Setting up Your Linen Closet: Bath Linens

A clean, well-stocked linen closet is always in vogue. Setting it up with fresh-smelling sheets and soft, fluffy towels is one of the simple pleasures of housekeeping.

Whether there is designated space in your bedroom or bathroom, or several storage baskets scattered throughout the house, setting up a linen closet is fun and easy. If you store only the items that belong there, your closet will stay organized, uncluttered and beautiful.

A linen closet typically houses bed, bath and table linens: your bed sheets, sleep pillows, blankets, bath towels, tablecloths, linen napkins and similar items. It may also hold seasonal linens and bedding. This hub focuses on everyday bath linens and bath towel basics.

Bath linens are something every home needs, and they also serve as fashion accessories. Bath towels are available in various fabrics, colors and trims to suit your personal needs and preferences.

Most towels are made from cotton or cotton blends. Eco friendly natural fiber towels are especially popular today, and they make greening your bathroom easy. Luxury towels are often made from Egyptian or Turkish cotton.

Light and fluffy white towels give your bathroom a clean, spa-like atmosphere. Appropriate with any decor, they last longer than color towels, which fade over time. If you prefer color in your bathroom, light shades will not fade as quickly as dark ones. Try mixing two colors, or combine one color with white or ecru.

If you combine colors, choose a bath mat in one of your color choices. Washable cotton mats are ideal. Avoid toilet seat covers and rugs cut to fit around the commode. They trap moisture, dust and bacteria.

All bath linen sets include bath towels. The essential towel size typically starts at 27x52 inches. Luxury towels, also called French towels, are approximately 30x58 inches.

Bath sheets add a lavish touch to your bathroom. They vary in size from 35x60 inches to 40x72 inches. Bath sheets are not included in standard bath linen sets.

Most towel sets include hand towels that measure 16x30 inches or 18x32 inches. Hand towels get a lot of everyday usage, so buy extra towels for your family and guests.

Face cloths, also called wash towels or washcloths, are small towels used in and out of the shower or bath. They measure about 12 inches square. It’s a good idea to stock up on these towels too, especially if you have babies or children in the house.

Fingertip towels are decorative towels often used in guest bathrooms. They measure approximately 11x18 inches, somewhat smaller than standard hand towels.

Bath linens include tub mats, too. These absorbent, tightly-woven towels are used outside bathtubs and shower stalls to keep the bathroom floor from getting wet.

Did you know that quality bath linens can last for ten years or more, if you take care of them? To get the most from your bath towels, keep these eight tips in mind:

1. Wash new towels to remove fabric softeners, dyes and other additives.
2. Wash your towels separately from your other clothes, for sanitary reasons.
3. Wash your white towels separately, in hot water, and bleach them occasionally.
4. Wash your dark towels separately, in warm water, to prevent color bleed.
5. Avoid over-drying your towels to preserve the integrity of fibers.
6. Use fabric softeners sparingly to prevent softener buildup.
7. Shake your terry towels before and after line-drying them to fluff the terry loops.
8. Iron the wrinkles from your linen hand towels.

• Doland, Erin (editor). (n.d.) "How Many Bath Linens do you Need?" Unclutterer. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
• Hallam, Linda (editor). Making a Home: Housekeeping for Real Life. Des Moines, IA: Better Homes and Gardens Books, 2001. Print.
• Martha Stewart Living. (n.d.) "Organizing a Linen Closet." Martha Stewart Living. Retrieved May 5, 2012.

Copyright © 2012. Annette R. Smith. All rights reserved.

Published: May 5, 2012 / Modified: December 15, 2012.

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