by Penny Lynch
The best way, as with any organising job, is to pull everything out and see what you’ve got. Determine what you need, what can be rehomed and what you no longer require. While the cupboard is empty use the opportunity to give it a good clean and dust and adjust shelves as necessary.
When organising your bedding a good trick is to take the pillowcase of a set and inside it place any spare pillowcases, bed sheets and the duvet cover, keeping everything together.
Keep like with like, for example, keep large towels with large towels, keep face cloths with face towels etc, that way at least you know what direction to look in.
The use of over-the-door shoe racks can help utilise the space on the back of the door. The shoe pouches make great pockets for face cloths or hand towels, freeing up shelf space.
Wire shelves that hang under the internal shelves are also ideal for adding extra space.
Airing cupboards are renowned for smelling musty. If damp washing is placed into them it can create high levels of condensation and an unpleasant smell. Combat this with a charcoal based air freshener or even a homemade air freshener made with bicarbonate of soda.
Recipe – Add 90 g of baking soda and 15 to 25 drops of lavender oil to a small glass jar. Use a spoon to carefully stir the two together until they’re fully combined. Lavender is a known deterrent for moths. Once the baking soda and essential oil are mixed, place a cloth or paper lid over the jar and secure with an elastic band. Place in the airing cupboard, or wherever you’d like to remove stale and musty smells.
Depending on the size of your cupboard, you may also want to invest in some storage baskets that can be labelled, making it easy for everyone to find what they are looking for. Alternatively, if you don’t have room for baskets then why not label the shelf itself, again making it easy to find what’s required.
When refilling the airing cupboard be sure to think about which items are used the most. Make those easily accessible. Similarly, which items are less frequently used. You might be better tucking those items away at the back.
Avoid overfilling the shelves as the space will very quickly become unworkable and require another sort out.
You might prefer to roll the larger towels as they can be grabbed more easily and it’s easier to find what you’re looking for, although they might take up more space this way.
The key to maintaining an organised airing cupboard is to regularly declutter and reorganise. This prevents items from accumulating and keeps the space functional and tidy.
