When we think of organizing, the bathroom often slides to the bottom of the areas we need to work on. But, ignoring this frequently used area of the home is a big no-no because it can lead to the collection of products like medications, face creams and personal care products that can make things a mess or expire and turn bad. There are many other reasons to get our bathrooms into good shape. Among them is the fact that nosy visitors enjoy snooping in bathroom cabinets to see what it reveals. Per the NY Post, it’s been determined that a majority of Americans think it’s okay to snoop through someone’s bathroom cabinet. So why not take the time to organize your space and reveal that you are indeed neat, tidy, and totally organized! Here’s some advice for getting the job done:
- The good news is that bathroom spaces are small, with just a few drawers and cabinets that need attention, so they are generally quick to organize. And, it doesn’t have to cost a lot. As you organize this all-important home area for safety, be sure that your space is off-limits to children and pets.
- Begin in one place, such as a medicine chest. Check expiration dates. Safely discard old and expired products that are unfit for use or ingestion. Per the FDA, the best way to dispose of most types of unused or expired medications (both prescription and over-the-counter) is to drop off the medicine at a drug take-back site, location, or program immediately. Further instructions can be found at: Disposal of Unused Medicines: What You Should Know Your goal in a small bathroom is to reduce clutter, maximize storage, and provide safe and easy access to products and medications. Be sure to store products and medications safely out of the reach of children and use child-safe locks where needed.
- Understand that there is no right or wrong way to organize, so go with whatever methods work best for your brain. You can group items together or assign one shelf for each family member for their medications and products.
- Tackle under the sink area and drawers. Empty everything out into a cardboard box so that you can create clear space and wipe things down. Before returning items to the space, while it’s empty, it’s the perfect time to add shelf liner if needed. It’s also a great time to measure the interior if purchasing under-the-counter storage products.
- Sort through the items in the box. Be realistic about what products you need and use. Remember that you do not need to stockpile goods as that leads to clutter. Get rid of doubles of items by creating a donate pile for unused and unopened non-expired products such as shampoo and conditioner that you do not plan to use.
- Use stackable organizers with pull-out drawers to hold loose bars of soaps or new toothbrushes, for example, and use glass jars to store items like cotton balls or Q-tips. Using glass and see-through containers is ideal as it generally eliminates the need for labeling.
- Medium-size baskets work well to hold hair products and clean washcloths. Grouping like items together is not only neat, but it also provides easy access to hair tools and products. Makeup organizers are also handy. Most provide slots to hold lipsticks and brushes upright and drawers for eye and lip pencils. And they can be pulled out easily when you need to get ready and stored away when you’re done.
- Spare rolls of toilet paper can take up a lot of room. But be sure to keep a few backup rolls in the bathroom. If tight on storage space or lack it due to having a pedestal sink, consider keeping bathroom cleaning products or excess toilet paper in a nearby room or closet.
- To make up for the lack of storage space, install floating shelving in the bathroom to hold your spare rolls. Not only are they reasonably priced, but they can be inconspicuously mounted above the bathroom door, above a sink mirror, or near the toilet if there is enough clearance. Place the spare rolls on the shelf along with air freshener products. Or use baskets to neatly store extra TP, feminine products, cleansing wipes, and more.
- Extra tip: Always keep countertop surfaces free of clutter. While it’s acceptable to leave out a minimal number of objects, you use daily, such as hand soap, skin lotion, and hand sanitizer, scale back on the number of knick-knacks and excess products left out to avoid a messy look. Keeping things minimal will also make surfaces easier to clean. A hand towel should always be available and hung neatly near the sink.
Organizing the powder room can be done quickly, easily, and painlessly. And, it can have a high visual impact when things are neatly stored away. Then, when those nosy friends or family members visit and open your cabinets, they are likely to be envious of your fantastically organized bathroom and your superior organizing skills.
