Dear Kathi,
My bathroom is small and very disorganized. We just moved in to this new condo and I would love to hear tips about streamlining and making sense of all of our stuff. To make matters more difficult, my husband and I share one sink.
Darcy,
Oceanside
Darcy,
You are fortunate to be able to start with empty drawers, medicine cabinet and under counter areas. If you already have put things in, pull them all out again. You will need to toss old items that you will never use and sort the remaining. Throw out anything with an expired date and all perishables over one year old. Even toothpaste expires; the expiration date is on the crimp of the tube.
Sort all remaining items into like categories. If you have an unreasonably large collection of lipsticks, nail polish or perfume, pare it down. Get rid of old colors and the excess that you will never use. Any amount over what you might be able to use in one year should go. Sort by item, category, and color. If you have duplicate or similar colors, unless it is your signature color, get rid of all but one. Replace each element of your streamlined collection as you use it up to conserve precious space in the meantime.
Keep your makeup all in one area, preferably in a container. The same for your husband’s shave crème and razor. Ceramic bowls are decorative, keep items from cluttering up the counter and expedite cleaning the counter top.
Attach a long magnet behind the door of your medicine cabinet to cleverly and neatly hold tweezers, clippers and other metal gadgets. Consider installing a wire shelf by the sink to hold toiletries that you use every day, such as powders, sprays and creams. Hang a simple s-hook (found in any hardware store) by the side of the shelf to hold your hairdryer. Simply tie a knot in the hairdryer cord and pass it through the hook.
Use small plastic bins with drawers for under the bathroom sink. One drawer can be for lips, another for hair, and the third for eyes. Use whichever categories you need. Usually two plastic drawer units fit, with room in between and by the drain pipe for stand up items like shampoo bottles and suntan lotion.
If you don’t need two sets of little drawers, buy plastic stacking bins for the other side to contain like items with like. Use your imagination to find the proper containers to group all like items together.
No bathroom should be without some sort of shower caddy. The basic type is constructed of wire and hangs below the shower head. Whatever variety you choose, these caddies neatly hold your shampoos, soaps, shaving crèmes and lotions. Install a fog free mirror against the back wall for your husband. Look for a style that also holds his razor and shave creme.
If you have a large enough bathroom, buy a coat tree, or standing coat rack. Or install two or three attractive hooks on the back of the bathroom door. These are useful places to hang bathrobes and nighties as well as provide an extra hook for the occasional house guest.
Please submit your questions to: [email protected]
San Diego Professional Organizer
