10 Tips to Organize a Family Bathroom

Trying to manage the items of multiple family members is one of the many difficult tasks that running a household entails. Since the bathroom is generally the smallest room in the home, keeping it neat and tidy is a part-time job.

However, there are many ways to organize this room to maintain order while making towels, toiletries and other bathroom items accessible to family members both big and small.

If you’ve been hoping to reorganize this space, but haven’t been quite sure where to start, we’ve got you covered! Read on to find our useful and creative tips on how to make your family bathroom organized while keeping things fun. 

Here are 10 ways to organize your family bathroom!

1) Purge to Control Clutter

source: Flickr, filmleri korku

It is common for bathroom products to build up. Maybe you've found a better shampoo while the last bottle is still half full, the cabinet is full of expired medicines or you buy multiple rebrands of the same item. Whatever the case, it is important to purge bathroom products every now and again to free up both storage and counter space. Throw away the candle that’s been sitting on the sink collecting dust, or other unnecessary knick-knacks sitting around. If you aren't going to use it in the immediate future, it's best to get rid of it and make room for something useful.

2) Creative Towel Storage Solutions

If your bathroom isn't quite big enough to hold the wet towels of all family members, consider installing a dual shower-curtain rod and towel bar. This inventive idea will offer an extra place to hang kids' towels or other wet items that might accumulate in warmer months, allowing them to drip into the tub below. It would be worth considering mounting the towels backwards so that towels hang behind the shower curtain. Another option worth trying would be to hang hooks at different heights around your washroom, letting each individual hook stand in for each specific family member.

3) Bath Toy Bags

Parents know that bath time can get out of control, with multiple toys taking up space in the tub. Once the bath is over, it becomes a struggle to find a place to put all those toys.

A simple solution to this issue is to grab a laundry lingerie bag, attaching the end to a suction cup and simply sticking it and letting it hang somewhere beside the tub. Not only will this be easily accessible, but it will also allow toys to hang dry. 

4) Hang Small Bathroom Storage Units

If your bathroom is low on counter space or under the cabinet storage, consider installing small hanging storage units over the sink or beside the tub. Mason jars work wonders for this DIY project, especially when attached to a salvaged and stained piece of wood. Fill these with necessary items that are used every day, such as cotton swabs, toothbrushes and toothpaste, soaps, salts, nail clippers and brushes.

Or, assign a jar to each child, and they'll be able to put all of their items into a personalized storage unit. Instead of mason jars, a repurposed planter box works as well! Just make sure that the planter box is stained so if water gets embedded, the entire unit doesn't rot. 

5) Skip Tradition

source: Flickr, Pure Student Living

When it comes to organizing your family bathroom, try thinking outside of the box! Instead of installing traditional cabinets, consider a more casual and fun approach. Try open shelving units, potentially repurposing a ladder to maximize space above and around the toilet. If you have small children in your home, open shelving will make things easier for them to find what they're looking for instead of having them root underneath sink cabinets around dangerous cleaning chemicals.

6) Baskets, Baskets, Baskets!

In a family bathroom, it is important to have as little clutter on surfaces as possible, and therefore, baskets are an excellent option for bathrooms in numerous ways. Firstly, consider installing baskets in place of shelving units, securing them to the wall in an open shelving style format. Next, think about using waterproof baskets for all your shower supplies.

Skipping the shower caddie and using a basket in place of leaving individual bottles out makes it much easier to clean the bathroom, and helps to avoid making a mess during bath time. Lastly, consider storing items that hang out on shelves, window sills and tub rims in baskets, either underneath the sink or in the baskets you may have secured on the wall. 

7) Colour Coding

If you have multiple children, having colour coded storage units for them to place individual items into is a creative way to keep things organized while adding an element of amusement. Consider colour coded units with lids that can slide onto bathroom shelves or below the sink, and allow for items that are safe enough that units can be accessed by kids even when they’re in the bathroom alone.

Also, try colour coding towels with hanging loops, this way family members won't confuse which towel belongs to whom. Adding an element of entertainment to being in the bathroom might encourage kids to clean up after themselves, or here’s hoping!

8) Magnetic Organizers

If using small storage containers doesn’t work for your household, why not try magnetic strips as another fun way to keep things neat and tidy. You can save on counter space by sticking magnetic strips behind the sink or installing magnetic hooks allowing toothbrushes, nail clippers, scissors, mirrors, combs and other stackable items to hang freely. Just make sure that with small children in the home, you keep dangerous items out of reach from their wandering hands.

9) Use Drawer Dividers

Bathroom drawers can get particularly unkempt, with everything thrown into them and forgotten. However, installing drawer dividers can quickly curve this problem. Wooden boxes and trays can be found in assorted sizes and can help to organize and categorize all the assorted items shoved away in that drawer.

Also, if you’ve got little ones in the home, this can help them to easily locate something in a messy drawer rather than having to dig through and risking slivers or injuries. Just make sure your children are briefed that everything goes back into its rightful place.  Another option to consider is to include a free-standing shelving unit, where each drawer belongs to a family member. This way, items don't get confused between individuals. 

10) Cleaning Kits

Of course, cleaning the bathroom is the worst thing about owning one, it’s a job that no one ever wants to take on. However, if cleaning could be made fun, maybe the entire family could get involved! Create colourful cleaning kits for the children, replacing harsh bathroom chemicals with vinegar and water in spray bottles, alongside rubber gloves and scrubbers.

Getting children into the habit of cleaning at an early age will encourage them to be helpful around the home. Store small pails with supplies under the sink, or install hooks to have them hang in a discrete place. That way, if they see a stain, they might just feel like taking care of it right away!

To see examples of bathroom renovation projects completed by RenoQuotes.com contractors, check out our article 10 examples of bathroom renovation projects.