I am finally finished reading the Good Housekeeping article – 31 days to Decluttered – which ends in the bathroom – one of the most difficult places to keep organized especially when the whole family uses it. Check out these 6 tips…

1. Shelf Help – The first excellent suggestion is to increase space in medicine cabinets and cupboards with the use of OXO shelf-risers. Wow, I am going to go right out and get me a few of these.
2. ReRoute Meds – They say that “a steamy bathroom is probably not the best place to keep medications. Move these humidity sensitive products… and gain much-needed extra space.” Good idea if you have the space elsewhere. If you have to keep them in the medicine cabinet, definitely invest in some extra shelves (as above).
3. Banish Bottles – The suggestion is to switch to a spa-style wall dispenser for shampoos and soaps. Some people prefer these dispensers. I don’t mind the original bottles which I place in a corner basket on the bathtub. OXO has a similar bath-tub/shower organizer. They key to this type of clutter is to limit the number of products on the go at any time. I used to be a marketer’s dream and have 3 or 4 bottles of shampoo on-the-go at the same time.
4. Sink Storage – I agree with this suggestion whole heartedly: “Maximize your vanity. Use stackable plastic drawers in the dead space on either side of the bathroom sink’s plumbing”. If you do not have a vanity, you can still follow this advice by installing an under-sink shelf-unit like this one from Ikea.
5. Manage Make-up – The article shows a practical way to store make-up in a travel-ready organizer – keeping things tidy in the bathroom and on the road. But if you don’t travel much, you will still want to organize your make-up to keep the clutter “contained”. I use baskets.
6. Too Hot to Handle – The suggestion is to use melt-proof kitchen canisters to “safely hold all those still-hot hair appliances – and their dangling cords.” Any plastic or metal container will do, as long as it is melt-proof and doesn’t tip.

I was inspired by the January 2013 Good Housekeeping article because most of their 31 ideas will decrease the clutter in 5 areas of any home. It got me off to a good start assessing areas that I can improve on and also confirmed that some of my Good Housekeeping practices keep my place from being even more cluttered. However I think this is an ongoing battle for many of us, so I will continue to share good ideas as I find them in magazines or in my own home. I hope that you will find them inspiring as well, and that you will share a few of your own…

Which of these ideas have “inspired” you?

What is the biggest problem for storage in your bathroom?

What tips do you have for making this small space in your home less cluttered?