Bathroom organization can be a daunting challenge. Its a generally smaller and uniquely shaped space, with very distinct storage needs. Before you go forth and conquer your throne room, consider this step by step bathroom organization guide. Hopefully this will inspire you and the next organization space will be will the hallway or walk in closet.
Already a bathroom pro? Check out the top 11 best bathroom organizers to complete to your mission.
Why You Should Organize Your Bathroom
A bathroom doesn’t just look nicer when it’s well organized, it’s easier to use. For instance, if you cut your finger, you don’t want to spend a lot of time opening cabinet doors and shifting through messy drawers to find what you need. With an organized bathroom, you can find that cotton ball or band-aid much more quickly.
Bathrooms should be places of relaxation. Walking into a cluttered bathroom is the opposite of calming! No one likes to take a shower where all the soaps and shampoo bottles fall into the bathtub. This problem can be solved with a bathroom organizer. With the a space saving rack, you could have all your daily products neatly arranged and easily accessible.
Less clutter means you can keep your bathroom cleaner. Also, keeping an organized bathroom will make it easier to spot and remove potentially harmful products like expired makeup and old prescription drugs.
Bathroom Storage and Solutions
So much stuff, so little space! Typically, the bathroom is the smallest room in our house, yet it tends to be one of the most used. Therefore, there’s a lot of stuff in the bathroom that requires storage, like hygiene and beauty products and toiletries and linens. As you consider your bathroom organization, take a deep breath and look for inspiration on Pinterest.
Effectively, a bathroom organizer simplifies your life. You will know where everything is the moment you need it. Solving your bathroom organization troubles can be accomplished with an array of endless possibilities.
Here are a few bathroom ideas to get you started:
Shower Caddies
These storage containers are not just for using in your shower, pick up a few extra ones for under your bathroom sink. They are the perfect size to hold cleaning supplies and extra toilet paper.
Wicker Baskets
Take three or four wicker baskets, varying in different sizes, and stack them under a pedestal sink or in a corner. This is an elegant way to add storage space in your bathroom. You can paint the baskets to make your bathroom, as well.
Towel Bars
Consider installing horizontal racks on the back of your door instead of using hooks. These bars can hold guest towels or extra hand towels. Bathroom ideas such as these that make organizing your space simple and fun!
Over-sized Drawers
Large sized drawers will give your tiny bathroom more space. For a unique look, use over-sized drawers in place of standard-sized ones. This may require redoing your cabinets.
Storage Tower
Use your bath items to make your bathroom more attractive. Roll up a few colorful washcloths and arrange them on a metal storage tower. The extra hand towels in your bathroom can also serve as decoration on your vanity.
Storage Ladder
For bathroom organization, ladders offer more flexibility and storage space. Since there is no installation needed, you can change out the storage ladder whenever you decide to change your bathroom’s décor. Use the ladder to store different size baskets, changing them out for the seasons if you like. This is one simple bathroom idea that is both attractive and functional.
Shelves
Don’t forget about all that empty space above the toilet! There is plenty of room to hang shelves that can hold a variety of bathroom essentials.
Corner Shelf
Corner shelves are extremely functional in smaller bathrooms. They will give you the organized spaced of your dreams!
Choosing the Right Bathroom Organizers
When deciding on bathroom organizers, look for ones that will reduce the time you spend searching through drawers and rummaging through closets. While you may think that large storage boxes will maximize the space in your bathroom, they may just end being too bulky for a small bathroom. Be sure to measure your bathroom carefully before deciding on which storage solutions you want to implement in your home.
How to Organize Your Bathroom (Step by Step)
No matter how small your bathroom may be, there are plenty of solutions out there to help you get organize and maximize your space. Once you learn the basics of organizing, you can use these bathroom ideas to make the rest of your home just as functional and clutter-free as your bathroom. Here are 6 steps to organizing a bathroom.
1. Gather Supplies
When you are planning to organize your bathroom, the first step is always to begin with decluttering. This will reveal several hidden places in your bathroom that have become dirty and dusty over time. To start this process you will need paper towels, cleaning wipes and some trash bags. Remove all the items you don’t wish to keep in your bathroom and wash down all surfaces.
Items to sort and organize in your bathroom:
- Anything older than a year
- Storage containers you no longer find useful
- First aid supplies
- Cotton pads, Q-tips, etc.
- Toilet paper and tissues
- Cleaning supplies
- Mats and towels
- Grooming tools like razors and nail files
- Over the counter medications and creams
- Prescription medications
- Hair clips and brushes
- Hair care products
- Makeup
2. Organize Cabinets Under the Sink
From hair products to cleaning supplies, the cabinets under the sink often become one of the most cluttered spaces in a bathroom. With some bathroom organization tools, these cabinets can become less of a catch-all and more of a useful storage space in your bathroom. Start by emptying the cabinets completely. Sort through all the items, checking for expiration dates. Discard any old items in the trash. Remove all items that don’t belong in the bathroom.
Use plastic crates or baskets to organize similar items together. For example, hair styling tools and cleaning supplies, each get their own tote. Place each item in their basket and add a label if you like. If you have trouble deciding which bin to place an item in, stop and consider if it should be in the bathroom at all. If the sink’s plumbing takes up too much space, consider installing shelves in your bathroom, and using plastic baskets to store items.
3. Organize Drawers
When it comes to organizing your bathroom, drawer dividers are a great investment. You can buy preset spacers made to fit the exact measurement of your drawers, or for more flexibility, adjustable drawer dividers are an option.
Similar to how you would organize the cabinets, start by taking everything out of the drawers in the bathroom’s vanity. You should toss any items you no longer use or have expired. After selecting which items to keep, create categories by grouping related items together. For instance, keep all hair accessories together and separate from shaving items. Each group should have its own drawer or share a drawer with similar items.
Organize the top drawers for things you use daily. Avoid over-stuffing the dividers, and instead simply adjust the size of the divider or relocate the items to another space. If it’s a hassle to keep up with your organizational system, then you are most likely to abandon it all together. Place duplicate items in different spaces. Extra toothpaste and dental floss can stay under the sink in a basket meant for toiletries. Designate drawers for each specific items, such as one for makeup and one for hairbrushes.
If your bathroom is small and lacks drawers and cabinets, consider how you can use vertical organizers in your space. Floating shelves above the toilet or towel bars on an empty wall can be used to hold all your bathroom necessities.
4. Organize the Shower
For showers and bathtubs that weren’t built with storage in mind, it can be difficult to come up with ways to organize your space. Keeping the most important items, like body scrubs, razors and shampoo and conditioner within reach is crucial. The organizer you choose to use in the shower should be stable.
Be cautious of racks that use suction cups or keep balance in the corners of your tub. If you can’t find an organizer that fits all your bath products, consider simplify your showering routine or finding a new home for items you use less frequently.
5. Organize the Counter Top
Clutter attracts more clutter. Keep your counter tops clear. This will not only make it easier to clean your counter top, it will reduce the amount of clutter that accumulates in your bathroom. This is a key tenant of bathroom organization. The look of a bare, clean counter top is also aesthetically pleasing.
However, if you prefer to have some items sitting out on your bathroom counter, use trays and clear plastic bins to store them. You can show off the pretty packaging on your beauty products while also keeping them well organized.
Always keep your counter top items closest to where they will be used the most. For instance, hand soap should be next to the sink. You may also want hand lotion or your toothbrush nearby, or whatever other products you use daily. The items you use less often, but still want to display on your vanity, keep them in corner baskets.
6. Organize the Linen Closet
The bathroom closet is probably everyone’s least favorite spot in the house to organize. There’s often a lot of sorting through of miscellaneous items and folding to do. Sometimes there’s a shelf that is too high to reach without a ladder. That said, with a few storage ideas, organizing the linen closet can be simplified.
First, decide which items to store in the bathroom and which items to store in the linen closet itself. Arrange the shelves so that the items you use most frequently, like towels, are front and center. Use boxes and storage bins to organize smaller things. Make towels easier to find by sorting them by color, size or whichever system works best for you.
Conclusion
With these tips, you can transform your bathroom from a roadside pit stop to throne room befitting a king or queen. The key is to get the correct bathroom organizers and take a step by step approach to declutter and then organize. Once the bathroom is squared away, head over to the hallway closet or ready yourself for a walk-in closet makeover!