Decluttering Your Bathroom is the Key to Redecorating

Clutter is the enemy of many homeowners. And yet, there are many times when it seems inevitable. The bathroom is one place in the home that seems like it could always use a little help when it comes to clutter and organization. Of course, if you’re like most people, you’ve probably tried to declutter in the past, only to find out that over time, it needs to be done again.

If you want to redecorate your bathroom on a dime or improve the look of the space without a lot of effort, decluttering can go a long way toward accomplishing that. It’s all a matter of knowing how to reduce the amount of stuff in the bathroom and what to do with the things that you need in there.

Table of Contents

How to Reduce Clutter in the Bathroom?
- Get Rid of Outdated Products
- Choose Smart Storage Solutions
How Can You Organize with Limited Storage Space?
What Are Some Organizational Tips and Tricks?
The Bottom Line
Resources

How to Reduce Clutter in the Bathroom?

If you’ve got the space, you could choose a large bathroom vanity for your bathroom. This will afford you a lot more storage space in the way of cabinets and drawers, and it will also provide more counter space where you can get things done without feeling like everything is on top of each other. Of course, in most bathrooms, size is a serious concern. Therefore, you may need to come up with better storage options and work a little harder, but it will come together if you are dedicated to the effort.

The first and most useful thing you can do is to get rid of all outdated or unused products taking up valuable storage space. Then, it’s all about choosing the best storage solutions and finding ways to not only reduce clutter but keep it gone for good.

Get Rid of Outdated Products

How many times have you checked the labels on the products in your bathroom? How many items can you count that you haven’t touched in years or that you don’t even know where they came from? Start looking at dates and consider what you actually use in the bathroom. Decade-old bandages might not seem like they take up much space, but if they’re right next to the outdated antibiotic ointment and the rollers that you haven’t used since the 80s, they’re part of the problem.

Get rid of it. When in doubt, throw it out, as they say. You can buy more soap, new shampoo, or another bath soaking scrub. Hoarding those gift sets from the holidays that no one really uses but everyone likes to give? Consider donating them to a shelter in your area or offer them up to your friends and family.

Choose Smart Storage Solutions

Once you’ve gotten rid of everything you don’t need, it’s time to find the best storage for the space you’re working with. Think about your vanity cabinet first and foremost. Whether you’re using your existing one or upgrading to a new model with more storage, you’ll want to consider how to maximize that storage space. Use bathroom-specific storage bins and containers that can organize hair products, toiletries, medicines, first aid products, etc.

If you have a large family, consider creating a storage caddy for each person. That gives everyone a dedicated space to store whatever they deem necessary and guarantees that it won’t be a free-for-all when it comes to organizing the bathroom space.

Clear containers make everything easy to see and keep things organized at the same time. If you want to free up wall space, consider hooks instead of towel bars. This may also allow you to hang more towels, which can be great for larger families.

There are a lot of smart storage options out there today for bathrooms. Take advantage of them. Read on for more tips on limited space and staying organized even after the major overhaul is done.

How Can You Organize with Limited Storage Space?

Perhaps you’re dealing with a tiny bathroom with limited storage space (let alone much else). If that’s the case, don’t despair. There are still plenty of ways that you can get, and stay, organized if you are willing to get creative and put in the work.

Over-the-door racks are great for hanging towels and robes. Plus, they don’t take up valuable wall space. Every bathroom has a door—maximize it when you can. You can even use over-the-door storage units to increase storage space for toiletries and give everyone their own dedicated cubby.

If you’re limited on horizontal space and vanity storage, consider going vertical. You can hang a cabinet over the toilet or install one of those over-the-toilet storage units. Consider adding shelves on the wall space that you do have for functional storage.

Another option that some people choose is to take most of the storage out of the bathroom. Keep the essentials—toiletries, shower and bath products, razors, brushes, etc. But get rid of the cleaning supplies, the extra towels and toilet paper, and other items that don’t need to be readily available.

Where should they go, you ask? Well, some people have a hall closet near their bathroom. That’s a great place to create a linen closet with bathroom storage. Perhaps you’ve got an office down the hall that has a closet no one uses—turn that into storage for all the stuff that doesn’t need to be in the bathroom 24/7 and free up tons of space.

Get creative and stay focused on the goal: maximum storage space and minimal clutter. To that end, here are a few more tips for organizing your bathroom, no matter what size space you’re dealing with.

What Are Some Organizational Tips and Tricks?

The bathroom is one place that can always use a little TLC. It seems like no matter how many times you try to organize that one drawer or get the cabinet in order so that you can find things, more stuff starts piling up and the organization goes right out the window. Doing it right the first time can help prevent that and encourage the entire family to take better care of the space.

Label everything. This makes it easy to find what you need, and it also ensures that everyone will know how to put things back where they go so that you never have that excuse again. Labels can even be a cute decorative touch to add something to the design.
Choose one organization method and stick with it. Too often, people take tips and insights from tons of different organizational strategies. That can make it hard to streamline things. You don’t need 200 different ways to organize your space. You just need one way that works.
Choose functional decor. Ladders, for example, are trending for stylish decor that also offers a storage solution. Most commonly, these have been showcased holding quilts and other blankets, but a smaller ladder could be a great towel rack and could even hold some storage bins to add more organization to the space.
Take everything out of the bathroom. This is the best way to organize any space. Instead of trying to just rearrange, completely empty the room first. Then, pick out what absolutely needs to go back in there and find a storage solution that works. Whatever doesn’t need to go back in will need to find a new home (even if it’s just the trash), so be sure to take care of that, too.
Bonus tip: While everything’s out of the bathroom, give it a good deep cleaning and get all the grime and debris off the shelves, out of drawers, etc.
Don’t forget to organize the shower and tub. This could be done with additional shelving or caddies that you can add so that you can keep everything that needs to be in the shower available. If you have a lot of products in the shower or tub, consider downsizing or storing items that aren’t used as often.
Maintenance is key. Too often, people spend a lot of time and effort on the organization of their bathroom only to find that after a few weeks, it’s back to a cluttered mess once again. You need to be diligent, keep everyone in the family accountable, and clean and declutter regularly if you want to maximize the bathroom space that you do have.
Keep the counters clear if you can. If you need to utilize counters for storage, use containers that are not only effective but stylish and blend with your decor. That way, you won’t feel like you’ve got all these products on the counter.

The Bottom Line

There’s a lot that can be done to help organize your bathroom, whether you’ve got room for all the storage that your space demands or not. If you get creative and take the time to think outside the box, you’ll find that you have plenty of different ways to create your perfect bathroom. Remember to get everything out first and then only put back what needs to go in.

Bathroom organization starts with choosing the right furniture and fixtures in the space. That includes your bathroom vanity, which should be stylish but also functional enough to fit the essentials that you need. Keep these tips in mind and you’ll find that your bathroom is a more relaxing, stress-free space.

My name is Julia Ritzenthaler, Founder and President of Unique Vanities, started in 2005. I started this business as an extension of our residential remodeling business, which focused on the design and build of custom cabinetry and architectural trim. I also worked as a financial advisor for 10 years at Ameriprise Financial, helping clients make sound money decisions, including budgeting for home improvement expenses. This expertise led me to start Unique Vanities, which offers a handpicked selection of high quality bathroom vanities, sinks, mirrors and more. You can find me most days sitting in Starbucks, my second office, or in my car driving my daughter across Dallas to gymnastics training.