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echooooo_gw

Bathroom Stuff

echooooo
11 years ago

What do you all do with all that bathroom stuff? Where and how do you store it all?

Peroxide, alcohol, bandaids, first aid cream, toilet cleaner, toothpaste, toilet paper, foot spray, medicine, vitamins, heating pad, knee brace, curling iron, hair dryer, makeup, razors, hairspray ............ you get the idea.

I have a medicine cabinet (which I hate) and a single under sink cabinet and there is no other room in the bathroom to add additional storage. I am at a loss as to what to do with all the stuff.

Comments (26)

  • LuAnn_in_PA
    11 years ago

    Can you add a wall valet over the toilet?

    Do you use knee braces and heating pads in the bathroom? If not, why keep them there?

  • graywings123
    11 years ago

    I remove items that are not used daily in the bathroom from the bathroom. I have a plastic container that holds all the first aid equipment. You could have another container for medical supplies - the heating pad and brace. If you only use the curling iron occasionally, it doesn't need to be stored in the bathroom.

    You could store and take your vitamins in the kitchen.

    It also helps to go through the items and see which you don't use at all.

  • jannie
    11 years ago

    If you feel you must keep all this stuff in the bathroom, get to a store like Bed Bath and Beyond and buy two, three or four stacking drawers. They hold plenty of stuff. I'd suggest labelling each drawer-Toilet paper and paper products, makeup, soap and shampoo, skin care products, first aid, etc.

  • justgotabme
    11 years ago

    We have a double vanity in the master bath with twelve drawers and two areas under our sinks so most all but the TP goes in or under there.
    Pictures of your bathroom and it's space would help to give you ideas of what you could go in your bathroom. If it's a personal use bathroom/not used by guests, you could always get an over the door pocket shoe storage for the smaller items.

  • Fori
    11 years ago

    I've moved a lot of my dry (?) bathroom stuff to an art deco vanity I happen to have. (Since I refuse to get rid of this piece of furniture, I might as well use it for its intended purpose.) If you have space in a bedroom for something like that, it's surprisingly practical. Even an old tall skinny dresser can hold things out of the way. A medicine kit probably should be used in a bathroom, but if it's in a nice plastic box elsewhere, you can grab it on the way in.

    On a totally unrelated note, gack I have to get rid of some furniture!

  • talley_sue_nyc
    11 years ago

    I'm lucky; I have ton of storage in the bathroom.
    A tall towel cabinet, and over-the-john cabinet, and the vanity itself.

    I put a Sterilite drawer in the vanity so that I can stack stuff on the drawer and yet still get to the stuff inside.

    I corral small stuff in little plastic boxes (all the floss, tooth care stuff; all the wound-care stuff; that sort of thing)

    I like the idea of keeping some stuff NOT in the bathroom. If it's not used in there, you don't need it in there. Heating pad, etc.

  • echooooo
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Here are some pictures. I really appreciate your help! Hopefully I am able to upload these.

  • echooooo
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Okay, I've created a link for my Guest bathroom click here to see the pictures

  • echooooo
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Let's see if this works Pictures of Guest Bathroom

  • breenthumb
    11 years ago

    Copy the HTML code and paste here. Pic will show when you preview.

  • echooooo
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Okay, trying with HTML code



  • jannie
    11 years ago

    Echooo, please don't be offended but your guest bathroom looks cluttery. At least get rid of the bucket and roll of toilet paper. Sorry if I hurt your feelings.

  • justgotabme
    11 years ago

    Jannie, that's why she's asking for help she needs ideas of where to put things.

    Echooooo, not sure what you have under your sink, but my suggestion would be to get some shallow trays to store the items that are on the vanity top. Here's a sample of how I did this under our kitchen sink. I did this in our bathroom too, but don't have a picture or I'd share that.
    This helps you have easy access to even the items in the back of the tray because you just slide the tray forward like you would a drawer.

  • echooooo
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    No offense. Actualy it's not usually like that, I am just in the process of cleaning out the cabinet and floors and stuff.

  • Fori
    11 years ago

    I think you could fit in a toilet tower thing. Etagere? Something open, with baskets for storage, because one with a cabinet might make things feel squishy.

    It's a difficult space.

    Have you looked into replacing the medicine cabinet? Yours is very petite and not terribly stylish. You'd want to stay with a recessed or partially recessed one, but you can certainly go taller.

  • dawnp
    11 years ago

    Would something like this mounted on the inside of the cabinets help? You may have to search for another size/company to fit your cabinet doors.

    I have a large one of these hanging inside my linen closet door and it is a great storage spot. It is really intended for a pantry but works perfectly in our bathroom.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Shelf

  • talley_sue_nyc
    11 years ago

    What's inside your vanity? (besides pipes)

    If you can install shelves/drawers/pullouts in there, you'll add storage space AND make things more accessible.

    Some product ideas:

    http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=18471884&RN=1011&;
    (see the links on the side--several size options)

    The link below is a chrome basket that pulls out and has a shelf above it. I have it in my kitchen and ADORE it. It's sturdy enough, and I like that I have a drawer that will hold smaller stuff, and a shelf that I can set things on.

    The height is also adjustable, so you can capture space on whichever side of the shelf you most need it.

    And you can maybe fit an over-the-john cabinet as well.

    Given that you have a mirror OVER the sink, you might consider removing the medicine cabinet on the side wall and installing one that's only deep enough for the thickest bottle (single-layer storage is more accessible anyway) and goes down to to the sink and up as high as is reachable. You might need someone to custom-make that, but it's a possibility. Sometimes I've spent money like that and ended up incredibly enamored of the results. In your situation, I would absolutely do that. I might even make some of the lower shelves be open so I can set stuff there and get to it without opening the door (bcs I'd set stuff in FRONT of the door, and make it impossible).

    Here is a link that might be useful: pull-out basket with shelf above it--I have & love

  • talley_sue_nyc
    11 years ago

    I might even be willing to pay to move the outlet over closer to the light switch, or to put them in a double box together, to free up more wall space for that cabinet.

  • lazy_gardens
    11 years ago

    If you move things out of the bathroom that aren't actually used there (braces and heating pads, for example) you will have more room for things that ARE used in the bathroom.

    I moved most of the first aid stuff to a plastic toolbox in the hall linen closet. Bathroom has a single box of bandaids and a tube of ointment.

    Each bath has ONE container of any product that is in use and ONE backup. Stockpiles are elsewhere.

    Cleaning supplies are all in the laundry room. Plastic tote on shelf has all bath cleaning supplies.

    If you installed pull-out baskets under the vanity you would have more accessible storage

  • echooooo
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks for all the great info. I'm going to look for one of the pull out baskets for under my sink.

  • talley_sue_nyc
    11 years ago

    Don't forget back-of-the-door storage for the CABINET doors.

  • jessiegray
    11 years ago

    Here is how my bath/med stuff is organized: We have a cabinet in laundry room which is where any medicinal supplies is kept. I bought 4 12qt plastic boxes and labeled them "Kid's Meds" "Skin Meds" (peroxide, alchohol etc) "Pain Meds" "Cold Meds" we don't have much medicine but so those cover everything, they stack nicely in the closet and are easier to find but also easy enough for my husband and kids to keep organized. There are several large items (braces, heating pads, etc) that I just placed in a larger clear tote in the bottom of the closet "Misc Medical".

    In the Bathroom I keep acrylic drawers & shallow baskets under the sink to organize makeup, lotions, everyday bath items. The key to bathroom organization with small storage space is to just keep what you need on a daily/weekly basis. I have two 20 qt clear plastic totes that we keep the extra razors, soap, shamp/cond, q-tips etc. Those go in the bottom of the closet (which is also in the bathroom).

    TP, toilet supplies all go in a cabinet over the toilet.

    if you have a lot of small items consider adding magnets to the back and placing galvanized (magnetic) metal on the inside doors, or sides of cabinet. I saw a friend do this for her makeup, reach in grab then stick back to the metal and close door, very handy for morning rush when drawers and baskets are just too much hassle.

    I've learned to keep vitamins where we'll remember to take them so the kid's vitamins are in the vanity next to their toothbrushes, but adult vitamins are in our nightstands since that is the only way we seem to remember them.

    Curling irons, hair dryers, brushes, etc are stored in the vanity drawers...that seems to be easier than placing those large items underneath the sink. However if you don't have drawers they sell wonderful holders that attach to the inside of the doors. Adding a flip out drawer on the vanity panel in front of the sink that usually is unusable is a great toothbrush storage space.

    Hope this helps! The most important thing I figured out was don't be afraid to store extras somewhere outside of the bathroom to save space, long as you place them in a container together with a label it'll stay organized and easy to access later.

    Back in our old house there was only a pedestal sink no storage, a large cabinet over the toilet was a life saver, as was using the linen closet (if you have one nearby). Never forget the valuable "hidden" storage you can create between wall studs with minor carpentery skills :) Or a shelf over the bathroom door, then place baskets for storing items not frequently used.

  • lazy_gardens
    11 years ago

    What's on the other side of that wall across from the tub?

    Can you put some "between the studs" cabinets in there?

  • sherwoodva
    11 years ago

    I see some duplicate bottles. Can you store them somewhere else and get them out when the first one is running low? That would free up some room. We have a wall of cupboards that DH built in the basement bath, so all the "extras" get stored there. But they could be stored in the laundry room, for example, if you have more space there.

    Just an FYI, your bath is much bigger than mine - you are lucky!

  • talley_sue_nyc
    11 years ago

    I've taken to keeping almost all medications (cough syrup, aspirin & other analgesics) in the kitchen, by the sink. Because, frankly, that is where I *take* them.

    Things that involve bleeding and wound care, like bandages and ointment, go in the bathroom where the floor is tile and the lighting is REALLY good.

    I would encourage you to really challenge the assumption that all that stuff belongs in the bathroom.

  • bellsmom
    11 years ago

    I just posted pics in another thread. Here's one and a link to the other thread:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Link for bathroom storage

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