Organizing the Bathroom Zone

The bathroom is one heavily used and often shared zone. The bathroom is usually one of the smaller rooms in your house and one of the easiest to overfill and clutter.

I reorganize and deep clean this zone once a year. It’s amazing what can accumulate over that year.

Our home has two bathrooms. One is off the main bedroom, and one is located off the hallway and is the one that guests use as well.

Know the Purpose

The first step in any room organizing project is to know the purpose (other than the obvious) of that area. How you use the room is often determined by the amount of space available for storage.

Do you use your bathroom for:

· Storage of towels and washcloths

· Storage of backup toiletries

· A basket of reading material

· Holding cleaning materials

· Just the basics that are used daily or weekly

Declutter

Once you determine how you are using this space, take away or declutter everything that does not belong. Be ruthless in eliminating items like the free samples in foil or items you kept from your last hotel stay. If your bathroom is small, store items that are not used daily or weekly in another location.

Containerize

Keep like things together in bins, baskets, or cadies. As you sort, get rid of products that have expired or products that you bought and no longer use.

If your items are in containers, it is easy to pull out the one container you need and then return that container to its storage area.

Container Examples:

· Everyday make-up

· Hair products

· Dental products

· Lotions and creams

· First aid

Store

Designate where each category will be stored. Free up the counter space. This makes for an easier clean up and slows down clutter build up. We all know that clutter attracts clutter.

· In a drawer

If you have drawers, 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. Use small containers to keep items separated within the broad categories – i.e all crunchies in one container and hair clips in another.

· On a shelf

Shelves would hold the same type items as drawers. Use containers to make it easier to contain the clutter and to grab what you need.

· Under the sink

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.

· In the medicine cabinet

The medicine cabinet can store toothpaste, other dental supplies, deodorant, cotton balls, etc. In spite of its name, 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.

· In the shower

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. You can also mount refillable bottles with soap, shampoo, or conditioner.

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.

Hang towels on hooks rather than bars. The hooks take up less room and the towels dry faster. Only use a bar for a couple of hand towels next to the sink.

Maintain

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 for a deep clean and reorganization, it will be an easier process.

If you are struggling with developing an organizational plan to declutter your space or just want some help or accountability in following through with a plan, join Diane Quintana and me in our Clear Space for You virtual support group.

Jonda S. Beattie, Professional Organizer owner of Time Space Organization, and co-owner of Release, Repurpose, Reorganize. She is based in the Metro-Atlanta area. As presenter, author of four books as well as a retired special education teacher she uses her listening skills, problem solving skills, knowledge of different learning techniques, ADHD specialty, and paper management skills to help clients.