Organizing the Bathroom
The bathroom is often the smallest room in the house, yet it works possibly even harder than the kitchen. It’s where we rush through morning routines and where we (hopefully) unwind at the end of the day. But it’s hard to feel zen when you’re digging through a graveyard of expired sunscreen and half-empty shampoo bottles just to find your toothpaste.
At Simplified Home, we believe your bathroom should feel like a sanctuary, not a storage unit. Here is our step-by-step guide to reclaiming your space.
1. Time to Purge
Before you buy a single acrylic bin or fun organizing tool, you have to face the clutter. You will need to face every drawer and cabinet, and if you have stuff filling your bathtub as well, you are not alone! Here are a few categories that can be fairly easy to get rid of to start off the process.
Check Expiration Dates: Sunscreen, makeup, and skincare products have shelf lives. If the texture has changed or the smell is "off," toss it. Many times there are no expiration dates on these things but usually you can tell visually if it looks old. If you don’t remember when you got it, it is old! If it looks kind of old and it is still around, that means you don’t use it. If you don’t use it, it should go.
If you don’t like it, let it go: There are often things we buy that we think we will like but we just don’t. Saving them isn’t going to make us like it more, it just reminds us of how we spent money on something and then didn’t use it. Make a mental, or physical, note not to buy it again and let it go.
Consolidate: If you have three bottles of the same lotion with 10% left in each, combine them or commit to using one up before opening a new one.
A few thoughts on paring down bathroom items. Even clients who are pretty good about letting go of items they don’t need can have a blind spot for toiletries. I think it is pretty common to buy a new product that you are excited to try and use it as soon as you purchase it. You don’t immediately throw away the product you had been using because you aren't sure how you will like the new one and even if you do decide you like the new product, it seems wasteful to just throw the old one when it is perfectly good. Before long you are trying yet another product and the previous ones just hang out in the drawer or under the sink. Eventually you end up with dozens of products that do essentially the same thing and half the time you don’t even remember what you liked and didn’t like! This pattern can be repeated with hair products, skincare, makeup, etc. If you are trying to organize a bathroom I would recommend starting off fresh and getting rid of all of the products you no longer use. It is wasteful, but if you are holding on to them but not using them, they are still being wasted. It is also important to remember that the money has already been spent. Hanging on to something you are not going to use does not bring the money back.
2. Categorize by Routine
The secret to a functional bathroom is zoning. Group your items based on when and how you use them for example your zones may look like this:
3. Maximize Your Real Estate
Some bathrooms can be limited in storage so we often have to get creative with vertical and hidden areas.
Utilize the "Dead Space"
The area under the sink is notorious for being a "black hole" because of the plumbing. Use expandable shelving units, or drawer units to work around the pipes.
Think Vertically
Over-the-door racks: Perfect for hair tools or extra towels. Can be used over the door to the bathroom or over a cabinet door
Decorative shelves: Great for glass jars filled with cotton rounds or Q-tips, hand towels or washclothes—functional decor!
Keep in mind: There are lots of gadgets available to help maximize the space but none will be as economical or as streamlined as having less!
Containerize and Label
Containers, especially clear, can help you to be able to find what you need and realize when you are running low on something. And of course labels always help keep things orderly!
4. Maintenance is Key
This is one of those times where it is very important to change your habits or the cycle will repeat itself. Resist the temptation to open a new product until the one you are using is gone, or at least mostly gone. If you like the new product better, throw away that last little bit of the one you don’t like as well.
One in one out is also a good rule of thumb to keep in mind. Usually bathroom organization can be maintained pretty easily until you start bringing extra items in. That can be the beginning of the end of your system.
Transforming your bathroom from a cluttered catch-all into a streamlined sanctuary doesn't require a massive renovation—it just requires a little intentionality. By purging the products that no longer serve you and creating dedicated zones for your routines, you’re not just cleaning a room; you’re reclaiming your time and peace of mind every morning and night.
