Organizing Your Bathroom Counter {Home Organization For People Who Aren’t Minimalists}

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I’m here to tell you that it is possible for everyone to have an organized home, no matter how much stuff you have. I am not a minimalist. I really like my stuff, and I have a lot of it, but my home is organized. Yours can be, too!

Let’s talk about your bathroom counters. For this post I’ll be referencing the actual counter around your sink area and any open shelving in the bathroom. I don’t really have a bathroom counter anywhere in our house, so I use open shelving instead.

PHASE ONE: PREPARATION

Before you begin, take a picture of the space exactly as it is – don’t clean up or move anything!

Ask yourself: What doesn’t belong here? I would suggest that would be anything you use less than 5 times a week.

Ask yourself: What do I need to make room for in this space? I would suggest that you make room for all the the items you use almost every day. It depends on how much you like to leave out – and how much room you have in your bathroom cabinets and drawers.

Personally, I like to leave all my daily makeup where I can quickly grab it. I don’t want to have to open a cabinet or pull out a basket to access my makeup. You might feel that way about your toothbrush or hair products.

PHASE TWO: ORGANIZATION

Now that you’re ready to go, work through this space using my three step method:

1. Get rid of clutter – using your answer to the first question
2. Give everything a place – using your answer to the second question
3. Leave room to grow – don’t pack it 100% full

Find more details on executing my organization method here: How To Organize Any Space In Your Home

My favorite organizing tool for the bathroom counters and open shelves? White baskets. The bathroom pictured above is the one my husband uses. His daily use items, washcloths and extra toilet paper are nicely hidden in those white bins.

I also love using pretty jars and containers for makeup brushes and hair accessories. I don’t have room for many decorative elements in my bathroom, so I use these to add texture and color.

PHASE THREE: MAINTENANCE

After you’ve completed the project, take another picture to compare with your “before” shot. I bet you’ll be so impressed with the difference!

Now that you’ve created a beautifully organized space that’s easy to access, you will want to keep it that way! Organization always requires maintenance.

Communicate the new system to anyone who uses this space. Take a few minutes as needed now and then to straighten the area – because we all know things aren’t always put away in the correct place. Periodically evaluate the space to see if it still meets your needs, and make changes if it doesn’t. No system works perfectly forever.

I have a lot of makeup, but I don’t store it all in my tiny bathroom. I keep most of it in the guest room dressing table and just keep my current favorites on hand in the bathroom (2 foundations, 2 eye shadow palettes, etc.) I find that I have to stay on top of that and make sure I’m not trying to store too much in the bathroom at one time.

Let’s enjoy your freshly organized bathroom counters together! Share your before and after photos on Instagram and tag me @homeforcomfort so that I can give you a virtual high five!

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More Help For Home Organization:

• How I Organized My Small Bathroom
• The Secret To A Tidy Home
• How I Organize My Jewelry