How to Keep Your Bathroom Organised
After ensuring everything has a place, make life easier by tying your daily once-over to an existing habit
Laura Gaskill
25 January 2021
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
The bathroom is so often a minefield of half-used toothpaste tubes, unloved bath products and messy make-up; “inspiring” is probably the last word that comes to mind. Periodically getting it orderly is one thing; maintaining that order on a daily basis is something else entirely. Here are a few simple strategies to keep the chaos reined in.
Tack bathroom tidying onto an existing habit
Tidying the bathroom daily is key to maintaining a sane, clutter-free space. If you’ve been struggling to work this into your routine, the easiest way to develop the habit is to tie it to something you already do daily, such as brushing your teeth.
As you brush, make a quick scan of the basin and shower, and throw any empties into the rubbish or recycling bin. As soon as you’ve done brushing, put away any products that have been left out on the counter, and take items that don’t belong there (your morning coffee cup, for instance) with you when you leave.
Tidying the bathroom daily is key to maintaining a sane, clutter-free space. If you’ve been struggling to work this into your routine, the easiest way to develop the habit is to tie it to something you already do daily, such as brushing your teeth.
As you brush, make a quick scan of the basin and shower, and throw any empties into the rubbish or recycling bin. As soon as you’ve done brushing, put away any products that have been left out on the counter, and take items that don’t belong there (your morning coffee cup, for instance) with you when you leave.
Let each person personalise a tray…
Basin sprawl is one of the most common clutter problems in the bathroom. This is what happens when everyone’s toiletries collect (and multiply) until they cover every square inch of surface area on and around the basin, making it next to impossible to find anything.
Combat the sprawl by assigning a tray to each household member, to be filled with daily necessities only. There are no judgements about what another person deems “essential” allowed – as long as it all fits on the tray!
The trays will provide a clear physical limit to rein in clutter, and they can be moved aside easily when you need to wipe down the entire basin area.
Basin sprawl is one of the most common clutter problems in the bathroom. This is what happens when everyone’s toiletries collect (and multiply) until they cover every square inch of surface area on and around the basin, making it next to impossible to find anything.
Combat the sprawl by assigning a tray to each household member, to be filled with daily necessities only. There are no judgements about what another person deems “essential” allowed – as long as it all fits on the tray!
The trays will provide a clear physical limit to rein in clutter, and they can be moved aside easily when you need to wipe down the entire basin area.
…or assign everyone a shelf
If your basin is tiny and you use another space for storage instead, you can still apply the same principle. Designate one shelf for each member of the household to store his or her daily essentials, and stick with it.
The clearer you can be about defining the physical limits of your storage space, the easier it will be for everyone to get (and stay) on board.
If your basin is tiny and you use another space for storage instead, you can still apply the same principle. Designate one shelf for each member of the household to store his or her daily essentials, and stick with it.
The clearer you can be about defining the physical limits of your storage space, the easier it will be for everyone to get (and stay) on board.
Provide overflow storage for less-used items
To keep the basin area streamlined, you will probably need to find a spot to stash those extra items that didn’t quite make ‘everyday essential’ status.
Ideally, this would be in the bathroom – a shelving unit or cupboard works well – but you could also store these items in a hall cupboard. Use containers to keep similar items together and prevent toppling.
For example:
To keep the basin area streamlined, you will probably need to find a spot to stash those extra items that didn’t quite make ‘everyday essential’ status.
Ideally, this would be in the bathroom – a shelving unit or cupboard works well – but you could also store these items in a hall cupboard. Use containers to keep similar items together and prevent toppling.
For example:
- Store make-up brushes upright in a jam jar or mug.
- Make finding the right nail polish easy with a clear acrylic container.
- Corral hair accessories and products in a lidded box.
- Stash extra make-up and skincare products in a zippered pouch.
Store only daily necessities in the shower
Be honest about which products you actually use on a daily basis, and limit yourself to storing these items in the shower. Extras – such as special scrubs, masks and treatments – can be stored in your overflow storage instead.
The key to making this work long-term is to remember to remove those special products as soon as you’ve used them and put them away where they belong. If you’re having trouble remembering to do this, try making it part of your daily bathroom tidy while you brush your teeth.
Be honest about which products you actually use on a daily basis, and limit yourself to storing these items in the shower. Extras – such as special scrubs, masks and treatments – can be stored in your overflow storage instead.
The key to making this work long-term is to remember to remove those special products as soon as you’ve used them and put them away where they belong. If you’re having trouble remembering to do this, try making it part of your daily bathroom tidy while you brush your teeth.
Use bins to define under-basin zones
Prevent your vanity unit from becoming a black hole of clutter by clearly defining the space with sturdy storage bins. Look for plastic bins that can handle a little water without getting damaged, and designate a different bin for each category of items you need to store.
Prevent your vanity unit from becoming a black hole of clutter by clearly defining the space with sturdy storage bins. Look for plastic bins that can handle a little water without getting damaged, and designate a different bin for each category of items you need to store.
Stash bath toys at child height
The sooner you can get the littlest members of the household on board with tidying routines, the easier it will be to maintain good habits in the long run. Young children usually love “helping”, so make this easier for them to do by providing an accessible basket where they can take out and put away their own bath toys.
The sooner you can get the littlest members of the household on board with tidying routines, the easier it will be to maintain good habits in the long run. Young children usually love “helping”, so make this easier for them to do by providing an accessible basket where they can take out and put away their own bath toys.
Keep a small laundry basket handy
Making it easier doesn’t just work for kids – it’s important for adults, too! Make it simpler for everyone to keep dirty towels and clothes off the floor by putting a laundry bin in the bathroom.
If you can’t fit one in, then find the closest available place: just outside the door or on the floor of a nearby hall cupboard.
Making it easier doesn’t just work for kids – it’s important for adults, too! Make it simpler for everyone to keep dirty towels and clothes off the floor by putting a laundry bin in the bathroom.
If you can’t fit one in, then find the closest available place: just outside the door or on the floor of a nearby hall cupboard.
Make note of favourites
Start paying attention to which products work well for you and your family – and which sit around unused and unloved. Figuring out what your favourite products are (and sticking with them) is one of the simplest ways to ensure that the clutter doesn’t creep up on you again.
Start paying attention to which products work well for you and your family – and which sit around unused and unloved. Figuring out what your favourite products are (and sticking with them) is one of the simplest ways to ensure that the clutter doesn’t creep up on you again.
Tell us…
What helps you keep a tidy bathroom? Share your ideas in the Comments.
What helps you keep a tidy bathroom? Share your ideas in the Comments.
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We didn't have a big budget for our renovations however we built in a 'hidden' storage niche behind the bathroom mirror over the sink, and put the mirror on offset hinge brackets so that you 'open' the mirror (like a door) to get to the storage.
The toothbrush charging point, toothbrushes and toothpaste are stored here for easy reach, so we do not have to have them on show. Works brilliantly.
Storage is key, I feel, in a bathroom. I also wipe down the sink and loo with antibacterial wipes every morning to keep things looking shiny and healthy!
I have a bespoke cupboard, floor to ceiling, near the basin, for all bathroom storage including toothbrushes. (There’s a shaver point inside too.) It keeps clutter nicely out of the way. I’d originally thought of simply making a tower of bathroom cabinets, with the top one right against the ceiling and any spare space below for ease of cleaning. But I couldn’t find cabinets deep enough for loo rolls so had to go down the bespoke route.
One of the cleverest designs I’ve seen re mirrors was above a basin built across a corner. The mirrored door of the triangular cabinet spanned the corner, creating an almost hidden cupboard and providing an over-basin mirror.