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Decluttering the Bathroom

Updated on September 18, 2019
Virginia Allain profile image

Minimalism is catching on, and I'm excited about streamlining. I'm sharing what I've learned about decluttering and simplifying our lives.

A designer bathroom in the Solivita model homes (Central Florida). Our bathroom can be a soothing retreat, but all that clutter we have is less than relaxing.
A designer bathroom in the Solivita model homes (Central Florida). Our bathroom can be a soothing retreat, but all that clutter we have is less than relaxing. | Source

Bring Order out of Chaos

Time to declutter! Over the months, the bathroom storage gets totally overloaded. We keep adding to it and all those creams, lotions, and personal products start to overflow.

Often several people or even a whole family shares the space and it needs to work for us instead of making us crazy each day. Trying to get ready for school or work is harder when everything is a jumble.

Here are some tips for clearing out the excess and organizing the what you really need. You'll find your morning routine going a lot more smoothly once you organize the bathroom drawers and make better use of what space you have.

Wouldn't You Love Your Bathroom to Look Sleek and Uncluttered Like This?

It takes a combination of clearing out the excess and using storage options to make it happen. Keep reading down the page for how to do this.
It takes a combination of clearing out the excess and using storage options to make it happen. Keep reading down the page for how to do this. | Source

I'm Guessing That Your Bathroom Doesn't Look Like the Picture Above

So you are here to get some organizing tips and find some storage solutions. Don't feel lonely, there are thousands of people frustrated with their cluttered bathrooms, maybe it is even millions of people.

Does Your Undersink Storage Look Like This?

How can you find anything with it all jammed in together like this? Let's get organized.
How can you find anything with it all jammed in together like this? Let's get organized. | Source

How Bad Is the Clutter in Your Bathroom?

Vote in the Poll

See results

Look at How Much This Rack Holds!

Here's a peek under my sink. I find this holds a tremendous amount and make it easy to find what you need. Best of all, I can get to the stuff in the very back of the cabinet without getting on my hands and knees and sticking my head in.
Here's a peek under my sink. I find this holds a tremendous amount and make it easy to find what you need. Best of all, I can get to the stuff in the very back of the cabinet without getting on my hands and knees and sticking my head in. | Source

Pull-Out Storage for Under the Sink

I have a similar pull-out under my sink. It's amazing how much these hold and you don't have to crawl under there to find it. Just slide out the drawer and everything is right at hand.

It also gives you double the space because before everything was on one level under the sink. With this, you have 2 levels and twice the space.

Quit Binge Buying Toiletries

Make a real effort to stick with one product until you use it up. Switching to new shampoo, new nail polish, etc. every few weeks just uses up your money and you end up with dozens of 3/4ths full products. Talk about being wasteful...

Trash Bad Products And Recycle the Containers

Cheryl W. advised, "As a beauty professional, my advice would be to empty the contents of the bottles, creams and lotions, right into the trash and throw away. Then rinse out the bottles and put in with your recycling. The tiny bit of cream or lotion that you will be rinsing out should not cause any problems for your septic system. All those types of products are water soluble."

Other Uses for Unwanted Shampoo

Sometimes you just don't like a product, so the bottle sit there growing old and taking up space. Take that shampoo to the laundry room and use it to spot clean a shirt before tossing it into the wash. It's great for ring-around-the-collar too.

Swap Unwanted Products with Friends

Guidelines for safe swapping

  • DON"T trade personal products like lipstick or eyelash thickener. These get contaminated.
  • DO swap shampoo or similar products that you've lost interest in. Your friends get to try new products and save money and so do you.

A Cheaper Way to Organize Bathroom Clutter

Take a fresh look at plastic trays that come with various products and foods. Before you toss these, consider if they will work as storage trays.  The long tray is probably the better choice. Some are too flimsy but you'll find many sturdy ones.
Take a fresh look at plastic trays that come with various products and foods. Before you toss these, consider if they will work as storage trays. The long tray is probably the better choice. Some are too flimsy but you'll find many sturdy ones. | Source
Save plastic or metal lids or containers to sort your cosmetics into. These are free and you keep them out of the landfill. Here's how it looks in one of my drawers. Best of all, I can see what I want at a glance, since it separates products by type.
Save plastic or metal lids or containers to sort your cosmetics into. These are free and you keep them out of the landfill. Here's how it looks in one of my drawers. Best of all, I can see what I want at a glance, since it separates products by type. | Source

If you're short on drawer space, use a shoe organizer on the bathroom door to hold brushes, combs, hair products, etc. (tip from Teresa M.)

Are You Holding on to Too Much?

Here's the shampoo bottles and soaps from umpteen hotel stays. Now really, when am I going to use these all up?
Here's the shampoo bottles and soaps from umpteen hotel stays. Now really, when am I going to use these all up? | Source

Put the Excess Toiletries to Good Use

I saw a great suggestion for putting the little soaps, shampoo, conditioner and hand cream into a zipped baggie. Keep a few of these with you in your car. If you see a homeless person, you can give them the bag of useful items. Maybe add a few dollars so they can get some food too.

How Many People Share Your Bathroom?

Vote in the Poll

See results

Tips for Shared Bathroom Space

College students in dorms with shared bathrooms used to put their toiletries in a plastic open tote. This was kept in their room so it was easy to grab when heading for the shower. Everything was together and not forgotten.

This idea can work for families sharing a bathroom. Have each child keep a tote in their room with their bathroom toiletries. When they are getting ready for school each morning, they take their tote to the bathroom and then return it to their room once they are done.

Group Similar Things Together

Grouping
Include These Items
Dental
toothbrushes, floss, toothpaste, mouthwash, dental picks
Hair Care
brushes, shampoo, conditioner, clips/scrunchies, scissors, hair dryers, curlers, hair coloring
Hair Removal
waxes, shavers, razors, dipilitories
Foot Care
clippers, sanders, foot creams
Nail Care
clippers, polishes, buffers
Eye Care
eye drops, contact lens solutions, contact lens cases, reserve eyeglasses, glasses cleaning cloths
First Aid
bandaids, gauze, wraps, antibiotic ointment,

Avoid Future Bathroom Clutter By Restricting What You Buy

A tube of lipstick, bottle of shampoo and some sunscreen may not seem that costly, but the price of cosmetics and toiletries may be hurting your efforts to balance the budget. Here's how to save money on these daily-use cosmetics and toiletries.

  1. Don't buy any more until you assess what you currently have on hand. Rummage under the bathroom sink and other places that you stash such supplies. Get it all out and spread it on the counter.

  2. Some of these cosmetics were tried once, then shoved out of sight. There's still plenty left in most of them. Give it another chance. Maybe you'll like that shade of lipstick better this time. Maybe that hand lotion works fine once you get used to the scent.

  3. Step3

    Use up the remnants of hand and body lotions that might have thickened up a little too much over time. Just squirt a bit of baby oil into the container and shake it up. Usually, that makes it free-flowing again so you can use it up.

  4. Put a shampoo that you really don't like into the laundry room. Use it to take out spots or remove ring-around-the-collar. Those collar rings are caused by body oils, so a shampoo works fine for it.

  5. Collect together the usable items that you know you'll never finish. Have a swap with some friends for products they bought but didn't care for. This works for toiletries like bottles of shampoo, sunscreen, and lotions. Do not swap cosmetics that have touched you (eyelash thickener or lipstick). There's too much risk of infection to trade those.

Tips & Warnings

  • After doing this, you'll find that you've saved some dollars on cosmetics and toiletries. A side benefit is cleaning out the clutter in the bathroom.

You Won't Believe How Organized This Woman's Bathroom Is (YouTube Video)

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2014 Virginia Allain

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