Our bathrooms are always a heavily used room in our homes; but usually one of the smallest!
This can make it hard to keep everything we want in this room in easy reach. What we store there can seem like a never-ending list - soaps, shampoos, cosmetics, razors, toothbrushes, toilet paper, hair dryers, curling irons, styling sprays and accessories, lotions, exfoliants, towels, laundry, cleaning supplies, and the toilet plunger are just some of the things we keep in our bathrooms. But even though storage space is limited here, you can have an amazing place to enjoy if you put in a little work.
HERE ARE 8 EASY WAYS TO ORGANIZE YOUR BATHROOM CLUTTER AND KEEP YOUR BATHROOM CLEAN !
1. Minimizing is one of the best things to do for such a small space.
So, clear out the trash and things you don’t use. Yes…even those expensive creams and cosmetics, makeup, styling tools and sprays…especially if they’re past their expiration date. Just because they cost more than usual doesn’t make them worth keeping. With many branded items, cost does not always equal quality. And, if the items didn’t work well for you, then they didn’t. Accept it, get rid of them, and move on! Your mind and space will both be clearer.
2. After you minimize the bathroom, decide on storage that will help you STORE THINGS VERTICALLY, instead of spreading out across the surfaces. This will let you store the same amount of stuff; but it will usually be more accessible. AND, since it's sometimes above or below eye level, it makes the space feel more spacious and restful.
3. Having enough storage in the shower/bathtub is vital to an organized space.
Most people use more than just a bottle of “3-in-1” body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. And if there’s a large family using a single bathroom, this area is one that can easily get overwhelmed with products. But there are three options that work well and can be easily adjusted no matter how many people are using this space.
The first is to use a shower curtain that contains pockets on the inside to store products and shower tools in. They can be easily replaced when they’ve reached the end of their lives and usually have good-sized pockets.
Another option is to install storage racks or shelves in the corners of the tub walls or over the shower head. These can be easily cleaned and, if they break, are usually inexpensive and easy to replace as well.
A third option that I’ve seen used effectively by large families with small bathrooms, or anyone who can’t use the shower curtain or corner bathtub shelves, is the caddy system. With the caddy system, each family member gets their own plastic caddy where they can put all their personal items for showering or that they use to get ready for their day (e.g., cosmetics, deodorant, toothbrush, and toothpaste, etc.). These caddies are stored in their bedrooms or in a central / hall closet and carried back and forth by the person as needed. They’re also easy to clean and replace and can even be purchased in personalized colors to add a little fun! Using any of these tools will make organization and cleaning of the shower and tub much easier.
4. Decide where to store things that you use at least once every day.
These are things you need to get to easily and sometimes in a rush, so you want to keep them quickly accessible. This means your towels and washcloths, your toothbrush, face wash, styling tools and products, contact lenses, cosmetics, deodorant, and other things you need easy access to multiple times per day outside of the shower.
If you have a vanity with storage cupboards and drawers, then this is a great place to store these things. Bins can be used to keep small items together in the drawers, hooks on the cupboard doors are great places to store styling tools such as hair dryers and flatirons, and the countertop is a great place to store your toothbrushes, contact lenses, hand soap, and lotions. And, inside the vanity cupboard is an easy place to store a few extra bath towels if you don’t have a storage closet in the bathroom. Bath towels can also be stored on wall racks or hooks. Using them multiple times will keep laundry minimal and avoid storage of excessive extra towels. If you have a storage closet but not vanity storage, then these same ideas can be used for this closet.
5. Create storage space for extra paper products and other disposable items that you DON'T need to access every day. This includes things like extra toilet paper and paper towels, extra disposable face and body wipes such as makeup remover and baby wipes, extra toothbrushes and toothpaste, a couple extra shampoo and body washes, extra disposable razors and shaving creams, disinfectants and cleaners, common medications such as OTC pain killers, allergy suppressants, muscle balms, and digestive aids, and other similar items that will get used up and replaced regularly.
These disposable items can take up a surprising amount of space and the easiest way to organize these things is to use a closet inside of or close to the bathroom. In this closet you can place the larger or heavier items close to the bottom (e.g., that mega-pack of toilet paper or extra-large bag of bath soaking salts), the most used items in the middle, and the lesser used items on the top shelves. Bins are great to use for the smaller items; and, using these bins will help you to keep similar items together and locate what you need quickly and easily. (e.g., a “dental health” or a “shaving accessories” bin)
6. If you don't have a storage closet or storage in a vanity, then you can get a little creative.
Consider installing a couple of cabinets that can be set back into the walls between the support beams or wall studs. This will allow some extra space for storage without taking up as much of the space in the room (e.g., a mirrored medicine cabinet is a fantastic dual purpose storage piece). You can also install shelving or racks on the walls to hold clean towels and bins for small items, decorative hooks to hold styling tools, and if you have space to bring in a free-standing storage shelf of any size then this will give you space for extra disposable items or even just your bathroom basics if there aren’t too many people using the space.
7. If you have babies or young kids then you know that having some storage solutions for all their things is important, especially at bath time.
It can be a challenge to find space for bath toys, baby tubs, kneeling cushion for the adult, the additional towels, creams, diapers, and wipes.... and still keep enough safe floor space to quickly wrap up and lay down a little angel who has relaxed to the point of pooping in the tub...while the adult cleans up the mess.
Hanging mesh baskets or bags are a great place to store your child’s toys and allow them to dry between baths. These can also make disinfecting toys quick and easy because you can drop the entire bagful of toys into a bucket of cleaner then easily remove, rinse, drain, and dry all the toys at once. You can hang these on Command-style wall hooks or install an extra shower rod and hang them by shower hooks for easy access.
An infant bathtub can be easily drained and stored on a wall hook; but many parents opt out of using one of these so they can cut back on the extra work and baby “stuff” accumulation that seems to go hand-in-hand with parenting.
These parents can bathe their child in a sink or in a few inches of water in the regular tub under close supervision. If you use one of these methods, remember to always keep hands on baby since the sinks and adult-sized tub obviously lack the safety features of the infant tubs. Knee cushions the parents use by the tub can just be leaned against a tub or hung on the wall when not in use. These are practical options more than beautiful; but when it comes to children and bathrooms, the practical option usually wins over the “perfect” décor.
If the bathroom is small, then using the caddy system or a rolling cart for storing baby towels, baby wash, creams, diapers, and other baby things can be super convenient and save a lot of space.
But if the bathroom is larger, then the other family members may need to just give up a little of their space to accommodate the new family member. After a few months everyone will get used to the new arrangement.
8. EVERYONE does some of the cleaning.
There aren’t many people who love to clean the bathrooms. But every person who uses this space should hold some personal responsibility for keeping it clean.
That could look like a two-year-old using a cloth to clean up the sink after hand washing and tooth-brushing.
It could be a 14-year-old being responsible for cleaning the tub and surrounding area every week.
It could mean keeping disposable disinfectant wipes or bowl scrubbers handy for people to clean up the toilet after they use it.
Whoever is responsible for vacuuming or mopping the rest of the home can easily be responsible for keeping the bathroom floor clean too.
And, DEFINITELY anyone who uses styling products, make up, or other messy cosmetics should be responsible for cleaning up and putting away their things when they're done.
The idea that needs to be communicated to everyone is “leave the space better than you found it”.
If you can put these 8 things into practice, you'll be happy with the results. It might take a little discipline, a few reminders, and some follow-up and follow-through; but it will be worth it!
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