How to Organize a Small Bathroom

With a bit of careful organizing, you can make a small bathroom feel spacious and tidy. Divide your cabinet space with storage containers and baskets. Make use of every inch of wall space by hanging floating shelves up to the ceiling and over the toilet. You can even add racks, rods, or more storage on the back of the door. Embrace creative storage options, like glass jars, for odds and ends.

EditSteps

EditArranging Your Cabinet and Drawer Space

1. Put a lazy susan in the cabinet. It can be easy for the bottles and small items inside your bathroom cabinets to get disorganized and tough to reach. Place a lazy susan towards the front of the cabinet where it is easily accessible. Set your extra shampoos, conditioners, lotions, or other products on it.^[1]
   
2. Install a styling tool holder inside your cabinet. The cords of blowdryers and curling irons can become a real problem under your cabinets and can knock over your toiletry items. You can buy a metal styling tool holder at a home goods store that will hang on the inside of your lower cabinet.^[2]
   
3. Install under-the-sink sliding drawers if you have deep cabinets. In the lower bathroom cabinets, secure drawers that will slide out when pulled. You can purchase these wooden, plastic, or metal drawers in the kitchen or bathroom remodeling sections of home renovation stores. Most of them will screw right into the existing cabinetry.^[3]
   
   • Check to make sure that the drawers pull out smoothly. If they jostle or if you have to tug them, then the contents standing inside will likely fall over and cause a mess.
4. Install an under-the-sink organizer if you have a pedestal sink. You don’t have to waste the space under a pedestal sink. Instead, get a premade organizer that will fit around the bottom part of your sink from a home improvement store. These organizers usually just slide into place against the wall with a few mounting brackets to hold it steady.^[4]
   
5. Divide your drawers with plastic bins. Your drawers can get messy really quickly, as items shift around every time you pull them out. To keep everything in position, invest in a set of plastic organizers that fit tightly into the drawers. Ideally, find containers with both large and small openings to hold a variety of items.^[5]
   
   • For example, you can put hair ties, cotton swabs, flossers, and other small items into the bins.
6. Keep everything hidden. Your goal when organizing your bathroom should be to store as many items as possible in hidden cabinets and compartments. This will make your bathroom feel less crowded and more spacious. The key is to rely on a combination of both cabinets and shelving.
   
   • Even storing the wastebasket in a cabinet can make the floor of your bathroom look larger and cleaner.

EditAdding Extra Wall Storage

1. Add wall shelving. On any open wall spaces, add sturdy shelves that match the style of your bathroom. If you need the extra space, go all the way up to the ceiling. You can even use the space directly above the door. Place items more frequently used on the lower shelves.^[6]
   
   • If you can’t reach the higher shelves, store a stepstool in front of the bathroom cabinet.
2. Add floating shelves above the toilet. Most people ignore the space above the toilet, but this is actually valuable real estate for storage. A standing rack can look bulky and outdated. However, if you hang a set of floating shelves in a complementary color to the wall, then this will actually open up the space.^[7]
   
   • Stack decorative items on these shelves or use them for extra toiletry storage for items, such as toilet paper and tissues.
3. Hang glass jars on the wall. Get a set of clean, large mason jars. Use metal loops or small shelves to keep them suspended on the wall. Once the jars are secured, fill them with small items, such as makeup tools.^[8]
   
   • Keep the design looking even cleaner by putting the same type of items into each jar. For example, 1 jar can just hold brushes. Another can hold cotton swabs and so on.
4. Place magnetic strips around the vanity. Buy long, metal magnetic strips from your local hardware store. Use screws or construction glue to secure these strips to any gaps on the walls around the sink and vanity. Then, hang metal items, such as tweezers, on these strips.^[9]
   
   • This is also a great way to secure small metal items that you might otherwise misplace, such as bobby pins.
   • Don’t place any sharp objects on the strips in the slight chance that they could fall off and cause an injury.
5. Use spice racks for makeup storage. Spice racks are great for storage because they are the perfect size for makeup or even medicine bottles. They are also easy to wipe down for cleaning. In the empty wall space near the sink, hang a set of spice racks using screws.^[10]
   
   • Make sure that the racks are close enough together to maximize your wall space. However, don’t place them directly against one another or that might look overcrowded.

EditDeveloping Creative Storage Solutions

1. Install a second shower rod near the wall. Get another adjustable rod and place it just a few inches or centimeters off the back wall of your shower or bath. Tighten the rod until it is securely in place. Slide a series of S-hooks onto the rod. Hang your loofahs, scrub brushes, or small caddies from the hooks.^[11]
   
   • Don’t overload the rod or you’ll risk it falling down and taking everything else with it.
2. Install behind-the-mirror storage. Buy prefabricated mirror cabinets from your local hardware store. Remove the current wall mirrors that you have and replace them with these cabinets. Make sure to follow any installation instructions, so that they are secure. Then, stock the inside of the cabinets with bath supplies.^[12]
   
   • Don’t place wall mirror cabinets where the doorknob will hit them as the door opens or closes.
3. Attach suction cups to the shower walls to hold bathing products. Get a number of heavy-duty suction cups and attach them at shoulder height around your shower. Thread plastic ties or hair ties through the cup openings. Then, hang various shower toiletries by the ties.^[13]
   
   • It’s a good idea to clean your shower before hanging the cups, as this will make them stay up longer.
4. Install a rack on the back of the door. Don’t waste the space on the back of the door. Instead, hang a secure metal rack with baskets attached that can hold extra toiletries, paper goods, or even towels. If you are worried about the weight of a metal rack, you can even use a hanging plastic shoe rack.^[14]
   
5. Remove all non-bathroom items. It’s really easy for clothing and knick-knacks to make their way from the bedroom into the bathroom. Every week go through your bathroom and remove any items that do not belong. Think about streamlining any multiples of items that you are storing, such as going from 5 towels down to 2.^[15]
   

EditTips

• Take this opportunity to go through all of your cabinets and to discard any expired toiletries, make-up, or medicines. With the medicines, you’ll want to contact your local police department for proper disposal procedures.^[16]

EditWarnings

• If you are renting, make sure to check with your landlord before making any permanent changes to the bathroom.
• As you organize your bathroom, make sure to keep all dangerous chemicals and cleaners properly stored if you have children or pets.

EditSources and Citations

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