If several household members are sharing a bathroom, follow these 14 tips to help organize it.

Tip #1

• Clean out every drawer and shelf in the bathroom. Get rid of anything that isn’t being used.

Tip #2

• Move your medicines to the kitchen. The heat and steam in the bath can ruin them.

Tip #3

• Give each household member a different colored basket to fill with toiletries. No sharing. Make sure everyone has their own toothpaste, eye drops, cosmetics and grooming supplies. Each person will keep the basket in his or her bedroom.

Tip #4

• Evaluate your storage. You will need places for: towels, nail care, extra paper, feminine hygiene products, hair care and back-up supplies of soap and shampoo. Nothing else belongs in the bathroom.

Tip .#5

• Use a shower/bath caddy for shampoo and soap. They hang on the wall of your shower and keep the clutter out of your shower area. They are relatively inexpensive and available in many different styles.

Tip #6

• Set up a drip-dry container for bath toys if you have small children.

• Corner to corner suction cup hammocks work well

Tip #7

• Make space for a small, lidless hamper or laundry basket. Otherwise, have a system for depositing used towels in the laundry room.

Tip #8

• Use hooks instead of towel racks for kids. They’ll be more likely to use them. Have as many hooks and/or towel racks as you have persons using the bathroom.

Tip #9

• Make a checklist of all products in your bathroom as well as those used by each individual. Review your list weekly before shopping.

Tip #10

• Explore the variety of storage options you can use in the bath.
• Small countertop drawers can organize cotton balls and Q-Tips.
• Use cutlery trays in drawers, plastic shelves under the sink and caddies which attach to doors.
• Rolling carts can all contain the clutter that frequently accumulates in this much-used room. To keep things organized, each person can have one basket on the cart.

Tip #11

• If pressed for space when storing towels, consider a space-saving towel rack that clips right over the back of the bathroom door.

Tip #12

• Transform the dead space over your toilet by adding a stacked cabinet to store some of those items that have been kept under the sink.

Tip #13

• Consider installing a shower dispenser right on the wall to dispense liquid soap, shampoo and conditioner and eliminate all of that clutter

Tip #14

• Use organizational cosmetic containers or even small boxes to organize each person’s cosmetics individually.

Situation:
The typical under the sink area where the pipes seem to always be in the wrong spot.

Challenge:
This is the spare bathroom that is used by guests but had been taken over by kids and all of their accessories.

Solution:
Move the unrelated items to their rightful home in the upstairs bathroom. Keep the necessary items stowed under the sink. We also kept the 3 drawer bin for a few spare hair ties and brushes.

( Move mouse over picture for after )

Situation: Papers and other non-bathroom related items clogging up the bathroom counter space. Duplicate items were purchased frequently because the back-up stock of items could not be located.

Solution: Clear off all non-related items. Make room in cabinets below for bathroom toiletries. Separate all his and her items and create a storage solution behind closed doors. We reused the towel holder to hold and display necklaces for easy access in the morning. The porcelain tray on the counter catches earrings and items emptied from pockets in the evening. The hair dryer and curling iron is tucked into a drawer while not in use but kept plugged in for quick access.

What Our Clients Say:

“My husband says now he feels that he has to keep his side of the bedroom/bathroom clean. He was really glad to see the change and loves it! I love my bathroom counter. I am motivated to put things away to keep it looking nice all of the time. The necklace holder works really well.

I have more drive and energy and we actually worked on the garage last weekend. I decided to get each family member to do only 4-5 things each. This made it really easy to get a lot accomplished.”

Debbie, San Diego”

Dear Kathi,

I am getting ready to restock my dress shirts. In the past I have always just bought whatever shirts were on sale. Now I would like to buy better quality shirts but need some details to make an informed decision. Do you have any tips about finding the best quality?

John, Cardiff by the Sea

John,

As you restock your shirt collection, look for pearl buttons. All quality shirts will have mother of pearl buttons. These buttons wear longer than manmade buttons that tend to crack & discolor after a few visits to the drycleaners. Verify that buttons and buttonholes are sewn tightly, with no unraveled thread. In general, the more buttons a shirt has, the higher quality it is; spare buttons are an added plus.

Inspect fabrics to make sure patterns line up at the seams especially at the shoulders, collar and sewn-on (patch) pockets. When purchasing striped shirts, make sure the buttonhole is running right through the middle of the pattern or lying plumb between the center of the two stripes.
Verify that all stitches are secure and straight. You should see about 8 to 12 stitches per inch. Examine hems, which should be nearly invisible. Hemmed bottoms should hang straight and not curl or pucker.
The seams on a good shirt will lay flat and the extra fabric will be minimal. Confirm that patch pockets lie perfectly flat against the cloth, with no space between the pocket and the front of the garment. While holding the garment upright, make sure that the pocket doesn’t hang away from the front.

Try on a shirt before buying it. Button it fully, making sure that buttons are placed well so that the shirt doesn’t gape open across the chest.
Good shirts, while more expendable than suits, are worth the money they cost, within limits. No shirt, unless it’s made-to-measure, is worth more than $150. If you’re going to spend more than that, have it made for your body.

As an aside, it’s always good to wrap your buttons in tin foil before dropping your shirts off at the cleaners and always ask them to scrub the collar. Good luck and happy shopping!

Dear Kathi,

My bathroom makes me want to scream. I hate trying to find my makeup and cleaning the counter and sink area is terrible. What can I do to make it better?

Josie, Lake Hodges

Josie,

It sounds like you have too much makeup for your counter space. Keep your daily-wear makeup in a pretty bowl or basket on the counter. A basket contains everyday makeup items in a snap and looks organized even when your items are tossed in as you rush out the door.

This would be a good time to clear out your make-up clutter. The more make-up you have, the less likely you are to use any of it. Use the year-after-purchase rule: toss anything half used. Once your collection is downsized, you are ready to create new storage areas.

Hang a shoe organizer on the back of the door. Fill the pockets with your extra make up, hair ties and barrettes. If you don’t have the door space, consider hanging a few small box shelves on the wall by your mirror. These shelves will combine functionality with organization. Use smaller containers within the shelves to group your lipsticks, makeup brushes and eye shadows together.

Your bathroom will be much easier to take care of if you keep your other loose countertop items i.e. shave crème, deodorant & hairsprays together in a basket or ceramic container. When you clean, simply move the container & wipe the counter with one motion.

Kathi is a professional organizer, image consultant and event planner based in San Diego California.

Please submit your questions to: advice@addspacetoyourlife.com
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