Create a Brighter, More Organized Bathroom

Start the process by cleaning out the one major area in the bathroom that was designed specifically for toiletry storage - the medicine cabinet. Get rid of expired medications as well as any toiletries you’ve had for longer than two years, including shampoos, lotions and makeup,and soap. Besides creating more space, clearing out your cabinets will minimize health risks, as bacteria and fungi can contaminate lotions and cosmetics over time.

The busy bathroom is the place to take advantage of the many tools and gadgets designed to organize your home’s tight spaces. By design, most bathrooms leave little room for major improvement in terms of storage. But there are plenty of things you do to make the most of these cramped quarters.

If you’ve cleaned everything possible out of your cabinet and you still can’t control the clutter, consider installing a second wall-mounted medicine cabinet. Or you can hang a shower caddy over the showerhead to keep shampoo, shaving cream, soap and razors within easy reach but somewhat out of eyesight.

Another space-maximizing device: a system of coated-wire rollout baskets, which can be used to expand the storage capacity of under-the-sink cabinet space. If your bathroom has no storage space there, mount a small coated-wire grid on the wall and hang personal appliances such as hair dryers and curling irons from it with S-hooks. You’ll find these grids and rollout baskets at retailers that sell bath, kitchen or closet storage accessories.

Take advantage of the empty space above the toilet by adding a small cabinet or shelves to hold extra linens or toiletries. Freestanding over-the-commode shelves can maximize this space right up to the ceiling. But be careful what you display here; small items that fall into the bowl are no fun to retrieve.

You can also place your deodorant, perfume, hair dryer, and hairbrushes in the clear plastic pockets of a back-of-the-door shoe holder; this will keep these frequently used items from taking up counter space but within easy reach.

Since running out of toilet paper is something we’d all like to avoid, store at least one spare roll in the bathroom rather than in the linen closet. Hide the extra roll in a simple covered basket with the lid slightly ajar. It remains discreetly hidden, yet you, your family, or a guest can grab it in a moment of need.