Step-by-Step Declutter
  • Home
  • About Sheri
    • Contact
    • Services >
      • FAQ
      • The Organization Process
      • Packages & Plans
      • Presentations
      • Results
      • Why Hire an Organizer?
  • Organization Basics
    • Declutter Your Home >
      • Basics of Home Organization
      • Household Cleaning Schedule
      • Tips for a Quick Declutter
    • Basics of Decluttering >
      • 4 T's of Decluttering
      • Clutter vs Decor
      • Coming to Terms with Your Clutter Personality
      • Conquer Clutter
      • Principles of Organization
      • The Proven Process for Organizing Everything
      • Purge Like a Pro
      • Rules for Decluttering
      • Steps to Declutter
      • Systems for Decluttering
    • Organizing by Room >
      • Bathroom >
        • Bathroom Storage Solutions
        • DIY Bathroom Wall Storage
        • Declutter Hair Accessories
        • Declutter Your Makeup
        • Declutter Your Medicine Cabinet
      • Bedroom >
        • Bedroom Storage Solutions
        • How to Declutter Clothing
        • How to Organize Your Closet
      • Entry
      • Home Office >
        • Declutter Your Files
      • Kids' Rooms >
        • Toy Storage Tips
        • Toy Storage Options
        • Maintaining Kids' Rooms
      • Kitchen >
        • Primary Kitchen Work Zones
        • Secondary Kitchen Work Zones
        • Movable Kitchen Storage
        • How to Declutter Kitchen Cabinets
        • How to Organize Kitchen Cabinets
        • Kitchen Cabinet Space Savers
        • How to Declutter a Refrigerator
        • Tips for Organizing a Refrigerator
        • Meal Planning
        • How to Organize Recipes
      • Pantry >
        • Pantry Inspiration
    • Storage Solutions >
      • Assessing Your Storage Needs
      • How to Create a Whole House Storage Plan
      • Storage Kits
      • Storage Unit Dos and Don'ts: An Organizer's Perspective
    • Information Management >
      • How to Establish an Information Management System
      • Declutter Papers
      • How to Organize with Lists
      • Deciding What Paperwork to Keep
    • Family >
      • How to Raise an Organized Child
      • Teaching Kids to Work
    • Productivity >
      • Stop Procrastinating and Declutter
      • The Myths of Multitasking
      • 7 Strategies for Single Tasking
    • Lifestyle >
      • College Prep >
        • College Packing List
        • Dorm Room Essentials
        • What Not to Take to College
      • Holiday Planning >
        • Declutter Your Holidays
        • Clutter-free Gift Giving
        • Give the Best Gifts
        • Organize Your Gift Giving
      • Preparing for Transition >
        • Aging with Grace and Purpose >
          • Estate Planning
          • Organizing for Alzheimer's Disease
        • Adult Children
      • Travel Planning >
        • Air Travel with Kids
        • Sightseeing with Kids
        • Tips for Care-free Travel
        • Traveling with Kids
    • Moving >
      • Creating a Household Inventory
      • Organize Your Move
      • Planning for a Move
      • Moving Options
      • Prepare for Movers
      • Working with Movers
      • Tips for Packing
      • Tips for Unpacking
  • Resources
    • Books >
      • Moving Made Easy
    • Free Organization Printables
    • Challenges >
      • Get Rid of 100 Things in 100 Days
    • Product Recommendations >
      • Organization Gems Every Girl Needs
      • 12 Amazing Organization Products for Men
      • Fabulous Farmhouse Storage Solutions
      • Crazy Cool Products That Will Make You Want to Clean
      • Best Board Games for Beating Boredom
    • Donate Your Stuff >
      • Donate Books
      • Donate Clothes
      • Donate Craft Supplies
      • Donate DVDs & More
      • Donate or Recycle Electronics
      • Donate Furniture
      • Donate Musical Instruments
      • Donate School Supplies
      • Donate Sports Equipment
      • Donate Used Toys
    • Recycling Resources
    • Sell Your Stuff >
      • Garage Sale Organization
    • Swap Your Stuff
    • Setting Goals
    • Tools for Organizing >
      • Furniture >
        • Organize with Dressers
      • Wall Storage >
        • Organize with Pegboards
        • Personalized Pegboards
  • Blog

Bathroom Storage Solutions


Get the Most Out of Your Bathroom Storage

Bathroom storage is like chocolate – you can never have too much of it.  Given the nature of the bathroom’s function, namely grooming, it must provide storage for numerous tools and toiletries.  The more people who use the bathroom, the more stuff there is to store.  The trouble is, storage space can be hard to come by.  The average size of a full bath in the United States is less than 50 square feet.  Take away the space occupied by the fixtures (tub, toilet, shower/bathtub) and you’re not left with much in the way of bathroom storage space.  

Newer homes trend toward more spacious, spa-like bathrooms, but many of us (perhaps even the majority) are faced with tight spaces and inadequate storage.  Of the 18 homes I’ve lived in as an adult, I can count on one hand the number of them that had a bathroom with cupboards or drawers.  Most had pedestal sinks and a medicine cabinet (and that was it).  
Until recently we were living in the Middle East in a lovely, spacious villa with five full bathrooms and a half bath.  With all those bathrooms, you might assume that we had tons of storage space at our disposal, but not one of them had an ounce of built-in storage (not even a medicine cabinet). 
As renters, remodeling is obviously not an option.  So what can be done to increase the bathroom’s storage capacity?  Quite a bit, actually.  I will focus here on simple, changeable bathroom storage solutions that will increase your bathroom’s storage potential without significantly impacting your budget or requiring construction. 

Fill the Nooks and Crannies


Look around your bathroom in search of unused space.  Are there any nooks, crannies, alcoves, recesses or niches with untapped storage potential?  Most toiletries and other bathroom accessories are narrow in nature.  A space doesn’t have to be deep to be useful for storage.  Here are some suggestions for ways to reclaim open spaces in your bathroom for storage. 
  • Fill an alcove with built-in shelves.
  • Find a commercial over-the-toilet storage unit or create your own.
  • Add a skirt around the base of a pedestal sink to hide necessities out-of-site yet close at hand.
  • Search for the perfect furniture piece to fill an empty alcove or recess in the bathroom.   Dressers are a nice option if you've got the space.   Other options include bookcases, hutches, armoires, storage cabinets, reclaimed wall lockers, rolling carts or étagères (open shelving units). 
When it comes to utilizing every inch of available space for bathroom storage, I've used the following:
  • Tiered baskets (hanging from a metal frame with wheels)
  • Old wooden crates stacked on top of each other
  • A wicker stand with baskets for drawers
  • Stack-able metal shoe bins we got for free from a Sears store that was getting rid of them
  • An over-the-toilet storage unit
  • Various étagères
  • Inexpensive IKEA night stands
  • Various wall shelves
 
As you can see, the possibilities are endless! 
​
Picture
Picture

Storage Shopping Tips


When searching for a storage solution for the bathroom:
  • Measure the space available before you purchase any sort of storage
  • Make sure the material you choose will hold up to the heat and humidity of the bathroom

Utilize Wall Space


Wall shelves are an inexpensive and versatile way to add bathroom storage.   You can buy ready-made shelves or build your own.  You can find shelves in a variety of materials and styles to coordinate with your décor. 
  • Cubbies or cubes hung on the wall are both fun and functional as storage. 
  • Baskets, bins or decorative metal buckets can be hung from towel rods using S hooks to create a unique and attractive storage solution. 
  • Speaking of hooks, they’re not just for towels and bathrobes.  Hang a stylish basket, bin, bucket or even a sturdy canvas bag from a decorative hook for a simple storage solution. 
Picture

Make the Most of Cupboard and Drawer Space


Taking the time to organize closed bathroom storage will do wonders to free up space and maximize storage potential.  Before you can organize, though, it’s important to declutter your bathroom cabinets and drawers.  Here are some suggestions to help you maximize your existing storage space:
  • Use small cardboard boxes (like the kind jewelry comes in), egg cartons, ice cube trays, muffin tins, desk organizers, small plastic bins, or other organizers to keep the contents of drawers orderly. 
  • Use a lazy Susan to store various skin and hair care products.  It keeps everything within easy reach so you don’t have to move six things to get to the one thing you’re looking for. 
  • Use helper shelves and other cupboard organizers to allow you to stack items within the cabinet while still maintaining easy access to everything. 
  • Use the inside of cabinet doors for hanging small items. ​
Picture

Look for Attractive Bathroom Storage Solutions


Ideally you want your bathroom to be both functional and beautiful.  It can be challenging to achieve this goal in a clutter-prone environment.  Try implementing these tips to create attractive bathroom storage solutions.
  • Whenever possible store all the awkwardly shaped, oversized, and unsightly items out of sight in a cupboard or drawer. 
  • Save the exposed storage for the pretty stuff (decorative soaps, sea sponges, bath salts, plush towels, etc.).
  • Choose storage containers that are attractive.  Look for pretty baskets and bins to store your bathroom gear and transform it from mundane to marvelous.
  • Whenever possible choose opaque containers so that the container is what’s visible and not the contents unless, of course, the contents are pretty. 
  • Corral loose stuff.  Nothing says clutter like a jumble of mismatched bottles of hair and skin care products scattered across the bathroom counter.  Contain them in open baskets or bins.  Group items according to type.  Have a basket for hair care, one for skin care, one for nail care, and so forth. 
  • Introduce a variety of textures in the form of storage.  Bathrooms are by nature sort of cold and hard – lots of tile, porcelain, metal, and glass.  Warm up the space by adding texture in the form of wicker baskets or shelving units, wooden boxes or shelves, fabrics (curtains, towels, bath mats, shower curtains, canvas bins), metal bins or boxes, and so on. 
Picture
Whatever your bathroom storage challenges may be, I hope these bathroom storage solutions will be helpful.  If you know someone who would benefit from these tips, please share this page on social media. Then leave me a comment in the section below so I can thank you personally. 
Picture
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About Sheri
    • Contact
    • Services >
      • FAQ
      • The Organization Process
      • Packages & Plans
      • Presentations
      • Results
      • Why Hire an Organizer?
  • Organization Basics
    • Declutter Your Home >
      • Basics of Home Organization
      • Household Cleaning Schedule
      • Tips for a Quick Declutter
    • Basics of Decluttering >
      • 4 T's of Decluttering
      • Clutter vs Decor
      • Coming to Terms with Your Clutter Personality
      • Conquer Clutter
      • Principles of Organization
      • The Proven Process for Organizing Everything
      • Purge Like a Pro
      • Rules for Decluttering
      • Steps to Declutter
      • Systems for Decluttering
    • Organizing by Room >
      • Bathroom >
        • Bathroom Storage Solutions
        • DIY Bathroom Wall Storage
        • Declutter Hair Accessories
        • Declutter Your Makeup
        • Declutter Your Medicine Cabinet
      • Bedroom >
        • Bedroom Storage Solutions
        • How to Declutter Clothing
        • How to Organize Your Closet
      • Entry
      • Home Office >
        • Declutter Your Files
      • Kids' Rooms >
        • Toy Storage Tips
        • Toy Storage Options
        • Maintaining Kids' Rooms
      • Kitchen >
        • Primary Kitchen Work Zones
        • Secondary Kitchen Work Zones
        • Movable Kitchen Storage
        • How to Declutter Kitchen Cabinets
        • How to Organize Kitchen Cabinets
        • Kitchen Cabinet Space Savers
        • How to Declutter a Refrigerator
        • Tips for Organizing a Refrigerator
        • Meal Planning
        • How to Organize Recipes
      • Pantry >
        • Pantry Inspiration
    • Storage Solutions >
      • Assessing Your Storage Needs
      • How to Create a Whole House Storage Plan
      • Storage Kits
      • Storage Unit Dos and Don'ts: An Organizer's Perspective
    • Information Management >
      • How to Establish an Information Management System
      • Declutter Papers
      • How to Organize with Lists
      • Deciding What Paperwork to Keep
    • Family >
      • How to Raise an Organized Child
      • Teaching Kids to Work
    • Productivity >
      • Stop Procrastinating and Declutter
      • The Myths of Multitasking
      • 7 Strategies for Single Tasking
    • Lifestyle >
      • College Prep >
        • College Packing List
        • Dorm Room Essentials
        • What Not to Take to College
      • Holiday Planning >
        • Declutter Your Holidays
        • Clutter-free Gift Giving
        • Give the Best Gifts
        • Organize Your Gift Giving
      • Preparing for Transition >
        • Aging with Grace and Purpose >
          • Estate Planning
          • Organizing for Alzheimer's Disease
        • Adult Children
      • Travel Planning >
        • Air Travel with Kids
        • Sightseeing with Kids
        • Tips for Care-free Travel
        • Traveling with Kids
    • Moving >
      • Creating a Household Inventory
      • Organize Your Move
      • Planning for a Move
      • Moving Options
      • Prepare for Movers
      • Working with Movers
      • Tips for Packing
      • Tips for Unpacking
  • Resources
    • Books >
      • Moving Made Easy
    • Free Organization Printables
    • Challenges >
      • Get Rid of 100 Things in 100 Days
    • Product Recommendations >
      • Organization Gems Every Girl Needs
      • 12 Amazing Organization Products for Men
      • Fabulous Farmhouse Storage Solutions
      • Crazy Cool Products That Will Make You Want to Clean
      • Best Board Games for Beating Boredom
    • Donate Your Stuff >
      • Donate Books
      • Donate Clothes
      • Donate Craft Supplies
      • Donate DVDs & More
      • Donate or Recycle Electronics
      • Donate Furniture
      • Donate Musical Instruments
      • Donate School Supplies
      • Donate Sports Equipment
      • Donate Used Toys
    • Recycling Resources
    • Sell Your Stuff >
      • Garage Sale Organization
    • Swap Your Stuff
    • Setting Goals
    • Tools for Organizing >
      • Furniture >
        • Organize with Dressers
      • Wall Storage >
        • Organize with Pegboards
        • Personalized Pegboards
  • Blog