Cleanliness 101: How to Organize Your Bathroom
The main problem with any bathroom is storage space, or lack thereof. They’re tough to keep organized because there are a million small-to-tiny products to keep track of. In this article, we’ll discuss how every type can begin to organize their bathrooms efficiently, and then delve into how each type can do one thing to help this goal along. If you have a free-standing sink (why, HGTV?), or don’t own a medicine cabinet, well, that’s why we are here.
How to Organize Your Bathroom: Purging Process
If you’ve kept up with the our blog or even purchased our book, you know that almost inevitably, our first rule of thumb when it comes to organizing your living spaces is to purge. Purge, purge, purge. When it comes to the bathroom, there isn’t much (anything) you can donate, so be sure to toss it or recycle it. What is ‘it’? Here is a list:
-Old toiletries
-Old makeup
-Old medicine
-Sample size items you meant to try but never did
All of the things listed above have definite expiration dates and are not going to do you any good if they a) stink or b) don’t do their job. Even lipstick goes bad after a while, and starts to have this clay like smell. Do you remember our ‘No Shame, No Blame’ motto? When it comes to your bathroom, ‘When in Doubt, Throw it Out!’ This goes for every single type. It might not be easy, but just divide and conquer, then see how much better and clearer you feel. Separate the space into three separate areas— medicine cabinet, shower, and sink storage. Everything that makes the ‘still good’ cut should include items you’ll use daily.
Under Sink Storage
We hate pedestal sinks. What is the point? However, if you do happen to have one and lack under sink storage, we suggest mounting narrow shelving or caddies on the walls around the sink. If you do have a vanity with storage space underneath, install some pull-out drawers. If that’s impossible, find some matching narrow bins to use to organize and contain whatever items you will keep down there.
Buy Caddies and/or Shelves for your Shower
Everyone knows about how bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash — plus all the other little accoutrements of bathing— can accumulate in the shower, especially if you have children with their own set of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc. Do yourself a big favor and cut your cleanser supply down to three sets of each thing. Three shampoos, three conditioners, three soaps/body washes. Leave the scrubbing salts, exfoliating beads, face wash, etc. in a closet or on an easily accessible shelf where you can grab it before you go into the shower and bring it out when you’re done. NO one wants to go into a nice, warm shower or bath feeling claustrophobic from all of the bottles and products inside. Put your THREE sets of each product in a caddy and hang it over your showerhead. It’s so simple.
Medicine Cabinets are a Mainstay
If the shelving in your medicine cabinet is wide enough, invest in some bins to efficiently group everything that you’re storing. For example, separate makeup from skincare from hair pomade in this way. If your medicine cabinet is too small, put the bins on shelving instead. Ideally, countertops should be bare and medicine cabinets should be full. This is the goal for a medicine cabinet.
A Few More General Rules to Organize your Bathroom
- Have zero sample products. If you must buy them, store them in a place that’s easily accessed and contained. Don’t forget that everything expires eventually.
- Use a laundry bin or hamper if you have the space, in case you disrobe in the bathroom before a shower.
- Use hooks on the backs of doors and/or on the wall for things like nightgowns, robes and the occasional wet towel.
A Few More Specific Rules
–Classics: When in Doubt, Toss It! We promise you, they will come out with a shade of raisin that is almost imperceptibly different than the one you’ve been wearing down to a nub for three years straight.
–Funs: You love games, so make purging fun by turning it into a timed contest or party.
–Structures: Big Picture? BIG CLUTTER. You must steel yourself and be absolutely ruthless in your purging process.
–Freedoms: No Free Samples for You! They are off-limits. Focus on making the items in your bathroom retrievable, and keep the space clean. Seems easy enough!
What You’ll Get:
No overstuffed, spilling over drawers. No more expired medicines or lipsticks. Big bins for large items and smaller bins or containers for small items. A serene bath and shower space. Sound good? Read more about how this can be your bathroom (yes, it can) in our book. You can purchase it on Amazon — it’s got all of our juiciest tips inside.