An Organized Bathroom: Tips and Tricks

Welcome to the next article in our series to get you organized. We have tackled the kitchen. That is definitely the room in my home that grows out of control the quickest. Coming in a close second… an organized bathroom! This is a conversation that gets down and dirty, so to speak.

Bathroom with article title - Bathroom Organization Tips

Throw Things Away

Let’s dive right into the number one, absolutely must do thing to keep an organized bathroom: THROW THINGS AWAY!

I know it’s not sexy, and it isn’t going to get its own Pin, but the best way to keep a bathroom organized is the biggest trash can that can fit in it without taking it over. Bathrooms are filled with bottles and tubes and toilet paper rolls and cleaners of all kinds. These are things that get used up and/or expire.

When my bathroom starts to spiral out of control, I can usually get it right to where I need it simply by throwing things away. When I am at my best, I do a weekly expiration check. I throw away expired medications and cosmetics that are more than 6 months old. I also chuck those shampoo and conditioner bottles that barely have anything left in them. Why don’t I just use the last bit up? I don’t know. But I know I’m not the only one that does this. And they just need to go.

The Bathroom Isn’t a Storage Center

The third thing I do to keep my bathroom organized is actually something I DO NOT do. I DO NOT use the bathroom to store things that I’m not clear on where they go. If I don’t use it in the bathroom, it doesn’t get stored there. For example, I don’t dry and style my hair in the bathroom. I can’t stand doing that in a humid environment. I’m weird. I accept it. So, I don’t store my brushes, hair ties, clips, hairspray or any other hairstyling items in my bathroom.

Also, things like heating pads, pill-based medications that do better in a dry environment, old jewelry, and travel toiletries are not stored in my bathroom. A heating pad is usually used in a bedroom, so that is where I keep mine. Medications should not be stored in humid environments, so I store those in the hall closet. Travel toiletries aren’t actually used in your own bathroom.

There is one exception to this: if you have a guest bath, I actually recommend you keep a bin in there with sample-sized toiletries for your guests. Towels that are beginning to get holier than the saints get cut into rags and moved into the cleaning caddy. If you don’t have a cleaning caddy that makes it easy to take the cleaning products from spot to spot, start one. It will save you a lot of time and effort on cleaning days.

I know. This means being able to use less of those really gorgeous, ever so clever ideas on Pinterest about how to shove the maximum amount of stuff into a minimal amount of space. I’m okay with that.

Things You Should Keep in the Bathroom

So, what do I keep in my bathroom? Towels for one. I choose a color and style for each bathroom and stock up on it. You might be surprised at how matching towels cut down on the cluttered look of a bathroom.

My hall bath has a supply of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash stocked up (usually I restock it every six months). I group like items, so I can see at a glance what I have and what is running low. I typically buy several of my bathroom products in bulk at Sam’s Club.

Bonus beauty tip: when I restock shampoo and conditioner, I always change brands. Your hair becomes accustomed to a formula and changing can often perk it back up! Don’t worry, you can rotate back to your favorites.

Keep items where you need them (and I mean where you will need it WHEN you will need it). If I can’t reach the toilet paper from the toilet, I have some rearranging to do, know what I mean? Same with feminine products. Find a way to make that work for yourself. A lot of balance is about conforming your environment to your physical needs instead of fighting against it for the sake of aesthetics.

Provide yourself with plenty of options for hanging wet items so they can fully dry. The bathroom can be a breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria. Make sure facial loofahs, washcloths, hand towels, and robes etc. all have a place to thoroughly dry in a reasonably short amount of time.

Organizing Your Bathroom Items

When it comes to organizing the items you do keep in your bathroom, there are some really great, inexpensive options. Most bathrooms have a lot of places for hiding the things you store (like under the sink behind closed doors, or in a small, narrow linen closet). That means those dollar store plastic bins that for inexplicable reasons are always in the most garish colors imaginable will actually work in this space. Save the money for gorgeous towel rods and creating a spa-like atmosphere!

If you do keep cosmetics and hair styling items in the bathroom, be sure to get a storage container that holds it all comfortably. You can make a mess quickly by rummaging through a bin of cosmetics, trying to find a lipstick!

The key to an organized bathroom is convenience and minimalism. Of course, we all want our bathrooms to be beautiful, but it’s important to keep in mind that bathrooms need to be functional and hygienic. Most bathrooms are small and keeping them organized is a lot easier when we keep the number of things we are storing in them to a minimum.

Bathroom with article title - Bathroom Organization Tips and Tricks www.alifeofbalance.com

Bathroom with article title - Bathroom Organization Tips and Tricks www.alifeofbalance.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up Next

Coming up, we will be tackling the laundry area. Stay tuned as we work our way through your home, and we will have your whole house organized by the summer!

Did you miss some of the earlier posts in our organization series? Click the links below to go to them:

Kitchen Organization

Pantry Organization

Let everyone know some of your tricks for keeping an organized bathroom in the comments below. Have questions? Send me an email janet@alifeofbalance.com

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