These bathroom organization ideas are essential for maximizing the potential of your bathroom. For most of us, our bathrooms are the smallest rooms in the home, and they're one of the rooms that we are guaranteed to use multiple times a day without fail. So it's no surprise that we're looking to amplify every inch of the space we've got.
Whether you've got the whole bathroom to yourself or you're sharing the shelves with your family or housemates, efficient bathroom storage ideas are key to a happy and functioning bathroom space.
Begin by considering what items you use most in your bathroom, and if there's anything you haven't used in a while, simply get rid. Center your system around these everyday items and you can't go far wrong.
We've chatted to some bathroom and organization experts to arm you with all you need to know to keep your haven happy, every day. Be prepared to put some of the best bathroom organizers to use, repurpose other storage accessories, and give your bathroom cabinets some TLC.
1. Categorize everything and declutter
The first step is taking everything out of your bathroom space and categorizing everything by use: hair, lotion, makeup, etc. People easily accumulate a lot of these items without realizing that a lot of products only have a shelf life of less than a year, so categorizing gives you chance to take stock.
Edward Jones, founder of HomeCareHow suggests taking the time to check the bottom of these items and it will show how long they last.
'I always write in a sharpie either expiration date or purchase date to be able to easily identify when products are no longer good,' adds Jones.
Weeding out anything your can't (or shouldn't) use anymore is a top decluttering tip and must be done before you can even think about storage,
2. Invest in a lazy susan
If you are short on drawer or cabinet space, don't overlook vertical shelving and counter space that you can use as bathroom storage. However to make sure you keep things uncluttered and easy to access, look to storage accessories that make it easy to sort and display your bathroom favorites.
'If you like to have certain products on the counter, use a lazy susan to keep items contained and appear more decorative than clutter laying on the counter,' she continues. Organizing your bathroom countertop is a sure way to keep your space feeling clear and calm and a lazy susan neatly collates your most-used items.
3. Use a bath caddy to display decorative items
If your shelves are the reserve of less-than-beautiful bathroom essentials, create a space that's especially for your best candles, ceramic jars, and glass vases. Baths are often the center of your space, so a bath caddy is the perfect place to display decorative items such as this.
Let your bath caddy become the stage from which you can chop and change you scheme, and scents, as the seasons come and go. A wooden design like this from Amazon is a classic that will go with any style bathroom.
4. Extend your storage with a trolley
A trolley is an easy way to create ample extra storage – but pack it full of random bits and bobs and it'll look more like an eye-sore than a stylish, practical addition.
We recommend choosing certain must-have products for each shelf and sticking to it. Why not use it for everyday items such as bathing products for the kids, toothbrushes in a pretty pot and a sponge or bath brush? It can be wheeled to a place of covenience at bath time, then stowed away.
To ensure a calming and relaxing space, avoid keeping brightly colored products out on your trolley, and instead make it the reserve of neutral pieces such as towels, brushes and jars.
5. Label baskets and bins
'Once all items have a home, the icing on the cake is to carefully label any bins and baskets so that you can easily identify where everything goes,' says Jones. 'Not only will this make your bathroom super functional, it will also be aesthetically pleasing where you will look forward to getting ready.'
These lovely boxes are screaming out for some good labels, in our opinion, but the beauty of clear storage is that even without labels, you know what is inside.
6. Take advantage of the inside of your doors
If you're looking for small bathroom storage ideas, consider gaining extra space by using the inside of your bathroom door. 'You can purchase over-the-door organizers to store small items such as deodorant, toothpaste, and shower gels,' explains Jones. 'Hooks are also ideal if you have cleaning cloths and face towels.'
This gives you so much extra storage space without taking up any more footprint, it's a win win.
7...and the inside of your cabinet doors
How handy is this?! Create a hair-styling station on the inside of your cabinet door with this nifty storage idea.
'By using your cabinet doors, you can easily access your items and hide them,' says Jones. You'll never have to search high and low for your hairbrush again.
8. Hang hooks to keep necessities within easy reach
If you've got an empty wall and you're trying to decide between extra storage and a decorative new addition, meet in the middle. Positioning horizontal hooks and then hanging baskets and bags (which you can use to house many an item) really gives you the best of both worlds.
We love how these matt black, modern hooks are positioned right next to the basin, meaning cosmetics, hair bobbles and the like are easily accessible. This small bathroom tile idea complements the modern design too.
9. Keep your most-used products at eye level
As a general rule when organizing your bathroom shelves, keep the items that you use every day nearest to eye level, so they're easy for you to find, grab, use and put back.
For items not used daily, place those items in lower drawers or higher shelves in a closet,' suggests Jones. Slightly more out of sight and out of mind.
10. Use drawer dividers
It can be easier to organize your drawers with the help of drawer dividers. 'A good set of drawer dividers can make it quicker to store your items and easier for you to find them,' explains Jones. 'You can use plastic or acrylic dividers to help you avoid storing items together or on top of each other.'
We love the warm tones of the wooden divider from Ikea, but for something easy to clean (and see through) check out The Container Store for loads of options.
11. Use toilet paper as decor!
Whether you’re trying to keep your small bathroom as clutter-free as possible or you’re using it for storing extra items, you never want to be in a situation where you run out of toilet paper and only realize once it's too late.
'To avoid embarrassment, keep an extra toilet paper roll or two near the toilet,' says Sherri Curley, Home Organizer and Founder of The Practical Sort. 'No vanity? Use a decorative basket or floating shelves within reach.'
12. Hide your trash
Curley also suggests stashing a small trash bin for sanitary supplies behind the toilet. 'If there’s scant room, look beyond traditional waste bins for a slim receptacle that can fit between the toilet and the wall (like this one from Wayfair) to tuck alongside the toilet brush,' she suggests.
13. Store your cosmetics separately
For tiny bathrooms or bathrooms that see many users, Curley suggests considering personal totes for shampoos, conditioners, haircare, deodorants, and fragrances and storing said totes in bedrooms or out in a communal space, such as in whatever hallway storage you have in place.
'Hallway shelves near the bathroom featuring decorative baskets can also serve as storage for personal care items or use decorative hooks to hang the baskets,' she suggests.
Storing your most used items in this way also makes for easy packing as you just have to grab your own wash bag and you can head off. These clear options from Calpak Travel are also airport-security friendly.
14. Consider floating shelves
If cabinet space is an issue, Elise Hay, founder of Organized Sanctuaries, suggests you consider installing floating shelves, adding baskets and boxes to keep things dust-free. This creates additional storage out of nothing and can actually look pretty aesthetically pleasing if you’re intentional about the baskets and storage you opt for.
15. Your bathroom is for bathing, not storing
Finally, Mel Carruthers, Founder of More Organised, points out that you don’t need to store all your beauty and self care items in the bathroom – one of each type of product is more than enough. The rest, she says, can be stored elsewhere in the home as “backstock”, ideally where you have more space such as in a linen closet or utility room.
'This way you can shop your own home when you need to replace a product which has run out,' she explains. 'The same goes with towels, additional toilet paper, etc.'
How do you organize a bathroom that has no drawers?
If your bathroom has no drawers, you need to find an alternative way to hide away your less-good-looking products. 'Clients always gravitate toward a spa-like feeling that you may find in a hotel and I always recommend recreating that same feeling in your own home,' explains Kim Jones, founder of Lock and Key Home.
Having lots of clutter on show is not likely to lead to a calming space, so you should look for other ways to include hidden storage in your space. This can include jute baskets, rattan boxes, or even decorative bags hung up on your walls. You may also need to rehome some items to other rooms to ensure your bathroom isn't overcrowded.
Where should towels be placed in a bathroom?
There are many different ways to store towels in a bathroom. An attractive option is to roll them up and store them vertically in jute or cotton baskets. You can usually pack at least five of these into a basket and they can double up as a stylish, spa-style design feature too.
If you have cupboard space under the sink, this can be a place to hide away your towel collection whilst keeping them always close to hand.
Towel rails are essential for allowing your towels to dry. Stylish towel rails like this from Amazon will become a sleek and decorative addition to your space whilst also being very practical.