What is it about bathrooms that makes you want to prepare for the apocalypse? I mean, how many bottles of ibuprofen does one bathroom need? So much crap, so little time.
To organize your bathroom, I seriously recommend clearing out everything in your drawers and cabinets. If you have a linen closet in the bathroom, better clear that out too. Pile it all in the middle of the floor, now lay down and do junk angels in it. {It’s therapeutic, I promise.}
Go through everything, consolidate duplicates. Throw away old cosmetics, deodorants, etc. {preservatives really aren’t meant to last forever–if you don’t consume it within a year of purchase, do yourself a favor and toss it. Don’t think of it as wasteful, so much as an ode to your overall health and well-being}. Then, from here on forward, even if it is a screamin’ deal, only purchase what you can reasonably use within a year.
Sort out everything into categories: medicine, makeup, face care products, body care products, etc.
Now comes the putting it all away part. How to put it back without falling back into the same clutter trap? Consider the one time investment of organizers or simple re-purpose containers you already have. It stinks to have to spend money on them, but really, they really don’t wear out, so you’ll be able to use them for years and years. For lotions, creams, nail polishes, etc. consider a turn table/lazy suzan. That way, nothing ends shoved at the back of the cabinet and forgotten. If your lucky, you might even be able to score one at the thrift shop–it may even be a pretty mustard yellow color, if you are lucky :). Either way, you won’t forget you have something just because it got moved to the back.
Next, consider drawer organizers trays {you could use a silverware tray too}. You can usually find something like this at the dollar store too. They will help you sort like with like. Use one for all of your pony tail holders and another for your chapstick, lipstick, etc. If you really have a ton of smaller stuff {or maybe the kiddos have lots of little hair accessories} you can consider getting a screw organizer from your hardware department.
They usually have clear drawers so it’s still super easy to find what you are looking for, but everything is not scattered in the drawer. You can go super OCD and label everything if you want too. In my dreams, I would do this. In reality, I will be taking a nap after this post.
I’m kind of a minimalist when it comes to make-up, but there is seriously no shortage of ideas on organizing make-up on Pinterest. You can glue magnets onto the back of all of your make-up and then stick them on a framed piece of metal sheeting {very cute} or you can go simple and use some of the drawer organizers. Either way, keeping it all in one place helps you keep inventory and makes sure you use what you have.
Get a basket or a shelf for the back of the toilet. It’s a great place to store an extra roll of toilet paper, extra hand towels, etc. The space would otherwise go to waste. Plus, it makes it so guests have basically no excuse for going through your cabinets. Ha!
If you share your bathroom with the kids, or are tackling their bathroom, here’s a few quick tips to organize all of their stuff:
- Keep their bath toys in a mesh bag or plastic tub with drain holes. Have them put them away after every bath. It helps them to dry out {which is way more sanitary} and keeps your bathtub from looking like a bomb went off.
- Get a push pin and a cute strip of ribbon to clip girls hair flowers, clips, etc. Tack it to the wall so that they can see what they have and easily grab them. As an added bonus, their clips are usually pretty cute, so hanging them is like built-in decor.
- Get a little cup for their toothbrush and toothpaste, otherwise, it’s going to end up on the counter every. single. time.
Now that everything is back in place, I kind of want to live in here, but I think I’ll just settle for a cup of tea and a hot bath.
Here’s to a cleaner, clutter free 2014 {**fingers crossed}!
~Mavis
Patty P says
I cleaned out my closet yesterday {ironically I was looking for something and everything in my closet ended up on the bed….I found the missing item in the kitchen…go figure}. I HATE cleaning the bathroom cupboards, but since you brought it up….I’ll get right to it! In November the school that I teach at was having a drive for items to send overseas to our troops. I did clean some things out of my cupboards that way….samples that I had received that I wouldn’t use, things I had coupons for that I got for basically nothing that I hadn’t used yet….basically, anything that I had acquired that was unopened, not expired, and I wouldn’t be using I sent on.
Sam says
“junk angels” love it!
PShook says
I cleaned my bathroom cabinets out this past summer (my closets are another story). We have a long counter with double sinks but no medicine cabinet or linen closet so everything must go under the sinks and the drawers in the center. I dislike clutter on the counter yet like quick access to items while getting ready without constantly bending over. A friend suggested totes and now I have two under my sink. One is for skincare and makeup and the other haircare and brushes. When it’s time to get ready, I grab the totes I need and then it all goes back under my sink when I am finished instead of sitting all over my counter tops.
For the drawers, I purchased those little white plastic baskets (Walmart by the kitchen utensils, 3/$1) and each drawer is neatly organized with these. I can proudly say that this system has worked for me the last 6 months and my counters are clutter free making cleaning that much quicker.
AisLynn says
I have 7 girls in the house and we use a shoe holder over the back of the door for hair pretties and brushes. Clears or the drawers and they are see through! I use the top row for the things we can never find but always need like tweezers and nail clippers.