Although the bathroom is typically the smallest room in the home, it serves as a hub for personal hygiene and it is hard to make sure you are clean if your bathroom is a disaster zone. In addition to its limited size, the washroom is often a shared space between couples, siblings, roommates, or an entire household, and it needs to be functional for everyone who uses it.
Here is my advice for organizing your bathroom cabinets, drawers, countertop, shower/bathtub, and more.
Cabinets
The most common problems in bath cabinets are a lack of shelving and the fact that the sink pipes make it difficult to store certain items. My ideal under-cabinet storage is a pull out drawer that allows you easy access to everything in the front and the back of the drawer. Another great option is to add plastic boxes, small shelves, stackable drawers, or risers to use up more of the vertical space.
I recommend categorizing items into different containers so there is one place for all of the hair care, skin care, make-up, cologne/perfume, and so on. If it is a shared space you might want to create a section for each person or agree that you will keep your individual products in your rooms.
Avoid making bulk purchases unless you have ample storage space. Use the medicine cabinet for the most important products that you use all of the time, such as a toothbrush.
Drawers
Drawers are often a mish-mosh of random products. Combat the mess by adding a drawer liner and trays or dividers to containerize like items. Just like the cabinets, you will want to assign a home for each item. The products you use most often should go in the top drawer. If children are present keep their things down where they can reach them.
Countertop
There is nothing wrong with leaving out items that you use once or twice a day, but you will want to limit them to just a few and add a container such as a basket, tray, or cup as a holder to make them look like they are supposed to be there. Remember that the more you leave out, the more you have to move each time you clean.
Shower/bathtub
I have seen people who have eight or ten bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body scrub, or a multitude of razors in use all at the same time. For the sake of de-cluttering the bath, see if you can stick to one or two versions of each type of product at one time. Store the extras elsewhere and throw away anything you do not like or need. Only open something when the old one is done. Make a habit of replacing razors regularly and dump any that have rusted.
Leaving products all over the floor or the rim of tub makes it more difficult to clean, so add either a rack that hangs over the showerhead or a corner shelving system with a tension rod. Children’s toys should be collected into mesh bags with holes that allow the products to dry well.
Remaining Space
A lack of storage space in the bathroom may lead to keeping your supplies out as part of the décor. Baskets are a great way to display rolled up towels, toilet paper, hotel sized toiletries, or reading materials. The same goes for glass jars that can hold cotton balls, Q-tips, and the like. If you typically have clothes all over the floor consider adding an attractive hamper.
You can create extra storage with hanging or freestanding shelves and cabinets, a rack behind the door, hooks or towel bars, or even a small piece of furniture. I once used a plant stand and decorative boxes for cute storage in my bathroom.
Please do your guests a favor and include a wastebasket, air freshener, hand soap, a hand towel, and plenty of toilet paper. I cannot tell you the amount of times I have found myself in some else’s bathroom missing one or more of these essential items.
The toilette may not be a glamorous space, but it is one of the most utilized areas in a home where good organization is necessary for residents and guests alike. Happy Organizing!
*Tatiana is a Miami-based Professional Organizer. Call 305.502.6391 or email Tatiana@neatwithknight.com for appointments.