Organize Your Life: Ways to Battle Bathroom Clutter

Because bathrooms are typically one of the smaller and most-used rooms in your home, it’s no surprise they’re prone to disorganization. Shampoo and soap bottles, dirty towels, makeup, the kids’ bath toys, cleaning supplies and more: It can all create a chaotic space that adds unnecessary stress to your day.

Are you ready to say goodbye to bathroom clutter once and for all? From organization tips to clever storage ideas, we have a few ways to help you turn your bathroom into a peaceful retreat you can actually enjoy.

1. Go Through What’s in Your Bathroom

If you’re going to get a handle on your bathroom clutter, first you need to know what’s actually in your bathroom. Not only will this have an immediate impact on how clean your space is, it’ll also help you figure out your storage needs later on. We recommend removing all items from the countertops, shower or tub shelves, linen closet and under the cabinets and then grouping them by type. That way, you can see just how many types of soap, sets of towels and hair tools you have and decide which ones you want to keep.

Make sure to get rid of any old makeup or other beauty products, which typically have a shelf life of a few years. It’s also a great time to check for any medications that may have expired and safely dispose of them.

Once you’ve taken the time to get rid of the items you no longer want or need (I’m looking at you, half-used eyeshadow palettes and lotions that were a Christmas present 5 years ago), it’s time to start getting organized!

2. Find Storage That Works For You

When you’re considering bathroom storage options, always keep your specific needs in mind. That fancy storage rack from Pinterest might look cool, but if it doesn’t fit your space and the way you use it, it’s not going to be that helpful in the long run. So, let’s look at what some of your bathroom organization needs might be and how you can address them:

• If you have a lot of smaller items, use drawer dividers or cubbies for your cabinets. These options are a great way to keep similar items together, rather than them floating around in a messy heap that will only irritate you when you’re trying to get ready in the morning. Use clear containers so it’s immediately obvious what’s where.
• Share a bathroom with your partner or kids? Make a clearly defined space for each person in a drawer or cubby and label it with their name.
• Handy with a hammer? If you don’t have a lot of built-in storage in your bathroom already, consider installing a medicine cabinet or shelves near your vanity to hold makeup or toiletries.
• Don’t want to make any holes in your walls? There are many options out there for easy-to-assemble shelves or cabinets to go over your toilet. And if your bathroom is really on the small side, you could even add a rolling cart or side table to take advantage of every square inch.
• Sick of picking up dirty towels or laundry that’s been tossed on the floor? Consider adding a basket or hooks to collect those items in one place.
• Don’t forget about over the door organizers, which are great for storing beauty products or hair tools and accessories.

3. Keep Less on the Counters

The fewer items you have on your bathroom counter, the easier it will be to keep it clean and organized in the future. This is where it’s again helpful to consider what items you need so you can decide how to store them. For example, you can put hand soap into a smaller, decorative dispenser that fits more easily on your counter or only keep out products you need for your daily routine and store others elsewhere.

Put things like cotton balls or swabs in clear jars on the counter (which is also helpful for letting you know when you’re running low) or use a small tray to hold perfumes, lotions or those pesky bobby pins I always seem to find on the floor. As a bonus, putting these items on display in cute containers means they can double as decor and help make your bathroom look super put together.

4. Don’t forget the shower or linen closet

Battling bathroom clutter is all about maximizing your space. If you’re always knocking over shampoo bottles in the tub or shower, consider if you actually need to store all of those products there. If you need more elbow room, a shower caddy is a great way to store everything from soaps to razors. You can hang one from your showerhead or from the shower curtain rod. You could also add a second tension rod behind the first one to use as space to dry towels or other items. Want to keep the kids’ bath toys out of the way? Hang up a mesh lingerie bag to store them in, which will also let any water drain out.

If you have a linen closet or even some extra built-in storage space in your bathroom, use it for those larger containers of soap or anything else you might buy in bulk. You can also add a basket with your bathroom cleaning supplies for easy access. Don’t have a closet? A buffet table or sideboard in your bathroom makes a great option to hold extra towels or rolls of toilet paper and is also a pretty design addition.

5. Build a Routine

Now that you have everything in your bathroom right where it should be, keeping it that way doesn’t have to be hard. One of the easiest ways is to take a minute before bed every night to clean up any small messes to keep them from becoming overwhelming.

Another good idea is to add an organization step to your regular bathroom cleaning routine. For example, while you’re wiping down the counters each week, check if any items need to be moved back to their proper spots. And, when it’s time for spring cleaning, plan to do a deep dive into those drawers and cabinets for anything you can get rid of.

So there you have it! You are officially ready to take back your bathroom once and for all. Want more great tips on how to organize other areas in your home, from closets to the garage? You can check out the rest of our Organize Your Life series today and find everything else you need to know about homeownership on our