Organizing Your Bathroom Cabinets
Can you find what you need quickly when you open your bathroom drawers or is everything a jumble? Most of the time, items land in your bathroom drawers without preplanning. Thinking about how you use your bathroom and the routines you do every day is an exercise that really helps you maintain order in the bathroom.
Once you have taken a tally of what you actually do every morning and every evening, you can begin to organize the tools you need to complete each task. Are the items you use regularly in a convenient location?
Ok, brace for yourself for a little bit of momentary chaos. If you are really serious about taking control of your bathroom sundries, start by taking everything out of your drawers. As you take things out, separate them into groups.
The groups you choose should mimic your daily routines. For instance, as a man, every morning you use your toothpaste (let's hope!), shave crme and razor, facial cleanser, sunscreen, comb and hair gel. Start by finding and placing all of these tools into one pile. Your routine each evening before bed, might require the use of your toothpaste and cleanser, but now also use dental floss and moisturizer. Separate these items out of the mix.
Now, you probably have found old packs of gum, halfway dissolved pills and a few loose coins. Toss the trash and keep the coins. Please don't throw out money even if it is only a penny, it is bad for the environment and others can actually use it. You might consider finding a small box or bowl to toss loose change into every evening and placing it where you normally take off your clothes at the end of the day. This is also a great place to store your wallet and keys and perhaps even the phone charger. We are getting off track, so let's head back to the bathroom!
Returning to your sorting process there will always be items that you can't find a category for. Make quick decisions to either group them together in a random category or place each one with the most similar items you have found.
It is now time to begin to place items back into your drawers. Make sure to put the most frequently used items in the top two drawers or most easily accessible space.
This method is considered storing by function not by 'like with like' and, in my opinion, works well for daily routines. There are many other methods you can employ to organize your bathroom. Take this advice or create your own system; the main idea is to have a system and not random landing zones in your bathroom.
If you only have a sink on a stand and no cabinets attached, you have a bit more of a challenge than someone with drawers. You are going to need to get really creative and look all around this room for open space. When you inherit a bathroom without cabinets, it is typically very small. This is an instance where using every inch of vertical space becomes a necessity. Look up and scan for areas where you can hag wall cabinets or shelves. Can you hang baskets from the ceiling so you have quick access to items you need when you are the sink?
If you don't have any wall space by the sink, there is always space above the commode. Use a pre-made toilet shelf or install several shelves above. If you have a recessed area, consider going wall to wall with your shelves for maximum storage. Hang as many as possible about 12 inches apart and at least 12 inches deep. If you can squeeze in18" deep shelves, you can also easily use this area for towels, washcloths etc.
Women who inherit this type of bathroom with a pedestal sink are the hardest hit. A basket or container that can be placed on the sink in the morning might have t suffice. Finding a small shelf or table that fits in between the sink and the wall might also become a good solution.
Makeup is another challenge. You can get a rolling cart that might fit somewhere within the bathroom (under lip of sink and between sink and wall?) so you can roll it in during your morning routine and back in when you are done. If this does not work, consider a basket with a handle that you can place on the sink pedestal while in use and store on a shelf in-between uses. If applying makeup in you bathroom is too difficult, don't give up, there is no law that says you have to put on make-up in your bathroom! You might be graced with a large walk-in closet or a large dresser. If this is the case, create an area with good lighting and do your makeup there. You might also consider setting up a hair zone there as well to make it a one-stop shop in the morning!
The main point of organizing any space is to save time and energy and there is no better place to start than in your bathroom. Get energized and streamline your bathroom routine so you can spend more time having fun!
Once you have taken a tally of what you actually do every morning and every evening, you can begin to organize the tools you need to complete each task. Are the items you use regularly in a convenient location?
Ok, brace for yourself for a little bit of momentary chaos. If you are really serious about taking control of your bathroom sundries, start by taking everything out of your drawers. As you take things out, separate them into groups.
The groups you choose should mimic your daily routines. For instance, as a man, every morning you use your toothpaste (let's hope!), shave crme and razor, facial cleanser, sunscreen, comb and hair gel. Start by finding and placing all of these tools into one pile. Your routine each evening before bed, might require the use of your toothpaste and cleanser, but now also use dental floss and moisturizer. Separate these items out of the mix.
Now, you probably have found old packs of gum, halfway dissolved pills and a few loose coins. Toss the trash and keep the coins. Please don't throw out money even if it is only a penny, it is bad for the environment and others can actually use it. You might consider finding a small box or bowl to toss loose change into every evening and placing it where you normally take off your clothes at the end of the day. This is also a great place to store your wallet and keys and perhaps even the phone charger. We are getting off track, so let's head back to the bathroom!
Returning to your sorting process there will always be items that you can't find a category for. Make quick decisions to either group them together in a random category or place each one with the most similar items you have found.
It is now time to begin to place items back into your drawers. Make sure to put the most frequently used items in the top two drawers or most easily accessible space.
This method is considered storing by function not by 'like with like' and, in my opinion, works well for daily routines. There are many other methods you can employ to organize your bathroom. Take this advice or create your own system; the main idea is to have a system and not random landing zones in your bathroom.
If you only have a sink on a stand and no cabinets attached, you have a bit more of a challenge than someone with drawers. You are going to need to get really creative and look all around this room for open space. When you inherit a bathroom without cabinets, it is typically very small. This is an instance where using every inch of vertical space becomes a necessity. Look up and scan for areas where you can hag wall cabinets or shelves. Can you hang baskets from the ceiling so you have quick access to items you need when you are the sink?
If you don't have any wall space by the sink, there is always space above the commode. Use a pre-made toilet shelf or install several shelves above. If you have a recessed area, consider going wall to wall with your shelves for maximum storage. Hang as many as possible about 12 inches apart and at least 12 inches deep. If you can squeeze in18" deep shelves, you can also easily use this area for towels, washcloths etc.
Women who inherit this type of bathroom with a pedestal sink are the hardest hit. A basket or container that can be placed on the sink in the morning might have t suffice. Finding a small shelf or table that fits in between the sink and the wall might also become a good solution.
Makeup is another challenge. You can get a rolling cart that might fit somewhere within the bathroom (under lip of sink and between sink and wall?) so you can roll it in during your morning routine and back in when you are done. If this does not work, consider a basket with a handle that you can place on the sink pedestal while in use and store on a shelf in-between uses. If applying makeup in you bathroom is too difficult, don't give up, there is no law that says you have to put on make-up in your bathroom! You might be graced with a large walk-in closet or a large dresser. If this is the case, create an area with good lighting and do your makeup there. You might also consider setting up a hair zone there as well to make it a one-stop shop in the morning!
The main point of organizing any space is to save time and energy and there is no better place to start than in your bathroom. Get energized and streamline your bathroom routine so you can spend more time having fun!
About the Author:
Chia Trams is an expert author, professional organizer and image consultant she ia also a contributing author for addspacetoyourlife.com .