Organize Your Bathroom {Day 13}

This is the thirteenth day of my 31 Days of Living Well & Spending Zero challenge. To read all the posts in order, start with Day One or visit the Overview Page.

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There is no room I dread cleaning more than the bathroom. Ugh! It’s not really the daily cleaning that I hate. Scrubbing the toilets and soap scum–although far from pleasant–are manageable, especially since I am a fan of daily speed cleaning to avoid any major bathroom nastiness build-up.

No, what I really take issue with is not the cleaning, it’s the keeping it organized. It is figuring out to do with all those “bottles of crap,” as Husband so lovingly refers to them, all the makeup and tubes of cream, all the hairspray and curling irons and flat irons (oh my!)  It’s the pile of towels and the extra toilet paper and the set of rollers that I’ve only used twice and the piles and piles and piles of ponytail holders and barrettes that seem to multiply while I sleep.

So do you know what I do?

I completely ignore my bathroom.

I clear the counters by throwing everything into a drawer or bin under the sink, then wipe it down and forget it. Until the next time I need a hair brush or tube of cream and have to face, once again, the disaster area that is my bathroom.

Am I all alone in this?

But this month is all about being brave and tackling our vices and learning to love what we have, which means that taking control of this bathroom space is crucial. I tackled mine yesterday and today your assignment is to conquer yours. Today you are going to organize your bathroom!

I found that once I finally forced myself to get started, it really wasn’t that bad. I started by emptying all the drawers and cupboards in order to figure out exactly what I had. I made piles of like items and, as I went, threw away garbage, expired items, & stuff I knew I’d never use.

Once everything was empty, I wiped down all the drawers & cabinets, then cut some pretty scrapbook paper to line the inside of my drawers, which were all stained and water-damaged. I couldn’t believe what a difference such a small (and easy) change made! They’re so cute now! I used scrapbook paper because that was what I had, but you could just as easily use pretty wrapping paper instead.

I then set about finding storage solutions for all my stuff. Items that I need but don’t use that often–mani/pedi supplies, travel toiletries, sunscreen, etc.–went into gallon-size freezer bags, which I labeled clearly with a permanent marker then “filed” in a plastic storage bin I snagged from my pantry. You could just as easily use a box with the flaps cut off.

I also needed to find a solution for all those hair accessories, which I loathe, but which we do use all the time. Inspired by my friend Jen’s 31 days of Good Enough Things series this month, where she is pointing out that not everything has to be “Pinterest Perfect,” I decided I could come up with something using stuff I had around the house. A large vase was turned upside down to hold headbands, a hurricane full of shells in my bedroom was emptied & filled with ribbons, & a few empty mason jars in assorted sizes worked perfectly to hold ponies and barrettes. I then converted an unused picture into a clip holder by wrapping the glass in a scrap of fabric and securing ribbons in place. Overall, the look is a little “busy” for my taste, but I don’t hate it and it gets the job done and it will work well for now until I can come up with a “cleaner” look that I truly love.

Once I had tackled all my “problem” areas, I easily found places for all the rest of the items in the newly cleared drawers and cabinets. I finished by re-wiping all the counters and sweeping the floor, and my bathroom honestly now feels like a brand new space!

Now, after seeing my bathroom transformation, don’t you feel motivated to conquer your bathroom space? The biggest step is always just getting started, so to help make it less overwhelming I have another very detailed checklist for you to use today. Hopefully you’ve still got toner in your printer. 🙂

{Get your Bathroom Organizing Checklist here}

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Do you keep your bathroom fairly organized, or are you a “stuff it in the drawer and forget it” kind-of person? Do you tend to accumulate a lot of products and hair accessories? What do you do with them all?

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{Go to Day 14}