Ideas to spark inspiration, from my home to yours
I keep our Waterpik plugged in and electric toothbrushes out by the sink for convenience because we brush twice a day. I do put them away when guests come over, leaving out our refillable hand soap pump and a decorative stone candle holder that matches the bathroom. Occasionally I’ll keep a product I’m trying to finish out so I use it regularly or something I need for the day that’s out of my normal routine. Tip: Electric toothbrushes hold a charge for a couple weeks to over a month, save some space and stop looking at cords by keeping the chargers put away until they’re needed.
The top drawer (pictured far left) at the sink holds the rest of our tooth related products (extra brush heads, disposable brushes, current and extra toothpaste, current and extra floss, charging docks, night guards) in one place, even our Huskorgi’s toothbrush and paste so we take care of her teeth when we take care of ours.
The middle drawer (pictured far right) contains all the other stuff we use in daily routines (lip balm, perfume/cologne, makeup remover, deodorant, face lotion).
The bottom drawer (pictured middle) has all my makeup; I don’t mind a slightly less convenient spot since I don’t wear it every day. I don’t keep extras because it usually gets old before I run out of the current product. Makeup is something that’s easy to collect. Often trying things until you find the perfect product… but if that product didn’t work for you or you don’t love it, let it go. Maybe give it to a friend or sister to try, only keep what you use. I keep it simple with one type of product for essentials like foundation, concealer, etc., only having multiple choices for eye shadow and lip color. Tip: Makeup pallets don’t have to lie flat, they can stand on their sides (like books) held up by bookends, or even better, a couple of fancy cups/containers to hold your brushes in one and mascara, lip-gloss and so on in the other.
Under the sink I keep “bath stuff” masks, tub pillow, Epsom salt and all our extra candles as I use them primarily for baths. Extra shower products store here and hand soap refill (conserving plastic waste, yay!). Tip: Feminine products can be conveniently reached from the loo if kept under the sink, another idea being beside or over the toilet in a decorative container or cabinet.
Towels go in a bathroom closet as my first pick, a cabinet or rack over the toilet also works, or as a last resort under the sink or drawers. In a small house consider keeping all the towels in the same place as bath and hand towels, otherwise, cleaning rags with the cleaning products and kitchen towels and dishcloths in the kitchen. Tip: I like to fold or roll towels and face them the same direction so you see the rounded edges and it creates a uniform look.
Bathroom closets are good for keeping miscellaneous items that you use fairly often like: health related stuff (medicine, bandages, and heating pad), body products (lotions, oils, and sunscreen), and hair stuff (ties, clips, brush, trimmer, scissors, curling iron, and straightener). Pet stuff (food, harnesses, leash, toys, and clippers) could also go in a bathroom closet unless there is another closet available in the house, perhaps by the door. Tip: I use clear plastic shoe boxes to separate and store things like these because they stack and you easily see what’s inside. Keeping every type of cleaning product (laundry supplies, Windex, Clorox wipes, a sweeper/mop) in the bathroom closet is a pretty good place, though a laundry room is better if you have one and in that case I would only keep bowl cleaning products in the bathroom tucked right behind the toilet with the brush. If you have a large house with numerous bathrooms a set of products to get the job done could be in each bathroom. Tip: I find it just as easy to tote a cleaning supply caddy around on a cleaning day.
A cabinet or rack around the toilet is an ideal place to keep your toilet paper stock and I mean all of your stock. You don’t need to store mass amounts, just keep enough rolls next to each toilet in the house for family and guests to easily find and replace. On the second to last roll, it’s added to our list, bought at the next convenience and we’ve never had an issue or ran out. (Even during the COVID-19 Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020!). Tip: I can fit 5-6 rolls in a clear glass cylinder I found at a thrift store, that lasts our family of 2 (plus occasional guests) 1-2 months.
A small trashcan in every bathroom, is that too much to ask? I’ll give you reasons #1 and #2 (hey, it’s a bathroom post… but that’s not the reason) 1- Every time you open a package, have a used cotton swab, broken hair tie… you have somewhere to put it, right then, right there, keeping your bathroom a lot cleaner. 2- Ladies there’s no shame, menstruation is a real thing and so are the products. Everyone won’t relate but this is another GOOD reason to have a bathroom trash! Tip: Plastic produce bags are usually the perfect size for trash liners plus you’re reusing these little baggies instead of just throwing them away. I bought a shorter glass cylinder (matching the one for toilet paper) to store them and sometimes flush-able wipes. I keep the trash between the toilet and shower/tub so I can easily toss the hair that inevitably falls out while shampooing and keep the tub nice and clean, saving the drain.
I commonly see duplicates in the shower; try minimizing to one of each product per person and stay committed to finishing it before putting a new one out, same with razors (toss the old one!). To save space, consider 2/3 in 1’s or sharing products with fellow bathroom users. A shower caddy is nice to keep the edges of the tub neat and you often have a designated place to hang your rag and razor. Bigger ones (like corner racks) let members of a shared bathroom keep their unique items separated. Be creative! I hung a caddy on the handles in between the faucet and shower head, so I can easily reach the soap if I’m taking a bath or a shower. Tip: Conditioner makes an amazing shaving cream!
Tags: Bathroom, Grouping, Organizing Ideas, Storage