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.

Kathi,

My laundry room is in the garage and is an unorganized mess. What can I do to take the dread out of doing my laundry?

Tina, Leucadia

Tina,

Your first step is to imagine your laundry area organized. The average American household spends 2-4 hours every week sorting, cleaning, storing and shuffling dirty laundry. Creating a nice workspace will make a big difference for your laundry chores.

When laundry facilities are located in the garage, It’s nice have a rug to separate the laundry area. This helps keep it cleaner and more comfortable while you sort clothes.

If you have room, use rolling carts or bins to sort whites, colors, delicates and heavily soiled items. A countertop or table that is large enough to hold 2-3 baskets of laundry works well for sorting and folding. If possible, make this counter a bit taller than usual. A height of 36-42″ will save your back from needless stress. If you’re short on space for a counter or table, affix a fold-down shelf to the wall.

Keep a drying rack handy. For small spaces, install a spring-loaded clothesline that retracts when not in use. Attach an ironing board hanger to the wall or behind the door or buy a kit to install your ironing board into the wall between studs. These incredible kits are available at your local home improvement store. Items like these will keep the board and the iron out of the way, yet accessible.

Consider your cleaning supplies. Make sure they are at arms reach. Don’t forget the space above your washer and dryer. Decant detergents and fabric softeners from bulk boxes and jugs to smaller, easier-to-handle containers. Store small supplies in labeled boxes or bins. Keep rags, sponges and paper towels on hand to pre-treat stains. Organizing your supplies will make it easy to see when you need to restock.
Once your laundry area is optimized, you will not be as overwhelmed by the state of affairs in the rest of your garage.

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

Please submit your questions to: advice@addspacetoyourlife.com
San Diego Professional Organizer