My Favorite Bathroom Organization Tips, Plus How to Keep Clutter From Piling Up

One of the things about living in an old house is that the rooms tend to be small, and bathrooms tend to be tiny. Since our house was built in the 1930s, we have three itty bitty bathrooms, and one of them is actually a powder room with exactly zero storage space.

So, over the last few years, I’ve had to learn how to keep these spaces as organized as possible in order for them to function. In that time, I’ve figured out some key strategies and general rules for bathroom organization that I can’t live without. They are:

Sort and Store by Frequency of Use

One of the most effective ways to organize your bathroom is to sort and store items by how often they’re used, then divide each category into their own little space or lane as needed. For example, if you have an available drawer that’s large enough, you can store your daily essentials there (toothbrush, toothpaste, creams, daily makeup items, hair brush). Then, you’ll separate them by function. Maybe your toothbrush and toothpaste can go in a skinny drawer organizer while your skincare and makeup are sorted with some drawer dividers.

The purpose is to have a designated spot in your bathroom where you can access your everyday items. 

When you have a zone for the things you use consistently, it’s easier to clean it, keep it organized, clutter-free, and help save time when you’re getting ready. Instead of opening three different drawers or cabinets, you’ll just need to go to your “go-to” zone. 

Decanting your things into smaller containers also comes in handy here. Instead of leaving an entire box of Q-tips or a bag of cotton pads in your go-to zone, you’ll just take a handful and store it in a container that easily fits in your newly organized space. 

A few favorite organization essentials:

Don’t Pay Attention to TikTok Restocking Videos

You’ve probably seen the videos on TikTok where influencers “restock” their bathrooms with seven tubes of toothpaste, 1,200 Q-tips, and a dozen sticks of deodorant. This is very satisfying to watch, but in real life, it’s hard to manage this much stuff and is a recipe for clutter. If you shop at Costco and happen to have that much toothpaste, store the excess in a linen closet or in a box in your pantry, and only keep what you need in the bathroom. Honestly, I don’t even usually buy most toiletry items in bulk, because I always forget what I have ‘in stock’ and end up re-purchasing things I already have at home. Instead, when something runs out, I buy a new one. Just one.

Optimize Vertical and Wall Space

Taking advantage of your walls and other vertical spaces (including the corners and doors) can open up a surprising amount of storage opportunities. There are lots of storage solutions whether you need to organize your shower or you just don’t have enough drawer, cabinet or floor space.

Hanging storage shelves, baskets, and other kinds of organizers are one of the easiest ways to organize your bathroom when you’re short on storage space. Some are designed for very small areas or to hang on towel racks, while others are flat to hang behind a door ( I currently store kids bath toys in a basket hanging on the bathroom door, for example).

There are also tub/shower curtains with pockets, which can be amazing for organizing your bath products and other items. If you have a bit of a DIY attitude, you can also install some rods under your cabinets on the outside and on the inside to hang bottles or storage baskets. Some are designed to be removable using 3M tape, which is great if you’re renting or you’re just testing some storage solutions. 

There are many options, so make sure you consider the type you need based on what you’re storing, your budget, and of course the measurements of the space you’ll be organizing.

Use Clear Containers 

If you don’t mind seeing everything, clear storage containers can be really handy. This let’s you easily see what’s inside so you and your household spend less time trying to find things, plus you can get a quick at-a-glance look when restocking or making your shopping list. Even mesh plastic baskets can be helpful, and usually cost less than acrylic containers. 

You can step it up a notch and get different sizes that can be nested or stacked. This is a good way to separate items that fall into the same category like general bathing and personal care products. Instead of throwing all of your dental care items in one container or drawer, you could get a bin that fits your entire vanity drawer, but then use a skinny one for your toothbrush and toothpaste, a smaller square one for floss, and another one for toothpicks. This keeps everything from looking cluttered, plus the bins are easier to clean than the bottom of a drawer. Of course, you use the same concept with just drawer dividers, which would also be more affordable!

Label Your Bins and Containers

A good labeling system can change your organizing game, so don’t look over this one. Labeling containers and bins is the only way I’ve found to make organization “Stick,” because even if you tell yourself you won’t forget that the bin in the back is for hairbrushes and the bin in front is for hair accessories, during a hectic morning, there’s a good chance you’ll forget. You don’t need to have every item listed on the bin, but just having a label for the category (like “first aid” or “guest items”) is a good way to organize your bathroom.

It’s also a good way to remind yourself to stay organized. If you open your drawers and cabinets or just see an organized makeup bin on your counter, you’re much more likely to put things back where they go.

Labeling your containers is also helpful when you’re restocking or making a shopping list, when you have guests over or your household isn’t sure where to look for things, and when your bins aren’t see-through. 

And finally, it’s a good way to ensure that your family follows your organization system, too.

How to Keep Your Bathroom Organized and Clutter-Free

Once you’ve decluttered and organized your bathroom, you may feel like it’s only a matter of time until it’s a complete mess again. This is where two main habits come in handy: decluttering and organizing routines.

Set a Routine Decluttering Schedule

Anything that’s in your home must be managed, or it quickly takes over. This is why setting a routine decluttering schedule is so key to keeping your bathroom clutter-free and organized, especially if you like to shop or your bathroom is just a clutter hotspot (AKA you have three children sharing one of them).

I actually have a list of things in your bathroom you can get rid of immediately, which I always like to break out a few times a year to do a thorough purge.

Outside of that, I like to set a more regular declutter schedule, and try to go through each bathroom once a month for about 10 minutes at a time to just quickly get rid of empty, unused, or expired products, as well as re-home anything that ended up in the bathroom and shouldn’t be there.

Reset, Restock and Organize Frequently 

Just like having a decluttering routine helps keep your bathroom decluttered, an organizing schedule keeps things (yep, you guessed it) organized. This includes any daily or weekly resets, restocking, and bigger organizing sessions. 

The best way to stay on top of organizing is to do it regularly and as you go, just like cleaning. Don’t wait until the counters or drawers are cluttered and unorganized to deal with it. This will cost you more time and energy. Instead, set a daily or nightly reminder to do a quick “scan” – look at the places you use most, like your counter and go-to zones that were mentioned earlier in the post. Then focus on one thing at a time. First, put the items where they go (this is where labeling helps if you’re just getting into an organizing routine). Then, throw out any trash. That’s it! 

Along the same lines, having set reset and restock routines can keep things running smoothly. Instead of waiting until you go shopping or figure out you’re totally out of something, try to inventory, reset, and restock your bathroom once a week. Taking inventory on a weekly basis will save you a ton of time when it comes time to shop, while restocking right after your shopping trip will keep things organized. Resetting is usually a mix of everything done at once; deep clean, restocking, quick decluttering and organizing, and so on.