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Get It Done: Organize the Bathroom for Well-Earned Bliss
You deserve the dreamy serenity of cleared countertops, neatly arranged drawers and streamlined bathroom storage
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
This weekend we're going to jump to a room that can be completely organized 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-organized 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-organized 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.
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Inspiration
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 organized. 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.
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 organized. 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.
by AMI Designs
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I love a clean counter surface. It makes your bathroom seem bigger and makes it a more relaxing place to spend time in. This is our goal.
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Organize 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:
• Wastebasket
• Recycling box
• Donation box
• Container for old medications
• A few baskets or boxes for organizing the items you'll be keeping
• Cleaning wipes
• Drawer organizers (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:
• Wastebasket
• Recycling box
• Donation box
• Container for old medications
• A few baskets or boxes for organizing the items you'll be keeping
• Cleaning wipes
• Drawer organizers (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 organizing 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 organizing task.
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| Assess Remove all the products and other items in your drawers, cabinets and baskets and on shelves. Chances are, there is a mud mask you got in a swag bag at a party five years ago, 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 skidproof liner if you like. |
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Sort
This is the biggest part of this task. You want to group like items together. Some suggestions:
1. Everyday items. Group the items you use every day. This includes your moisturizer, 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.
This is the biggest part of this task. You want to group like items together. Some suggestions:
1. Everyday items. Group the items you use every day. This includes your moisturizer, 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.
by House & Hold
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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 in here. 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 trash or flushing them is not always prudent; check out the FDA's updates on how to dispose of them property. Most pharmacies will accept the bottles for recycling.
A note about old medications: Simply tossing them in the trash or flushing them is not always prudent; check out the FDA's updates on how to dispose of them property. Most pharmacies will accept the bottles for recycling.
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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 cabinets 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.
by Atypical Type A
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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.
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Put Everything Away
Now that you have everything sorted, how you keep it organized 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 round up cleaning supplies, washcloths, lotions and all the other things mentioned. I use a cute 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 mason jars; I use them to corral soaps, cotton swabs and cotton balls and make a cute arrangement of them in my medicine cabinet.
Now that you have everything sorted, how you keep it organized 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 round up cleaning supplies, washcloths, lotions and all the other things mentioned. I use a cute 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 mason jars; I use them to corral soaps, cotton swabs and cotton balls and make a cute arrangement of them in my medicine cabinet.
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Add Storage Capacity
Once you put things away, you'll realize 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 organizer used for products in a previous photo), the inside of a medicine cabinet door, some floor space (for baskets) or over the commode, where you might fit a rack.
Once you put things away, you'll realize 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 organizer used for products in a previous photo), the inside of a medicine cabinet door, some floor space (for baskets) or over the commode, where you might fit a rack.
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The backs of cabinet doors can benefit from storage racks.
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You may be ready to take the shower dispenser leap. A lot of people I know swear by these things, especially for families; you wind up taking smaller dollops of shampoo, conditioner and body wash than you would from the bottle (did you know that you really need only about a quarter-size dollop of shampoo?). They also tame those unwieldy megabottles you lug home from Costco.
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Reaching the back of a bottom vanity cabinet can be like an archeological dig sometimes. A rolling cabinet makes the most of that space to the side of your sink pipes.
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If your drawers make it impossible to find anything, invest in some organizers. You don't have to buy a glamorous Lucite one; you can make your own by cutting up cardboard food box bottoms (like cereal boxes) or arranging tin lids from jars.
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I love this organizer, because it makes keeping the drawer neat a pleasure. It can also display jewelry or office supplies beautifully.
by Organize-It
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You may need to make use of a blank wall, whether with racks for specific appliances ...
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... or with some catchall baskets, open shelves or an extra medicine cabinet. If you go for the baskets, hang them in a perfectly aligned arrangement. 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 tub and have a nice long soak.
Show us: Share your best bathroom organizing trick in the Comments section below!
More weekend projects
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 tub and have a nice long soak.
Show us: Share your best bathroom organizing trick in the Comments section below!
More weekend projects
Ideabook published on Sept. 6, 2012.
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Now we have two really small bathrooms and only keep few things in the large drawer under the sink. All the extra stuff we don't use at least once a week is in a box in the bedroom closet. Do I miss a thing? No.
Midmodfan mentioned airline freebies, I find the airline toothbrushes are great for cleaning grouting and getting into tight spaces, as they generally have quite hard bristles and they aren't as bulky as normal toothbrushes.
Keep your articles coming - you inspire us to clean and declutter and we will inspire you with our success stories. Fair exchange??
It allows me to keep my creative juices flowing.
If I didn't have a two sink bathroom, I would likely hide it somewhere but that would make me sad.
As for the baskets in the last picture , I think they are office supplies - meant for files. I haven't tracked them down yet but your best bet is to click on the individual picture and then hit the "Ask a Question" button - that method means many more people will see your question and chime in with answers, whereas not as many people read ideabook comments.
Again, thank you
Joy Pokrwya
Some of my other labels are painkillers, stomach, colds, ointments, nails. I can store a lot of "stuff" and everyone can find it. Have a headache, don't worry about which cabinet someone stashed it, go to the painkiller box and find aspirin, Advil, etc. The little things don't get lost on shelves, and it helps with over buying and buying duplicates.
I use them not just in the bathroom, but in the kitchen and office too.