4 Small Bathroom Organization Hacks

Is anyone else wondering how to organize a small bathroom and, more importantly, keep it that way? We just had this issue and figured it out. How to maximize space in a small bathroom is no easy question. It requires creativity and certain tools. If you look closely at the pictures, you can tell we attempted to organize the cabinets below our sink with fancy organization equipment, but it didn’t solve the problem. We needed a new system to know how much we really needed and how much could be put away in storage or thrown away.

Here are some things that did:

• We committed to decluttering together.
• We set a time limit and made it a game.
• We started with half a plan.
• We discussed routines and committed to holding each other accountable.

We committed to decluttering together. It was amazing to see there were things we liked to have in case of an emergency but realized we didn’t need as much, or some of the items didn’t need to be stored under the bathroom sink. Some things were really hard to make decisions on, but in the end we were able to help each other let go of things we didn’t need and have conversations on how the organization of the room would affect both of us.

This sense of unity gave us more counter space and increased our commitments to keep it organized for the other person.

We set a time limit and made it a game. I tend to take cleaning too seriously, but my wife made it more enjoyable. Luckily my parents live close by, and they were able to watch the kids so we could have 2 hours of uninterrupted cleaning time. This helped us be decisive and efficient. We also had a timer going with a goal to get it done as quickly as we could. The added dimension made it a fun challenge and was more than just cleaning and organizing. In the end we still have some things we could polish and even space for decorations, but we were easily able to write those items down on our to-do list for another day. The bathroom was not “perfectly” finished but is far more functional than before.

We started with half a plan. We found a really cool small shelf for the bathroom that was organized, looked nice, and allowed us to use space we wouldn’t have been able to use before. The best part is that it uses a strong adhesive, so no drilling was required. We didn’t have a full plan and probably would have spent too much time constructing a “perfect” plan, but knowing just one part gave us the confidence to start and the flexibility to figure the rest out as we went.

We discussed routines and committed to holding each other accountable. We set specific rules and responsibilities to keep things clean and then have them added to a cleaning calendar to remind us of our new routines. Today was bathroom day, a day I usually dread cleaning the bathroom, but it was a breeze. Our purpose of organizing our bathroom was mostly to make it safer and keep things out of reach for our toddler, but it has reduced cleaning time and given us a room to have peace as well. I would never have thought our small bathroom would be a peaceful room.

If we were to do it again

Before we started I wish I had known more of how to maximize wall space. Anything that can go on the wall and off the counter should. I also wish I had some better under-sink shelves. The small bathroom shelves in place are great for cabinets but not so much for under the sink. The next projects for the bathroom would be the under-sink shelves and making a potty training space. 

I think if we had to do it again we would do it the way we did it. This experience has really excited us as we commit to keeping the bathroom organized and look forward to organizing the next part of our house.