I have a small bathroom with limited space on the countertop. I have a cabinet under the sink but no drawers. Any ideas on how I can organize my things?
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A few ideas:
Contain like items in cups/flowerpots/baskets (we have a frosted cup that holds our toothbrushes and toothpaste, another that holds DH's shaving cream and razor)
See if you have room for a tall shelf unit (we have a 12"x12" square unit that sneaks in between the door and the corner -and i have plastic baskets on each shelf - one for each family member. Mine holds comb/brush, hairdyrer and makeup.)
Measure your under the sink cabinet and see if a plastic drawer unit will fit inside -sometimes they will if you take the wheels off. Or build shelves inside that cabinet to hold your baskets. You can use the ventilated wire shelving also.
A shoe organizer hung on the back of the door can catch lots of little things in those clear vinyl pouches. You can also hang one of those from the wall, or I have seen people hang them from the shower rod.
Hope this helps!
Build (or have built) some simple shelves. Mine are a board for the top and two for each side (legs). Looks kinda' like an upside-down squared-off "U." That gives you the bottom of the cabinet and a shelf above it. Get some plastic rectangular storage baskets from Big Lots or the dollar store. They will slide in and out just like drawers. Fill them with what you like. I also put a couple of tumbler/toothbrust holders on the inside of the door and fill the tumblers with my brush, comb, toothpaste and whatever else.
you can buy lazy suesan shelves at lowes or home depo . you can get them 3 or so high.
We have several small bathrooms and purchased vanity mirrors with storage shelves built behind the mirrors. Those have given the needed space for all the essentials. One bathroom allowed shelving above the toilet, and we purchsed the prefinished shelves and adjustable wall-mounted brackets at Home Depot.
You can get those wire hanging baskets (made for onions, potatoes, etc.) and hang it in the corner (if there's one free). Use it to organize all your stuff like brushes, makeup and hair things
Go to you local Dollar Store aka Dollar Tree and purchase some cheap CLEAR storage for shoes. They come with lids on them so things won't fall out and they are STACKABLE. Be sure to label each where you can read the contents when the boxes are on top of each other. Examples: Mark them:
ALSO=You can get a "bag" that hangs on the outside of your shower curtain to put things in as well. I saw one yesterday at WalMart. Just one more idea for you.It was made of mesh(easy to wash) and had pockets to put bathroom stuff in. I am going to get one to use for my shower products so they don't fall into the tub when I accidently bump them with my arm when in shower.
This is just some ideas that I used. Hope they help you. The best part,you can reuse the containers if you ever do get some cabinet space or drawers. You also could get one of those storage holders that hangs on the back of the bathroom door too. Or you could use a shoe holder (that would work the same as the thing I saw at WalMart for on the shower curtain rod)
Hi...You could try putting baskets on the wall next to your sink. My daughter did this and it looks really nice. She bought three rectangular baskets and nailed them up like this ----
Use a shoe pocket on the back of the bathroom door! It was a lifesaver during my small apartment days. Each pocket is great for brushes, toothpaste, moisturizer, makeup or whatever. And usually you can find them pretty cheaply at Walmart or the dollar store.
All those ideas are great. I have a small apt. size bathroom and I put a behind the toilet cabinet. Mine has open and closed shelves and I store nearly everything in there.
You can buy different size plastic-coated kitchen accessories which attach to the wall with two screws. I am not sure what to call them, but they are wire, coated with white plastic (?). Attach them to the walls of the cabinent underneith your sink. They will hold bottles, hair combs and brushes, cans, etc. You can even attach one to the inside of the door. Just be sure the screws are short enough not to go completely through the door. Also, you can buy the ones that are like little shelves with legs....then small items will go underneith them, and taller items on top. Just one idea. Hope it helps.
I have a small bathroom with a pedestal sink and a family of 5. I put a "curtain" around the sink and can store under it. Lucky you for having a counter (lol). Anyway, some things I've done for storage: Shower hanger and corner shelves for all those shower things (shampoo, soaps, etc), a "johnny cabinet" above the toilet (shelving unit/cupboard), Baskets, bins and boxes (I like the clear ones too so I can see what's in it at a glance), and you can buy tiered shelves and pullout drawers for under your sink/counter at any store like Wal-Mart, Home Depot... that kind of thing. Good luck.
I bought some stacking plant stands and put baskets in them to put beside my large bathtub; these baskets hold shampoo, conditioner, baby oil, bubble bath, bath sponges and loofahs and other items.
These stacking plant stands could be stood by your sink area and filled with items; you could use baskets or plastic boxes that can be found at local dollar stores.
I find that the plastic drawer units work well. You can find at most any discount store. Wal-Mart has them. They come in different sizes. Usually they have 3 drawers. Can be placed on the vanity counter for brushes/hair items, make up, etc. You could also look into some pull out drawer units to install inside the vanity.
I had the same problem. But, if you have any space above your toilet like I did, put stacked shelf in above it. It's a tad high, but it worked out well. Also, if you have a little room for big wicker basket, you can store some towels in there. Maybe just another week's worth of a change. I could suggest more if I knew the dimensions of your bathroom. Best of luck.
Kat
You can buy a small plastic drawer from Walmart or biglots and put that under your cabinet. And use one of those over the toilet organizers. Also you can buy a shoe organizer (the one with pockets) and hang it on the back of your door and put stuff in that.
I have found that keeping my makeup in an "old vintage" style overnight suitcase works well. The type I use is the hard kind that has a handle on top and mirror on the inside. These are really great as they old all of my daily make up and my hair care items as well. It saves space in the bathroom and then when I go over night I am already packed and just put my tooth brush and paste in it. I am good to go! you can paint these or look for one in a color that compliments your bath. You could even cover them in wall paper or fabric it you reallly want to dress it up!
I have discovered shelves that go over the back part of the counter. Over the sink more or less. It is called a space saver. I have one in each restroom and over my kitchen sink as well.
I bought a small cabinet from K Mart and it has 3 shelves. Works great for handtowels and washcloths. I put a basket on top for meds, toothpaste, etc.
Also if you have room to hang a shelf on the wall for toothpaste and personals, that would work great too.""
Can you possibly build any partial shelves inside the cabinet? They may have to just run down the side if the pipes are in the way of one running all the way accross. Then you could get a couple baskets or plastic containers and group things like toothpaste and face wash in one, hair stuff in another. I also use a small vase for my "long" make up stuff - mascarra, lip and eye liners, brushes, tall lipgloss, etc. which I do sit on the counter. My other make up is in a nice case that color coordinates with the bathroom.
First go to Lowes or Home Depot for under the counter space savers. Very inexpensive and no tools/drilling required! Secondly I find that Mason Jars can be used for anything. You can get them at Wal*Mart for near nothing and decorate them up yourself w/ ribbons..etc. You could even look at yard sales for old ones w/ different hues.
I bought two plastic drawers and placed one on each side of the pipes beneath the sink. This creates a shelf on the top of the units. I can slide out the drawers to put items inside. It really works for me.
good luck
RE: Organizing a Bathroom Countertop
Post By Jonnie Cambron (Guest Post) (02/04/2007)
Sounds like a "train case" to me.
I hear a lot of suggestions to "buy" a solution. If you are like me and are trying your hand at less consumerism at big box stores, try repurposing something. I often have a lot of plastic kitchen storage containers that no longer seem to have their lids. These work great to hold small bathroom items under the cabinet or on shelves. I use a tea mug in the bathroom for toothpaste tubes, a bud vase for our toothbrushes and an old creamer for the hand mirror. We found an interesting (like-new) small shelf unit at a rummage sale for $2.00. I use an old basket that I had for the back of the toilet to put combs, powder, creams, etc in. They stay neat and organized this way and I can quickly access what I need in the morning. I hope I have stimulated your creativity to reduce, reuse, recycle things that you may already have to solve your organizational needs.
I had the same problem until I hung one of those shoe holders on the bathroom door. The pockets are clear, so I can see what I'm looking for right away.
I read about this idea, but it was suggested to keep extra towels, soaps, toothbrushes etc for guests. But I found that this worked best for me as a place for the things that I use on a daily basis.
I have one row for dental things (mouthwash, toothpaste, floss, toothbrush, teeth bleaching kit), one for hair stuff like brushes, gel or hairspray, combs, hairties or barrettes (I even use one pocket as a "holster" for my hair dryer), one row for a lotion, powder, perfume, another row for make-up, etc. I even have a row with air freshner and crosswords puzzles with pens for those longer toileting visits :)
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