If you’re a parent with multiple little ones, you know firsthand how quickly things can become chaotic in a shared space. From toothbrushes and bath toys to towels and toiletries, it can feel like a never-ending battle to maintain order. But fear not! Today I’m going to share some ingenious tips and tricks on how to organize and add storage to a shared kids bathroom, helping you reclaim your sanity and bring a sense of harmony to your morning routines. So let’s roll up our sleeves and get ready to transform your bathroom into an oasis of organization!
You can never have enough storage in a bathroom
Having sufficient storage in a bathroom is crucial for maintaining a clean, organized, and functional space. The bathroom is a place where we start and end our days, and clutter can quickly accumulate, leading to frustration and wasted time searching for essential items. If your bathroom is small, or your vanity lacks storage, it can make organization especially challenging.
To help relieve the storage pressure, I always recommend families look for ways to add storage or maximize the space they already have.
Here are a few easy ways to add storage:
- Add drawers or shelves to your bathroom vanity to create more linear square footage of storage
- Add a freestanding rolling cart or shelving unit to hold bathroom products or extra toilet paper
- Add shelves above the toilet to hold personal care products or towels
And here are a few ways to maximize your existing storage space:
- Use drawer dividers to carve out space in the drawers for each item
- Use labeled stacking bins under the sink to hold less frequently used items
- Use a pull out shelf to make it easy to access items that are in the very back
- Use adhesive containers on the inside doors to hold frequently used items like toothpaste or contacts
In our shared kids bathroom, I decided to tackle our storage problem by doing both: adding a shelf for additional storage space and using organizing products that maximize the storage space in an efficient way.
Add storage by adding a shelf to the bathroom vanity
When starting the reorganization of my kids shared bath I realized the first thing I needed to address in our shared kids bathroom was the lack of storage. Or maybe I should call it non-useful storage? Either way, the wide open cabinet with zero drawers and zero shelves needed some attention. While I figured adding drawers wasn’t an option, I COULD add a shelf. This would give us double the storage space we had previously and would make better use of the cavernous space under the sink.
I sketched out a plan, made a few measurements and then headed out to Home Depot to purchased a 2 ft x 4 ft melamine board. I knew I needed a bit cut off each side and since I don’t have a table saw, I asked a kind associate to make the cuts for me. Not only did this save me a ton of time, but it made it easier to get the board home. I also purchased some iron on edge for the exposed sides and some 1/4 shelf pegs to help support the shelf.
Once I got home, I tested the board to make note of how long my support posts should be. The extra pieces cut from my melamine board were approximately 2″ wide and 4″ wide, which worked out perfectly for center supports. Here’s how I supported the board inside the cabinets:
4 shelf pegs in existing holes on the outer 4 corners
1 2″ support board in the front center, hidden by the center board in the vanity
2 4″ wide support boards in the back, one on either side of the pipes to support the inside corner of each shelf
While I planned to nail the support boards to the wall, I realized that I couldn’t actually place the shelf in the cabinet without moving the support boards. It’s too tight around the water hook ups. Instead, I left the support boards loose, with the weight of the boards holding them in place. The positive of this is it makes it really easy to remove the shelf if I ever need to have a plumber work on our pipes.
As you can see, I cut notches on both boards so they can fit around the pipes. The two boards meet in the middle, but I found the crack really wasn’t noticeable once I filled the cabinet with storage containers. To minimize the look of the cut particleboard, I added iron on melamine edging to the front of each shelf.
Kids bathroom organization – give everything a home!
After building the shelf, I turned my eye towards adding functional organization for all the hair, bath and tooth care products that needed to be stored in the vanity. The goal for an organized bathroom is to have a specific, designated home for everything. But how do you actually do that?
I follow a simple method – take everything out, sort by category, and then make a list of every category. Once I have a list of categories, I start researching storage container options and sketch out a layout. I make sure I have a container for every category.
Before I fill my organizing containers, I always “dry fit” the containers to double check that they will work in the space. This helps me find the perfect arrangement and get a sense for how the finished cabinet will look. Once I’m happy with how it all looks, I start filling the bins.
Where does everything go?
On the right side of the cabinet, I used the newly created shelf to store extra towels and washcloths. Below the shelf, I used 3 deep divided bins on wheels to organize bath toys, hair products, and bath and body products. These bins span the entire drawer depth and pull out with just one finger, making it easy to access the contents.
The dividers are adjustable, so you can create large or small containers depending on what you are organizing. Perhaps my favorite part is that our bath toys are now organized by type, instead of tossed into one giant mixed bin. Is it a bit much to organize bath toys? Maybe, but it makes my life easier when I can find the letter “N” quickly while my daughter is yelling from the tub.
On the left hand side I used clear storage drawers to organize items according to function: dental care, hair care, first aid and travel.
The larger drawer holds hair care products that we use every day. The drawer makes it easy to access and I’ve even seen my daughter put things back all on her own (gasp!)
The first aid drawer holds band aids, nail clippers, and an ice pack. Please note that I keep medicines up on a high shelf in our hall closet. Even though my kids are older (5 & 9) I still think it’s safer to keep medicines out of reach for any children who may visit our house.
Each child has their own drawer for their own toothbrush, toothpaste and flossers. After the winter we had, I am all about doing anything possible to reduce the spread of colds in our own home. Non-shared dental products seems to help so I will continue to do it!
And the travel drawer holds travel kits for each child, plus a haircare kit. These are ready to go, so all we have to do is grab our travel kits and everything we need is packed.
A quick and easy way to organize hair clips, bows and hair bands is with a divided lazy susan. This make it SO easy for my daughter to find what she wants to wear in her hair each day and means less struggle for mom, which is a total win in my book.
Here’s a list of products I used in this bathroom:
Bathroom shelf
Organization
(1) divided turntable (similar)
(2) clear stackable large shoe drawer (for first aid and travel)
(1) clear stackable shirt and accessory drawer (used for hair products)
(2) clear stackable small shoe box drawer (used for dental care products)
(1) metal basket
set of (4) clear zippered travel containers
Decor
Having enough storage helps to keep everything in its rightful place but also maximize the available space, making the most of even the smallest bathrooms. From neatly arranging toiletries, towels, and cleaning supplies to providing designated spots for hair tools, bath toys, and personal care items, a well-designed storage system promotes efficiency, reduces stress, and creates a visually pleasing environment. By investing in practical storage solutions, you can transform your bathroom into a sanctuary of order and tranquility.
Happy organizing!
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