When it comes to bathroom products, are you a minimalist or a maximalist? Is your skincare routine around 4-steps or more like 10-steps?
Personally, I am a minimalist. With a simple vanity and a small cabinet, I really don’t have a choice. I’m all about buying the simple products I love without trying too many new things. Every once in a while I’ll venture out and buy something new. Even if I don’t like it, I’ll use it until it’s gone (unless it’s irritating my skin of course).
To me, having less is better than organizing more. It takes less effort and upkeep, BUT I understand if you’re a product queen (or king). These are tips for everyone to help create order and take your bathroom from chaos to calm.
Take everything out
-Empty the drawers and cabinets. Have a closet in the bathroom? TAKE OUT EVERYTHING. As you’re pulling out products, toss items that are old, expired, almost empty, or never used. Purple Cow takes gently used or new bath products and passes them on to those experiencing homelessness. IRIS Domestic Abuse Shelter will also take bath products if you’re looking to downsize (especially travel-sized items). Help someone else while creating space for you and your family.
Pro-tip: I’ll leave you this quote from Peter Walsh “Inexpensive is not a good reason to buy something and expensive is not a good reason to keep something.”
Bath products can be expensive; don’t let the price of something guilt you into keeping it. Pass it on to a friend who may use it, but don’t keep anything out of guilt! Did someone give you a present of bath products and you hate the smell? Donate it! The gift was not meant to burden you: pass it on and create some space, hunny!
Sort the remaining items to categories
Sort the products you want to keep into like categories. Typical categories in the bathroom are face, hair, body, menstrual, shaving, etc.
Create a daily drawer
Take all of the products you use daily and put them together in the top drawer of your bathroom. No drawer? Purchase a basket that you can pull out each morning and night to implement your daily routines. Designate a space for this basket to live, either under the sink or in the bathroom closet. The goal is to keep the counters clear!
Purchase organizing products
I recommend plastic or acrylic organizing items for the bathroom because products tend to spill and they’re super easy to clean. Try acrylic inserts for drawers and stackable bins for under the sink. Make sure you measure twice before purchasing! Under the sink can be super tricky! Use bins or baskets to create zones for each of your categories. Open shelving? Definitely invest in some baskets to help “hide the ugly” and create a clutter-free visual. Finish off each bin with a label to help keep everything neat and tidy. I’ll be sharing my favorite bathroom products soon, so stay tuned!
Stop buying in bulk
If you don’t have the space for it. Hear me out….I have a very small bathroom, and I know that I cannot fit more than 12 rolls of toilet paper in my cabinet. I refuse to buy more and have to store it elsewhere in the house or just on the floor in my bathroom. In order to be organized, you have to live within your space. If you don’t have the space to buy in bulk, then don’t buy in bulk. Your peace of mind from an organized space is worth more than the pennies you will save buying in bulk.
Create a travel section
My clients always have tons of makeup bags, travel-sized shampoos, and product samples. What should you do with all these? Create a travel section! Next time you go on vacation, bring some of these items with you. Bonus points if you keep your toiletry bagged stocked at all times! Then it’s grab and go for your next adventure.
Bathrooms can be tough to organize depending on your space and habits. If you’re going through your items and wondering why you have so much, take a look at your buying habits. Are you randomly ordering products online? Do you stop by the make up section every time you enter Target? Do you buy in bulk and then buy more because you can’t find that shampoo and conditioner? Really think about your spending and buying habits, and try to eliminate the clutter before it enters your home.
Need more specific help on organizing your bathroom? Email you questions to sara@socoorganizers.com