anything you don’t need, use, love, or have the space to store.  Based on that definition, in most homes extra sheets are clutter.

Now, imagine all the space you’ll save by decluttering your sheets!  Picture opening up the linen closet and not worrying about sheets falling on your head.  Sound good?  Great!  Read on!

Easy Decluttering Steps

Throughout the series, you’ll follow these steps to complete each daily task.  {Don’t forget to take before and after pictures to share too!}

Note: The main purpose of this series is to declutter so don’t get overwhelmed doing too much cleaning.  Once your house is less cluttered it will be easier to clean so you can always come back and do it later!

Also, if you have the time, you can organize the space while you’re doing this step, but don’t get overwhelmed with too much organizing this month.  We’re focused on decluttering!

Purging Tips for Your Sheets

Follow the steps listed above, and use these tips as you purge (step #5) your sheets:

• Normally I’d start with throwing out any garbage, but with sheets, you can always use torn sheets as rags or donate them to an animal shelter.  So unless you’ve got some other kinds of garbage that have found their way into your sheet piles, let’s move on to donating and giving away.
• Donate or give away any worn out or torn sheets
• Donate or give away any sets that are missing pieces {unless you’re going for the mismatched look}
• Donate or give away any sheets that you have not used in the last 3 months {except for any seasonal sheets – like extra warm flannel sheets for winter}
• Donate or give away any sized sheets that you don’t own beds for {e.g. crib/toddler size sheets when your kids have moved into twin sized beds, full size sheets for a pull-out couch you no longer own, etc.}
• Of the sheets you have left, choose the 2 sets you love the most, for each bed in your home, and then give away all the rest.

Now you’ve got the sheets you need, use, and love the most, and you’ll have a less cluttered linen closet!

Pictures and Links to Inspire You

• One method of organizing sheets is to use baskets. You can even label each basket for different sized sheets or for every family member.

• You’ve probably seen this image before, but I love the idea of storing sets of sheets inside one of the pillow cases.  That keeps everything together and you don’t have to fold it beautifully.  So pretty!  

• And here’s a great idea to “file” sheet sets vertically!  It eliminates the mess you get when you take sheets out from the middle of a pile. 

• You can even label your shelves so you (and everyone else in the family) know where everything belongs.

*Please share from the original source if you choose to share these pictures. If you want to share this post please use the image at the top.

If You’re On A Roll…

You can check out these posts on organizing linen closets if you want to tackle more than just your sheets today:

Organizing My Linen Closet Part 1

Organizing My Linen Closet Part 2

31 Days of Organizing Tips:  Day 13 (Linen Closet)

• For more ideas on how to organize your sheets, check out my Closets board.
• And for DIY closet organizer ideas, take a peek at my DIY Organizers board.  
• You can find more decluttering tips on my Decluttering/Purging Tips & Ideas board.
• For cleaning tips, you’ll find a bunch on my Cleaning & Cleaning Supplies board.

Good luck with today’s decluttering project!  I’d love to hear how you did, so please leave a comment and use the hashtag #31DaysEasyDecluttering when you share your pictures.

How many sheets did you declutter today?  How do you organize your sheets to keep the clutter at bay?  Any purging tips I missed for sheets?

If you need help decluttering, contact me for in-person organizing services in the Mississauga area, or virtual organizing services anywhere else.

Happy organizing decluttering!