I have a plastic divider so that each item I need access to has its own home, with room to spare. I would now like to show you my fiance's drawer. Brace yourself.
Just looking at the picture makes me a little light headed. I obviously do not use this drawer or need anything out of it on a regular basis, which is the argument my fiance has when I ask if I can organize it for him. Apparently my nagging got to him and he finally agreed to let me give him a little organization. Here is the result (I stopped short of using the label maker. Didn't want to push it with him.)
Now everything has a home. Razors go in a compartment, contact lense care products in another, deo in another, and his massive collection of nail clippers have thier own home. (Still haven't figured out why one person would need that many, but I guess that will remain one of the great mysteries in life). The drawer organizers I use have a smaller tray that sits on the top. This tray can be removed and house items you may not need access to on a regular basis, but still don't want to have to hunt down when you do need it.
The organizers I used are made by Madesmart and can be found online or at Target. As I've preached before, the key to organization is having a home for everything, so these organizers do the trick beautifully. Of course, I have more beauty products than what fits in that one drawer. For the products I use on a daily basis to get ready each morning, I store them in a bucket (these are actually cutlery dividers I found in the picnic area of Target!).
One bucket holds items such as mouthwash, face cleaner, and deodorant. I have a second bucket that holds all my hair products.
These buckets can easily be pulled from the cabinet, use what I need to use, toss it back in the bucket, then put the buckets back in thier respective home under the sink.
As you can see, there isn't much else housed under there. I have a drawer organizer for all of my mani/pedi supplies, my makeup mirror, and facial steamer. But I definitely have more beauty products. Those are stored in a separate drawer, each category of product in its own container.
These containers hold the items I don't use on a regular basis, but still need to be able to find when they are needed. Coconut oil for my hair (if you haven't tried this I highly recommend it!), baby oil, foot scrubs, etc. This drawer could probably use a good purging, but no matter the level of OCD, a girl needs her beauty supplies! As far as having a bulk supply of products, I avoid that my having my current supply and one backup. For the products I use on a daily basis, I have the items I have in my shower, the items in my respective buckets, and the drawer organizer. In addition, I have one backup of each of these items in a travel case that I keep in another drawer (along with a backup hair dryer).
My "Backup Case" serves two purposes. First, if I'm taking a shower and end up using the last of my shampoo, I simply get a bottle from my backup case, then on my next trip to the store I buy a new bottle and put that bottle in my back up case. Next time I run out of shampoo, my backup case is stocked and ready to go. No need for three and four bottles wasting precious space in my bathroom, however I am always prepared. The second purpose it serves is that I never ever ever have to pack my beauty supplies to go on a trip. They are already to go. That case has every product I use on a regular basis: face cleaner, shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, razor, body wash, deodorant, body lotion, toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash. It has everything down to Qtips, cottonballs, and floss. When I go on a trip, I simply grab my case and the hair dryer and go on my merry way. (Well, in all honesty this time saver just gives me extra time to stress over what clothes to take). I grew up in a house where we had 10 bottles of shampoo, 20 tubes of toothpaste, and more hotel samples of product than I care to think about. At the same time we were a family of five sharing one small bathroom. I see that as taking up valuable storage real estate for no reason at all. I understand buying in bulk and purchasing items when they are on sale can save money, but by committing to the ''Backup Case", I allow myself the freedom to hunt for coupons and sales on items that I need without having to buy 20 of everything.
One last organizing system I employ in the bathroom is using decorative containers on the countertop to house cottonballs and Qtips. These two items have a way of taking over a bathroom drawer and somehow always get dirty or destroyed before being used. By keeping them contained out of the way of messy products, they stay useable and are convenient when needed. I found these containers at World Market.
In addition, I keep a matching box on the back of the toilet for feminine products.
Please let me know of ways in which you have organized your bathroom clutter. And if you live in the Birmingham, Alabama area and could use my help in taming any organizational issue in your home, email me at TheNeatFreakOrganizer@gmail.com.
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