Bathroom Bliss

Bathrooms. Too small with too much stuff. That’s how most people would describe the space. The problem is that people tend to try to stuff stuff (lol) in their bathrooms that perhaps doesn’t really belong in there. If it takes you more than 15 seconds to find something, it is time to re-plan and reorganize the space. The good news is that you don’t have to do it alone. We are here to help.

1. Consider what you actually use in the bathroom. Make a list of items and assign them to categories. This would probably include: shower and bath products, toilet paper, feminine products, BATHROOM cleaners, toiletries, make-up(?), towels…

2. Grab a box and a trash bag and head in.

3. Empty out the drawers and cabinets and sort in to the categories you identified. Throw away expired or damaged products. Put those you either don’t like or won’t use in the box to give to the local food pantry, woman’s shelter or to post on Freecycle.

4. Wipe out the drawers and cabinets.

5. Do you have too much stuff? It is generally a good rule to buy so that you have the one product you are using and one back up for when it runs out. Sales come in cycles. When the first one runs out, place it on your shopping list, and start to look for a sale to replace the back up. No one needs 14 bottles of shampoo in their cabinets. It is a waste of valuable space and the stress of clutter and disorganization isn’t worth the fifty cents you may have saved. Seriously.

6. Group the items in baskets or small bins and put them away. Hair products, toothpaste/floss/mouthwash, shaving, etc. Label them if it helps family members find them and put them back away. If you have multiple products for multiple people, consider assigning one basket per person and fill it with their personal care items. They can store it in their room and bring it back and forth when they use the bathroom, like a dorm room or summer camp. Buy travel toothbrush holders, and toss in their deodorant, hair products, shampoos, lotions, etc. That way, only common use products are stored in the actual bathroom freeing up a lot of space.

7. Consider your morning routine and set-up your own bin accordingly. If you use the same products and make-up every day, store them together. Keep special occasion make-up separate. The rule is, keep the everyday handy, store the special event stuff together, and toss the rest.

8. If you don’t have a great deal of room for towels, you can consider assigning towels to family members in the same way. Two per person usually works if you or they keep up on the laundry. It is a good idea to keep a set or two stored away for the overnight guest, too. If you have a linen closet, keep them there or get creative and store them in a trunk or basket.

9. Keep only cleaning products that are used in the bathroom in the bathroom. Likewise, keep kitchen cleaners in the kitchen and things like dusting spray in your utility closet.

10. If you store over the counter medications and first aid supplies in your bathroom, separate those in to at least two categories and subsequently, bins as well. One for first aid- Band-Aids, first-aid cream, burn cream, thermometer, tweezers, etc. The second for cough medicine, Tylenol, Benadryl, etc. If you have small children in the home, store the second on a high shelf in bathroom to keep it out of their reach.

Bins work well because they are easy to see in, grab from, and put stuff back into. If you measure your space, chances are you can find some cheap plastic bins that will fit perfectly in your cabinets. Little “disposable” plastic food containers like those made by Ziploc, can be a cheap way to keep your drawers neat and the little things like hair accessories organized. You can even sort your make-up by group like lipsticks, eyeliners, blush, etc. and write on the tops! If you give it a little effort and discipline, you can have the most organized, clutter-free bathroom imaginable!