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My Favorite Bathroom Organizing Products

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My Favorite Bathroom Organizing Products

I enjoy organizing bathrooms because a transformation in this room can save so much time during both morning and evening routines. Setting up organized systems in a bathroom improves functionality and also makes it easier to clean. There are many helpful products available to improve organization in bathrooms. Take a look at some of my favorite bathroom organizing products.

A hanging shower caddy

A shower curtain pocket organizer

An over-the-door towel rack

A hotel style tiered towel rack

Over the cabinet door baskets

Clear bins for under the sink

Sliding drawers for under the sink

Shallow acrylic drawer organizers

Shelves above the toilet tank

An acrylic make-up organizer for the bathroom counter

A tray to hold daily supplies on the bathroom counter

A toilet paper holder

The exact size and style of organizing product you’ll want depends on the layout of your bathroom, the size of the space, and of course your personal organizing style.

For a more detailed and personalized look at what will work for you in your bathroom, feel free to contact me for a free phone consultation to discuss my virtual organizing sessions (available nationwide) or in-person organizing sessions, available in the Raleigh, North Carolina area.

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12 Reasons to Organize Your Bathroom

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12 Reasons to Organize Your Bathroom Title
There are many reasons to organize your bathroom.  Although bathrooms are often the smallest rooms in homes, a tidy and organized bathroom can make a big difference in your daily routines.  Most bathrooms can be decluttered and organized in a short time, but can result in a very positive changes in your life.

12 Reasons to Organize Your Bathroom

Less time spent searching for items

You’ll save time getting ready in the morning and before bed.  Less time searching for items such as razors, floss, toothpaste, soaps, and make-up will save you time during both your morning and evening routines.

To save time cleaning 

If your bathroom has less clutter,  there will be less time spent clearing counters and tub or shower surfaces before you start scrubbing.  Having bathroom cleaning supplies  stored together and better organized will also make cleaning faster.

Less time and money spent re-buying items you have, but cannot find

After sorting similar items together, many of my clients have found that they have months worth of supplies like soap and shampoo, so they don’t have to buy those for a a long time!

To stop running out of essentials

With more organized bathroom cabinets, drawers and closets, you’ll know when you’re about to run out of essential items such as toilet paper, and you will know when it is time to buy more.

To improve emergency preparedness

With organized first aid supplies and medications, you will be better prepared for medical emergencies.

To make it easier to have guests 

If your guest bathroom is organized and decluttered, you can have guests visit without rushing to clean or hide things away.

To simplify bath time

Organized bath toys make children’s bath time rituals less hectic and easier for everyone.

To make pet grooming easier

Organized pet grooming supplies can make dog bath time quicker and less chaotic.

Reduce family arguments

Setting up separate and organized bathroom storage areas for each person can prevent family arguments as to ownership of certain items, and disagreements about who is responsible for each space.

To be ready for plumbing emergencies

With a decluttered and organized bathroom, the plumber can more easily access your pipes to repair leaks.

Easier to redecorate

It is easier to visualize decorative changes once the clutter is gone.

To create a calming effect 

Cluttered spaces often cause anxiety.  A decluttered bathroom will help to create a more calm and peaceful feeling.

6 Bathroom Items to Declutter

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6 Bathroom Items to Declutter Title
Bathrooms are often the smallest rooms in a home and can easily become cluttered with many toiletries and other items. Here are 6 common bathroom items that can be decluttered or reduced in number to open up space in your bathroom.

  • Travel soaps, shampoos and lotions from hotel stays.  Keep only what you will use, and donate the extras to a homeless shelter.
  • Any type of hair or beauty product that you tried for a short time but no longer use.
  • Expired bottles of sunscreen.  Generally sunscreens remain effective for 3 years from the date of manufacture.  Many sunscreen containers have expiration dates.
  • Make-up that has expired. Expiration dates exist because makeup is prone to bacterial contamination, discoloration and drying out.  Some items such as mascara should be used within 3-6 months, other cosmetics such as lipstick should be used within 2 years.  If you have owned any makeup product for more than 2 years, it is time to discard it.
  • Excess cosmetic bags, the ones that often come for free with a beauty product purchase.  If you’re not using it, it may be best to give it away.

Ways to Organize Makeup

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Ways to Organize Makeup title
Organizing makeup and cosmetics can sometimes be challenging because of the number of small items and the variety of container sizes. One of the best ways to keep your makeup area organized is to continually discard old makeup or colors and types of cosmetics that you just never use.  If you limit your collection to those cosmetics you love and use frequently, and it will be much easier to manage.

Remember that makeup and skin care products do have expiration dates.  Expiration dates exist because makeup is prone to bacterial contamination, discoloration and drying out.  Some items such as mascara should be used within 3-6 months, other cosmetics such as lipstick should be used within 2 years.  If you have owned any makeup product for more than 2 years, it is time to discard it.

Be sure to purge any cosmetic bags and containers you do not use.  Many of these are offered free with purchases, but they often add to clutter.  Give away or donate any of these freebie bags that you don’t use.

When it comes to storing makeup, it really depends on the amount of space and location available.  I suggest storing makeup in a bathroom or bedroom near a well-lit mirror.

Here are some options for storing cosmetics in your home:

  • Use a makeup organizer and store it on a countertop, shelf or inside a deep drawer.
  • Repurpose an old vase, mug or other container to hold your brushes.
  • If you lack counter space, you may want to hang up a magnetic board, and glue magnets to the back of your cosmetics to keep them accessible and neatly displayed.

If you frequently travel, try some of these storage options:

Remember to empty your travel bags as soon as you return home from a trip so that a cosmetic item isn’t misplaced or forgotten about before it expires.  I hope these tips help you to better organize your makeup collection.  How do you store your cosmetics?  Please comment below.

On Task Organizing, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Organizing for Teenagers

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Organizing for Teenagers title
While organizing an entire home for families, I often work with teenagers to get their space and time in order.  If a teenager learns organizational skills, it will help them to be better organized in college and throughout their adult life.  Most teenagers I work with need help organizing their study spaces, bedrooms, bathrooms and schedules.  Here are some tips for getting organized is these areas.

Teen Study Space Organization

Designate one area to be the study space.  Depending on your home layout and your teenager’s personal preferences this could be in the bedroom, in a home office, bonus room, kitchen or dining room. A study space should contain:

  • A spacious work surface, such as a table or desk.
  • A comfortable chair.
  • Power outlets and charging cables for computers,  tablets or smart phones used for studying.
  • Access to regularly used school supplies such as pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, calculators & scissors.
  • A place to put the teen’s backpack.
  • An organized home drop zone near the most frequently used door can also help your teen’s school papers and mobile devices stay organized.

Teen Bedroom Organization

Getting out the door on time in the morning and the task of managing laundry can sometimes be a challenge for teenagers.  Add the following items to the bedroom to improve organization:

  • An alarm clock (or two). I suggest a second alarm clock placed across the room to encourage the teen to get out of bed to turn it off.
  • A dresser with drawers designated for each type of clothing.
  • A closet with clothing organized into categories such as “school clothes,” “dress clothes,” “sports uniforms,” etc.
  • Laundry baskets or hampers.
  • A shelf, bin or basket for “clerty” clothes.  These are clothes that may have been worn for a short time, but are still clean enough to be worn again before washing.

Teen Bathroom Organization

Whether the bathroom is shared or is only used by the teen, here are some items that will help keep it organized:

Teen Schedule Organization

Managing a busy schedule of school assignments, extra-curricular activities, social events and chores can be challenging.  Here are some planning tools that can help your teen keep an organized schedule:

  • Mobile calendars on a smart phone or tablet.  Some options are Google Calendar, iCal or Outlook Calendar.
  • Setting up a shared electronic calendar for the whole family can help keep everyone organized. An app such as Cozi is a great option.
  • A paper school planner, if your teen prefers using paper.
  • A large family wall calendar either on paper, or on a dry erase board or chalk board.  This is helpful in managing chores, after-school activities, and keeping track of vacations and school holidays.

I hope some of these tips will help your teenager become better organized.  Creating a place for everything and organizing common areas first is a wonderful way to encourage better organizational habits within your entire family.

On Task Organizing, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

How to Organize with Wire Shelving

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How to Organize with Wire Shelving Title
Builder’s special white wire shelving has been in numerous homes throughout my organizing career.  These are a standard in so many homes that I’ve encountered the same problems time and again.  Here are some of my tips on how to organize on those wire shelves.

 Shelf Liners

Install shelf liners like these to prevent items from falling through the cracks.  I’ve been in many pantries where bottles of oil are dripping onto other food containers because of these shelves.  I have seen clothing closets where shirts stacked on these types of shelves have permanent creases and indents.  I have found these shelves holding books and binders in office closets with paper falling through in between the wires.  In all of these situations, a shelf liner can be a quick and cost effective solution.

Bins & Containers

Use bins to contain clothing items. Choose from baskets, fabric bins, or plastic bins to help contain items and give you sturdier and portable storage on those wire shelves.

In the linen closet, try items from the collapsible brushed cotton linen closet storage collection or canvas fabric bins to hold towels and sheets on shelves.

In the pantry, try using clear plastic bins with handles, like these pantry binz to provide stronger storage, and to make it easier to see what you have.  These bins can also be labeled, making it easier to put away items.

Hanging Shelves & Hanging Baskets

The laundry room or laundry closet is another area where I constantly see one big white wire shelf. The shelf is usually too high to easily store laundry detergent and supplies.  Again, I suggest the shelf liner on the big shelf, but also a hanging shelf or a hanging basket can help to add reachable storage in the laundry room or closet.

If you are not able to replace these shelves with something stronger and more functional, try out some of these tips.  I hope that with these storage and organizing products, you will find it easier to access and store items on the wire shelving in your home.

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