Whipping a linen closet into shape is easy and a good way to feel you have at least one thing under control.

1. Sort and Organize

First, sort all your towels and sheets to determine which are worth keeping and which should go to charity, your cleaning-supply closet (as rags), or your kid's toy chest (for making tents and Halloween costumes).

Try to limit yourself to three sets of sheets per bed and as few as three sets of bath sheets or towels, hand towels, and washcloths per person (more if you change towels daily, fewer if the men in your household have never picked up a washcloth). This gives you one set in use, one in the hamper, and one in the closet ready for action.

You'll need only one or two sets for guests (one on the bed and one in the hamper or closet).

Resist the temptation to hoard extra sets for emergencies. "Anytime you get a new set, retire an old one," says Stephanie Winston, author of Getting Out From Under: Redefining Your Priorities in an Overwhelming World (Perseus, $10, www.amazon.com).

2. Make a Plan

Now it's time to make sense of everything you've decided to keep.

First, divide linens into groups: bedding for each bedroom; towels for each bathroom; tablecloths and runners, dinner and cocktail napkins.

Then separate summer from winter items, and daily linens from those for special occasions. The everyday and the current season should be stored at eye level, and the special-occasion and out-of-season linens farther from reach, at the top or bottom of the closet.

For order, you can group linens in one of three ways: by bedroom and bathroom, by size, or by type.

Sorting and searching will be even easier if you assign one color to each room, says Winston. "That way, when you look at a towel or sheet, you immediately know whose it is."

Another good idea is to slip folded sheets into the matching pillowcases.

Always put the newly laundered on top of a stack, and remove the set to be used next from the bottom. In this way, sets become equally worn.

Allocate bulkier, less used items to the top shelf. They can be stored in the zippered bags in which they were purchased to keep them free of dust. Or pack them in old pillowcases. Before you store things away, label the cases with a permanent marker so you'll know what's inside.

The backs of shelves are ideal for guest-room linens, out-of-season beach towels, and other items you use less frequently.

3. Label Everything

Once everything is in order, label the shelves to help you keep the closet that way.

Use adhesive labels or tape a slip of paper to the shelf front to indicate “Master Bath,” “King Fitted,” or “Summer Blankets.”

"The main thing is, you don't want to cram your shelves too tightly," says Judy Zackin, design director at Wamsutta Bedding. "You want to be able to get your hand in and lift stacks — without skinning your knuckles."

4. Give Everything Some Air

To ensure you enjoy the soft fragrance of fresh laundry when you open your linen closet:

Give linens their space. "Air flow is important to the safe storage of most textiles," says Jonathan Scheer, president of J. Scheer & Co., a New York textile-preservation firm. "If they're stuffed into the back of a closet, the fibers retain more moisture, which attracts mold and mildew, which can be permanently damaging. You should take them out and air them every three months."

You can chase away mustiness with an open container of baking soda, activated charcoal, or calcium carbonate, says Cheryl Mendelson, author of Home Comforts: The Art & Science of Keeping House (Scribner, $24, www.amazon.com).

To enhance the aroma of your linens, place in the back of the closet sachet bags of pine, cedar, vanilla, or fresh lavender wrapped in cheesecloth and tied with a ribbon. You can also hang a fabric-softener strip on the door or use scented drawer liners.

Next Steps

See how one woman transformed her single linen closet to store bed linens, blankets, towels, and toiletries for her family of four.

Learn how to fold a fitted sheet.

Learn how to fold a round tablecloth so it stays wrinkle-free.