Bathroom Organization -
How To Create The Haven You Crave!
Effective bathroom organization is important for everyone - but particularly essential for busy moms!
A well organized bathroom allows you to quickly and easily prepare for YOUR day, get your children ready for THEIRS... and also provides you with a serene haven in which to relax when your day is done!
Keeping in mind the need for speed and efficiency, I've broken down this guide to bathroom organization into easy-to-follow steps that will soon have your bathroom looking and feeling just the way you've dreamed of!
Step 1...
The first step in bathroom organization is to throw out everything you don't use.
Be merciless! Discard those lotion bottles you've had for ages and all those expired medications (which will be ineffective at best and dangerous at worst!).
Remember that mess free is stress free.
Step 2...
Dispose of unsightly packaging.
The box your Q-Tips are in, the bag containing your cotton balls, the box of tissues... all these boxes and bags in different shapes and sizes are impossible to organize and look incredibly messy! Buy yourself an attractive, matching set of stackable containers, empty all these items into them and you'll see an immediate improvement.
For your smaller items, use pretty glass containers (kept out of your children's reach, of course). You can pick up gorgeous glass containers for almost next to nothing at flea markets!
Step 3...
Use a stylish
Wall Mounted Dispenser for body soap, shampoo, conditioner and any other lotions that are lying around in bottles cluttering up your bathroom!
Utilizing that wall space leaves surfaces clear.
Step 4...
Use baskets on shelves, or even hang them on the wall! Baskets LOOK great and - if you buy them with lids - they can hide a multitude of sins. An entire shelf of clutter can be swept into one basket... and once you've closed the lid, no one but you will know!
Step 5...
Hide toilet paper in a sleek
toilet paper holder. If you have more rolls than will fit inside, store them elsewhere. The key to bathroom organization is minimizing the number of items you keep in there!
Step 6...
Add shelves to unused spaces for extra storage. Use the wall space over the toilet. Buy corner shelving to maximize your space.
Make use of
trays designed to sit on top of the toilet tank.
Put shelving under the sink if possible. Attach a 'skirt' to a pedestal-style sink (using stick-on hooks and an attractive piece of fabric) and use it to hide your bathroom cleaning supplies. There's a tutorial for a more sophisticated sink skirt here.
Finally, put shelves in previoulsy undiscovered spaces! By removing a section of drywall (between studs) and painting the exposed area, you can create an area for shelving that didn't exist before. Do watch out for wires and pipes, though!. You can either install a door to conceal the shelves or leave them open to view.
Step 7...
Get your kids to play their part in your bathroom organization!
Invest in a
Frog Pod - a cool bathroom organizer for the kids to stow their toys and encourage tidiness. Another cute idea is the
Rub A Dub - Bag for the Tub.
Make sure you include 'cleaning the bathroom' on the children's reward chart so they remain happy to help out!
Step 8...
Store the bulk of your towels in a different room. The bathroom isn't the ideal place for them anyway, as it's humid and will cause unused towels to become damp.
Step 9...
Ditch your towel bars and use hooks instead! Four towels hanging side by side on hooks take up a lot less space than theyr would on a bar. You can use hooks to hang bath robes and wash cloths, too!
Step 10...
Utilize the back of the bathroom door. You can buy specialized
Overdoor Add-On Valets, simply stick hooks on the door, or - my favorite option - hang an
Overdoor Shoe Organizer on it! That will provide you with plenty of pockets for extra storage.
Step 11...
Install cleverly designed
Shower Caddies, corner caddies and
Tub Caddies, that utilize space effectively. If you like to keep everybody's toiletries organized separately, then consider using individual caddies for each person to stow their items!
Step 12...
If - like me - you have a baby in the house, use a
Fold Away or
Inflatable Bath Tub, rather than a traditional one. Not only do they take up far less space, they're also very lightweight and can be easily taken along when traveling with your baby.
Once you've followed these simple steps to efficient bathroom organization and created the tranquil space you desire, use these tips to keep it that way...
- Follow a 5 minute daily bathroom organization routine - grab all laundry, dipose of trash and remove items that should be in other rooms. Then, give the sink, tub and toilet a quick wipe down with disinfectant wipes that you store in the bathroom for that very purpose.
- Remove the bath mat (a magnet for dirt and dust) and replace it with a small towel which can easily be picked up and washed after bathing/showering.
- Ensure the bathroom has a wastebasket, to discourage further mess!
- Use a large mirror, attractive plants and candles to add the final finishing touches to your clean and organized space.
If YOU have any bathroom organization tips of your own to share, then please do drop me a line and I'll publish them here.
Go from Bathroom Organization back to How to Get Organized.
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