How to Organise Your Bathroom Storage So You Can Relax
Cleaning out the bathroom cupboards is a task worth tackling, because you can run a hot bath and relax immediately once the job is done!
This weekend we’re going to jump to a room that can be completely organised in a few hours: the bathroom. This project will satisfy those who like to jump from room to room as well those who like to finish one room all at once.
We’re going to attack all of those drawers, medicine cabinets and loose baskets floating in your bathroom. Even the most well-organised neatnik probably has a few ancient hotel shampoo bottle samples or medications from several years ago still floating around. After all, these drawers can be long and deep, and are usually quite full of stuff.
Put on your comfy shoes and your cleaning clothes and let’s head for that bathroom.
We’re going to attack all of those drawers, medicine cabinets and loose baskets floating in your bathroom. Even the most well-organised neatnik probably has a few ancient hotel shampoo bottle samples or medications from several years ago still floating around. After all, these drawers can be long and deep, and are usually quite full of stuff.
Put on your comfy shoes and your cleaning clothes and let’s head for that bathroom.
I love a clean benchtop surface. It makes your bathroom seem bigger and makes it a more relaxing place to spend time in. This is our goal.
Organise your bathroom products
APPROXIMATE TIME: one to three hours; it really depends on how big your bathroom is and how much stuff you have
MATERIALS NEEDED:
• Rubbish bin
• Recycling box
• Donation box
• Container for old medications
• A few baskets or boxes for organising the items you’ll be keeping
• Cleaning cloths
• Drawer organisers (optional)
• Contact paper (optional)
TIP: take a before shot of the messiest drawer or cabinet so that you can feel extra satisfied when this is all over.
APPROXIMATE TIME: one to three hours; it really depends on how big your bathroom is and how much stuff you have
MATERIALS NEEDED:
• Rubbish bin
• Recycling box
• Donation box
• Container for old medications
• A few baskets or boxes for organising the items you’ll be keeping
• Cleaning cloths
• Drawer organisers (optional)
• Contact paper (optional)
TIP: take a before shot of the messiest drawer or cabinet so that you can feel extra satisfied when this is all over.
We’re going to start small to get some confidence going. Head for the shower and remove any product that is used less than once a week. Each person should require only one type of shampoo and conditioner (better yet, use the same brand), soap or bodywash, razor and maybe a face cleanser and shaving cream.
Get that deep-conditioning hair treatment and mud mask out of there. You may keep one exfoliator. Chances are, that loofah thing is supporting its own ecosystem. Toss it.
Throw everything that you will use in the next few months but less than once a week in the “keep” basket.
Pat yourself on the back; you’ve already completed an organising task.
Get that deep-conditioning hair treatment and mud mask out of there. You may keep one exfoliator. Chances are, that loofah thing is supporting its own ecosystem. Toss it.
Throw everything that you will use in the next few months but less than once a week in the “keep” basket.
Pat yourself on the back; you’ve already completed an organising task.
Assess
Remove all the products and other items in your drawers, cabinets and baskets and on shelves. Chances are, there is a mud mask well past its use-by date, a rusty razor, expired sunscreen (this is dangerous; yours truly got quite a burn thanks to some old SPF 30 that had lost its power this summer), a crusty old bottle of lotion and old medications.
Clean
Give all the drawers and shelves a good wipe-down. Add contact paper or skid-proof liner if you like.
Remove all the products and other items in your drawers, cabinets and baskets and on shelves. Chances are, there is a mud mask well past its use-by date, a rusty razor, expired sunscreen (this is dangerous; yours truly got quite a burn thanks to some old SPF 30 that had lost its power this summer), a crusty old bottle of lotion and old medications.
Clean
Give all the drawers and shelves a good wipe-down. Add contact paper or skid-proof liner if you like.
Sort
This is the biggest part of this task. Aim to group like items together. Some suggestions:
1. Everyday items
Group the items you use every day. This includes your moisturiser, makeup, face cream, shaving items and whatever else is in your daily routine. You’ll want to keep these close at hand. This means you should designate a drawer, a basket, or perhaps a box with a lid within reach of the mirror.
2. Medications
If you are used to taking medications and vitamins as part of your morning or evening routine, find a handy spot for them. I highly recommend a days-of-the-week pillbox; I never thought I’d need one but now I can’t live without it. Keep it in a place secure from little ones.
A note about old medications: Simply tossing them in the bin or flushing them is not always prudent; be sure you dispose of them properly. Most pharmacies will accept the bottles for recycling.
This is the biggest part of this task. Aim to group like items together. Some suggestions:
1. Everyday items
Group the items you use every day. This includes your moisturiser, makeup, face cream, shaving items and whatever else is in your daily routine. You’ll want to keep these close at hand. This means you should designate a drawer, a basket, or perhaps a box with a lid within reach of the mirror.
2. Medications
If you are used to taking medications and vitamins as part of your morning or evening routine, find a handy spot for them. I highly recommend a days-of-the-week pillbox; I never thought I’d need one but now I can’t live without it. Keep it in a place secure from little ones.
A note about old medications: Simply tossing them in the bin or flushing them is not always prudent; be sure you dispose of them properly. Most pharmacies will accept the bottles for recycling.
3. Hair products and appliances
If you use a lot of tools for your hair on a daily basis, you’ll want those in an easy-to-find spot, as well as a way to manage their cords. One of the latest trends has been swiped from salons: custom cabinetry that hold hair appliances and even have a place to plug them in. We won’t be accomplishing this today, but it’s something to think about for your dream-house wish list.
If you use a lot of tools for your hair on a daily basis, you’ll want those in an easy-to-find spot, as well as a way to manage their cords. One of the latest trends has been swiped from salons: custom cabinetry that hold hair appliances and even have a place to plug them in. We won’t be accomplishing this today, but it’s something to think about for your dream-house wish list.
4. The rest
I like to group similar items together as you see here: first aid items; dental-related products; over-the-counter medications; makeup; hair-related items; eyeglasses, contacts and saline; bathroom cleaning products; cotton balls, cotton swabs, face wipes and toner; kid-related stuff; beach-related stuff … you get the idea.
I like to group similar items together as you see here: first aid items; dental-related products; over-the-counter medications; makeup; hair-related items; eyeglasses, contacts and saline; bathroom cleaning products; cotton balls, cotton swabs, face wipes and toner; kid-related stuff; beach-related stuff … you get the idea.
Put everything away
Now that you have everything sorted, how you keep it organised depends on the size of your bathroom, the storage you have and what you like.
In a bathroom with a pedestal sink and not much storage space, keep a neat shelf of stuff you need at the sink, like soap, and a pretty basket to corral everyday items. You may also want to invest in a mirrored medicine cabinet to store your toothpaste and toothbrush, hairbrush and other items.
I like to use small baskets to group together cleaning supplies, washcloths, lotions and all the other things mentioned. I use an enamel bucket bathside for the things I like to have around during a soak. You’d be amazed how great some of the smaller items look in glass pickling jars; I use them to display soaps, cotton swabs and cotton balls and make an arrangement of them in my medicine cabinet.
Now that you have everything sorted, how you keep it organised depends on the size of your bathroom, the storage you have and what you like.
In a bathroom with a pedestal sink and not much storage space, keep a neat shelf of stuff you need at the sink, like soap, and a pretty basket to corral everyday items. You may also want to invest in a mirrored medicine cabinet to store your toothpaste and toothbrush, hairbrush and other items.
I like to use small baskets to group together cleaning supplies, washcloths, lotions and all the other things mentioned. I use an enamel bucket bathside for the things I like to have around during a soak. You’d be amazed how great some of the smaller items look in glass pickling jars; I use them to display soaps, cotton swabs and cotton balls and make an arrangement of them in my medicine cabinet.
Add storage capacity
Once you put things away, you’ll realise quickly if your storage space is lacking. Think about where you may have some wasted space, like the back of a door (see the shoe organiser used for products in a previous photo), the inside of a medicine cabinet door, some floor space (for baskets) or over the toilet, where you might fit a rack or small shelving unit. Even the backs of cupboard doors can benefit from storage racks.
Reaching the back of a bottom vanity cupboard can be like an archeological dig sometimes. To help organise your vanity cupboards, keep an eye out for practical kitchen storage items that you can use in your bathroom. For example, a rolling cabinet makes the most of that space to the side of your sink pipes.
If your drawers make it impossible to find anything, invest in some organisers. You don’t have to buy a glamorous one; you can make your own by repurposing old gift or jewellery boxes or arranging tin lids from jars. Use your imagination!
Once you put things away, you’ll realise quickly if your storage space is lacking. Think about where you may have some wasted space, like the back of a door (see the shoe organiser used for products in a previous photo), the inside of a medicine cabinet door, some floor space (for baskets) or over the toilet, where you might fit a rack or small shelving unit. Even the backs of cupboard doors can benefit from storage racks.
Reaching the back of a bottom vanity cupboard can be like an archeological dig sometimes. To help organise your vanity cupboards, keep an eye out for practical kitchen storage items that you can use in your bathroom. For example, a rolling cabinet makes the most of that space to the side of your sink pipes.
If your drawers make it impossible to find anything, invest in some organisers. You don’t have to buy a glamorous one; you can make your own by repurposing old gift or jewellery boxes or arranging tin lids from jars. Use your imagination!
While you’re tidying up, assess your available space. You may need to make use of a blank wall, to hang racks or hooks for specific appliances. What about some handy hanging baskets, open shelves or an extra medicine cabinet? If you go for baskets, hang them in a perfectly aligned arrangement as shown above. This will make them look less cluttered.
Reward yourself
Compare your before picture to your now beautifully arranged accomplishment. Now that you know where your fancy bath salts are, fill up the bathtub and enjoy a nice long soak.
SHOW US
Share your best bathroom organising trick in the Comments section below.
Reward yourself
Compare your before picture to your now beautifully arranged accomplishment. Now that you know where your fancy bath salts are, fill up the bathtub and enjoy a nice long soak.
SHOW US
Share your best bathroom organising trick in the Comments section below.
Don’t let this picture make you feel too bad – it was staged for a show house. It does provide great inspiration though; I particularly like the bright yellow drawer interiors.
NOTE: beware of using pretty ceramic boxes, planters or bowls to keep your bits and bobs organised. They often chip and break due to knocking into one another every time you open and shut the drawer. If you’re simply dying to use them, you can glue the bowls and small trays to the bottom of the drawer.