It's easy to hoard worn, mismatched bedding and towels, so a linen closet that's bursting at the seams can be a common sight in many households. If you're scared to tug at the pile of towels in case everything will come tumbling out, then it's time to make-over your linen cupboard!

Firstly, set aside an hour to tackle the job, it really won't take long when you get started but will be worth the investment in time.

Next it's time to sort through everything, put on your ruthless hat and scrutinise those bath towels, sheets, blankets and quilt covers - are they really worth keeping? If they are too worn or discoloured then toss them. Now put the toss pile in a garbage bag to go to a charity bin - even really worn sheets can be used by charities to sell as rags to factories.

The next step is to think about how often you wash and how many sets of sheets each member of your family really needs. As a guide, try not to have more than three sets for each child. This means that while one set is in the wash, another is on the bed and the third is in the cupboard ready for midnight emergencies!

Use the same principal for bath towel sets too. Resist the temptation to hoard extra sets in case of emergencies, and whenever you get a new set of sheets or towels, give the old ones to the charity bin.

Now it's time to make sense of everything you've decided to keep.First, divide linens into groups: bedding for each child, towels in sets, tablecloths, napkins etc.

Next, 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 rest at the back or bottom of the cupboard.

TIP - Store bulky items like quilts in the zippered bags in which they were purchased to keep them free of dust. These can then be stored at the top of the linen closet until they are needed.

The next recommendation is to label your shelves, if you don't own a labeller, invest in one, it will change your life! Clearly labelling shelves will ensure that you can easily locate the correct place for each item and other family members will be able to find what they are looking for without pulling everything out.

Good luck!