Bathroom Storage

Do you have any odd spaces in your house? I have this strange bathroom storage closet that is very tall, but extremely shallow.

Many people have these oddly sized nooks or cabinets. I know this because when I worked at The Container Store I helped so many customers find solutions for these weird spaces.

Sometimes they are nooks under stairs with slanted ceilings, and sometimes they are extremely deep cabinets with odd dimensions.

Storage options have come a long way, so there is a solution for almost any weird space. My space isn’t all THAT weird! But it is a little challenging.

In the five years we’ve lived in this house we’ve just thrown toiletry and cleaning products in this closet. It hasn’t been high on my list of projects to tackle because it’s a bathroom I rarely use. But it has gotten out of hand with things being thrown in there and it could be better organized.

The Problem – Shallow Closet

The issue with this closet is its weird dimensions. The shelves are only 7 1/4 inches deep. It has also had a little bit of an identity crisis. I need to give it an identity. In other words, decide what will and won’t live in this space.

Many times, when we have extra space somewhere, it becomes a catch-all. If you have a space like this and don’t want it junked up, you need to define it. Ask yourself “what exactly do I want to store in here.” And then don’t allow any other items in that space.

Bathroom storage can be challenging. Many times things get tossed into cabinets and drawers. This makes it hard to find the things you need. There will be less chance of clutter when you define the space and then organize it in a way that makes it easy to use.

Once you organize and label everything, there will be no excuse for cramming other items in there.

The Process- Cleanout and Shop

At the start of any project, you want to start with a clean, blank slate. First, I scrub the shelves and floor. I’ll then paint this closet white in what seems my never-ending quest to get rid of the builder’s beige paint throughout my house.

If you’re dealing with kitchen or bath items you’ll want to check expiration dates. Discard all products past that date. Use three containers or bags and separate all your items into categories. Label them: trash, donate and organize.

I like to try to give away items that are still good instead of throwing them away. If I no longer use a product that doesn’t mean a friend or family member can’t use it.

After I know what needs organizing, and the size containers I need, I go shopping! Finding containers that will fit these skinny shelves will be interesting.

Organizing has become such a hot topic. As a result, you can find organizing solutions everywhere. For example, check out these two end caps at one of my local grocery stores.

I think the increase in stress we feel these days is the reason organizing products are so readily available. If you would like to read more about the connection between stress and organizing, this post makes some interesting points.

Bamboo is a great material, and I knew I wanted to incorporate it into my bathroom storage. I stumbled across this little bamboo caddy at a thrift store. I decided to put all our sunscreens in it so when we head out back to the pool, I can grab the whole container. It was only $2.00!

I found these baskets (at Kroger of all places) to store backstock of body wash and shampoo. I’ll also use one to store hand towels on a different shelf. They go well with the bamboo accessories I picked.

If you can’t find my exact baskets, these baskets from The Container Store will do the trick.

I purchased two 7 inch plastic turntables from Amazon because they were small enough to fit on my shallow shelf. These will hold backstock of lotion and my containers of rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and witch hazel.

I purchased three jars with bamboo lids from Target’s Bullseye’s Playground (formerly known as Dollar Spot). These will contain cotton rounds, balls, and swabs. I can’t link these items, but they were $3.00 each if you can still find them.

I will repurpose a few containers from old projects. These products are still available for purchase so I will link them for you. For example, I had this 3-drawer organizer that I’m using to hold ointments, muscle rubs, and first-aid tools (thermometers and tweezers).

The other container I had on hand was an acrylic swivel container. I am going to store our band-aids in it and separate them by type and size. This will make it easy for my son (the one who uses band-aids as accessories).

The last product is a plastic multi-purpose organizer. I’m going to use it for first-aid products like gauze.

I couldn’t link the product, but organizers like this are pretty easy to find at places like Marshall’s and TJ Maxx.

The Solution-Organize Bathroom Storage

This is my 11-year-old’s bathroom. He only needs the basic bath items. Since there is room for more, I’ll also store extra products and first-aid items.

Additionally, I’ve decided to move my son’s laundry hamper into this closet. This will make it easier for him to put things away after his shower. Does anyone else find their kid’s wet towels on the floor of their bedroom? Grrrrr

The top shelf is the tallest and weirdest of this space. If at some point I decide to put anything else in this closet, I will have my husband add more shelves to the top. For now, I will store extra toilet paper and possibly paper towels.

I will designate the second shelf for skincare products.

Tucked behind the molding is another few inches of usable space. I have added one basket at each end of this shelf to hold baby wipes and facial wipes.

The third shelf will be designated as the bath and body shelf. This is where the jars with the cotton products will go. I decided to stack some bars of soap behind the Target jars. The jars don’t take up much space, so there is an opportunity to fit a needed item.

The next shelf will hold both bath and hand towels. We don’t need a ton of bath towels in this bathroom because my son is the only one who uses this shower.

My husband’s office is right across the hall and he uses this bathroom a lot. Therefore, this shelf can also hold the extra hand towels we need.

All the other linens and products are stored in our primary linen closet.

The last shelf will hold all our first aid products. We have this huge first-aid case that we keep in a cabinet. I thought it would be better to take everything out and display it so it could be accessed quickly.

Lastly, the only thing on the floor will be the hampers. Once everything is in its place, it all gets labeled with Cricut and P-Touch labels.

I am excited about the way this project turned out. The final result makes it easy for everyone to find what they need quickly. Most importantly, I left no room for things to be shoved in haphazardly.

Bathroom storage can be a challenge for many people. It can be further discouraging if the space has odd dimensions. However, there are more organizing products out there than ever before. Additionally, defining the use of the space will also make a huge difference in maintaining it.

Do you have any challenging spaces in your home? Share in the comments.

Thanks for reading!