If you are working on the Zone Plan where you do one zone of your home each month, this is the month I have set aside to work on the bathroom zone.
The bathroom is one of the smaller rooms in your house. It is also heavily used and often used by more than one person. For efficiency and good morning starts, it is important to have this space well organized. You want it so well organized it is easy to put your hands on what you want even with one sleepy eye shut.
It does not take much to make this small room look cluttered and even make you wonder about its cleanliness. Since a bathroom can get disorganized and cluttered quickly, it is important to have a plan for how you want to use this place and how you want it to look. Keep clutter to a minimum.
Before working in this area have a clear vision of how you want it to look and the purpose (other than the obvious) of this area. Is it large enough to store bathroom linens? Is there room for backup rolls of toilet paper or paper towels? Is there a place to put a basket for reading material? If not, then have a plan to put these items elsewhere rather than crowding your bathroom.
It seems like every bathroom is different. Look at the storage space you have available. Think about what is used daily in the bathroom zone. Use the medicine cabinet, drawers, shelves, or space under your sink to only store the items that are used here regularly.
Keep the countertop as clear as possible. This makes for an easier clean up and slows down clutter build up. We all know that clutter attracts clutter.
Keep like items together in baskets, bins, or caddies. For example, I have a small basket that holds the make-up I use on a regular basis. I grab that basket and put it on the counter when making up and them return the items to the basket and put it out of sight. The medicine cabinet can store toothpaste, other dental supplies, deodorant, cotton balls, etc. Hair dryers, curling irons, gels, sprays, and other hair items might be in a caddy under the sink. An extra roll of toilet paper and personal hygiene items could fit under the sink.
If your space is limited, you might also have a hanging bag on the back of your door for storage or place shelves above the toilet. If you have drawers or shelves, designate an area or drawer for like items. One drawer might hold everyday make-up. Another drawer might hold hair products. Do not overcrowd the drawers. You don’t want a tangled mess.
Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and a washcloth may be stored inside your shower or tub. There are shower caddies that fit over the door of your shower or over the shower head.
As you sort your like items together, consolidate partial bottles and get rid of any items you are no longer using or are past their expiration date.
Medicines are best not stored in hot, humid bathrooms. Think about when and where you take the meds and place them in a container near that spot. I have my meds and supplements in a container in my kitchen pantry. If you have little ones about, make sure all meds are secure. First aid items can also be stored in bins in a linen closet or in the kitchen area.
If you are lucky enough to have a linen closet, keep extra towels, cosmetics, soaps, lotions, and cleaning supplies there. This is also where you can store the extra toilet paper and hygiene items. As you organize, be ruthless about throwing out items like that free sample in foil that came in the mail. You don’t need 5 partial bottles of shampoo, 6 sample soaps, or the items you took from hotels.
When you have your bathroom organized and decluttered, it will be so much easier to maintain. work on a maintenance schedule to keep it under control. Then the next time you revisit this zone, it will be an easier process.