If you are working on the zone plan, this is the month to work on your bathrooms. I have only one small bathroom, so I include in this zone a linen closet that is in the hall right outside the bathroom.Start by defining your zones in the bathroom.
Make the medicine cabinet a place where you store items you need and use regularly. This will probably mean that your grooming supplies are in this area. I have an electric razor and charger, deodorant, perfume, lotion, q-tips and cotton balls in small containers, comb and brush, band aids, toothpaste, dental floss, and eye drops.
I have my medicines in bins on a shelf in the linen closet. Some families store their medicines in the kitchen. Either place, this keeps moisture from ruining them. I sort my medicines according to type and use and place them in multiple bins. One bin is for outdoors and contains items like bug spray, suntan lotion, Benadryl cream, and Neosporin. Another bin holds Tylenol, aspirin, and cold/allergy medicines.Yet another bin holds larger items like hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, and mouthwash.
While sorting the medicines, get rid of old expired items. Do not toss medicines in the trash and never flush them because they will get into our water system. The DEA offers a bi-annual Prescription Drug Take Back Day whir occurs around April and October. The next one is September 29, 2012. Check the website late n August to locate collection sites nearby. Go to http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/. Click on Got Drugs for more information on the National Take Back Initiative. Some pharmacies will also take back expired drugs.
Hair dryers, curling irons, gels, sprays, and all items you use to fix your hair can be housed in a container under the sink. As you organize this tub, toss or donate those products that you purchased but are not using.
An extra roll of toilet paper and personal hygiene items as well as some cleaning products can also be stored in the under the sink area. This is where you would store items used regularly.
Drawers in the bathroom are a good place to store cosmetics. Sort and categorize your makeup so that you have like with like. For example, all eye products are stored in one compartment. As you sort your cosmetics, throw out items that are expired, do not look right, or that you just don’t like anymore. As I don’t have drawers, I use containers in my linen closet for my cosmetics.
I also use my linen closet for my towels, hand-towels, and wash-clothes. If you don’t have a closet you may need to use towel hooks or shelving in your bathroom. Over the toilet shelving is a great place to store bath towels and wash-cloths.
The bathroom is usually a small, busy room so keep clutter to a minimum. Keep counters as clear as possible. Store duplicates of items elsewhere or in the back of a deep shelf. be ruthless about throwing out items. You don’t really need 5 partial bottles of shampoo or 6 sample soaps that are gathering dust.
When you have your bathroom organized, work on a maintenance schedule to keep it that way and again a year from now go through the big organizing/decluttering process.
Jonda S. Beattie Professional Organizer