Avoid Bathroom Clutter Traps

Throughout the house there are certain areas that just seem to accumulate clutter. One of those areas is the bathroom. It is a limited space in which we accomplish varied tasks and need to store a variety of items. The things we store in the bathroom fall into four categories: medicines and pharmaceuticals, toiletries and make-up, supplies, and appliances. The key to orderly storage and easy access is to group by function and not by type. For instance, you may use a hot lather machine, disposable razors an aftershave and occasionally, a styptic pencil to shave in the morning. You may also have an electric razor that you use routinely or occasionally. If you create a shaving kit and store these items together, you can more efficiently pull them out when you are ready to use them -and put them away when you are finished. Otherwise you may be tempted to leave an item or two on the counter space. Grouping the items according to function saves time and energy. Try grouping them in a clear shoebox and storing on an enclosed shelf or deep drawer.

Apply this same principle to fashion a first aid kit that includes Band-Aids, antiseptics, bandages and an analgesic. Gather and store supplies for dental hygiene. You can also put together a makeup kit with the cosmetics you use on a daily basis, so you can apply and fly to your next appointment.

There are many storage items that are available to organize your bathroom accoutrements. Also look outside the traditional bathroom storage systems to coral functional items. If you take a lot of pills or dietary supplements the four-drawer spice rack with slide-out and flip-down drawers provides a handy way to organize the bottles. Look at cabinet plate organizers or over the cabinet mail racks to separate and store flat bubble packs. Also investigate slide-out wire racks in various dimensions to store supplies in narrow spaces and under the sink.

If you need a place to sit, a place to store and a flat surface to keep a few things handy, take a look at the telephone bench/storage cabinet at www.Solutions.com. It has a cushioned seat, a flat table surface and two hidden storage compartments.

Whatever innovative solutions you design, remember to keep items together to perform a task and keep the kits you create close to the point of activity. That will make it easier to avoid clutter.

Check out the products mentioned at the following web sites:
www.Solutions.com
www.Grandinroad.com
www.taylorgifts.com


Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransition.net

Hanging Towels, Toilet Paper and Laundry

Do you notice all the stuff that hangs around your bathroom? Towels and washcloths are usually ready to dry us off or drying out from the last use. Toilet tissue is resting in some handy spot within arm’s reach of the commode, and perhaps damp hosiery or lingerie, too delicate for the dryer, is draped across some inconspicuous hanger. All of this stuff takes up space and can contribute to a clutter filled bath. Storage solutions are available even for small spaces with little room for mounting hardware.

Towels and wash cloths can fit right on the front of cabinet doors with the clip on towel ring from Get Organized and Home Trends offers several options for hanging towels on shower doors or on a shower rod extension that is pressure mounted without tools. There are also descending hangers that fit on the door hinges and Home Decorators carries a standing tiered towel stand that works well in bathrooms with floor space but not much wall space. On the more expensive side, Hammacher Schlemer offers an English Heated Towel Stand that warms the towels to a comfy 120 degrees. Dry towels can be rolled and stored in decorative baskets or kept in an attractive box or storage bench.

Toilet paper stands that have the added benefit of an attached magazine rack are available at several retailers and matching canisters that attractively store toilet tissue are also sold. One standing tissue holder from Home Decorators has a magazine rack and storage space for two extra rolls of toilet tissue. It takes up less than a square foot of floor space.


When you have tidied up the towels and sequestered the tissue, you may still have to find a spot to dry a few items in the bathroom space. If the shower rod extension is not a viable option for you, there are several other products that might work. Home Trends has an instant clothesline like the ones in many seaside hotel rooms that mounts on one side of the wall and can be pulled to a spot as much as 60 feet away. They also carry clothes pin hangers and an insta-hanger that folds flat when not in use.

These tools can make a big difference in keeping your bathroom neat and free of clutter.

Check out the following sites for products:
Hammacher.com
HomeDecorators.com
ShopGetOrganized.com
Solutions.com
ShopHomeTrends.com


Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organizing the Bathroom

The bathroom is for _______________. Fill in the blank: bathing, elimination, relaxing, reading, drying hair, putting on make-up, storing necessary supplies, hanging laundry, draping towels, keeping dirty clothes until wash day and lots of other things. We have even known folks who used bathrooms for clothes storage, office space, libraries and junk rooms.

Garden baths, sunken baths and mega baths grace many newer homes. But those of us who live in older homes or small spaces face a challenging proposition when it comes time to organize the stuff we need in the bathroom. Fortunately there are organizing tips and available products that help keep the space uncluttered and the items we need accessible.

The first principle for small spaces is small quantities. Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, beauty products and other necessary items should be stored in modest amounts. In very limited space, one to use and a back up is a good principle to follow. Another principle for small spaces is stack if you can. Under sink space can be maximized by using wooden or metal stacking shelves. The under counter corner shelf from Get Organized fits most cabinets. If you have an old fashioned sink with no cabinet underneath, Home Trends sells a sink skirt that is easy to install and allows for hidden storage under the sink. The covered storage space can hold baskets, boxes or bins that will divide you necessities into accessible groupings. These same containers can help group items on counts tops.

There are a host of choices for creating shelving in tubs or showers. If you are faced with the added dilemma of living in a space where you cannot or would rather not permanently mount shelves, look at the standing metal shelf from Home Decorators or the corner bath and shower shelves from various vendors listed below. Very attractive teak and chrome shelves on a tension pole can be found at Hammacher Schlemmer. The shelves can hold the shampoo, soap, shower cap and other bathing necessities. Mirrors that hang on shower heads and have a space for razors and cream are available and provide a handy grouping for guys who shave in the shower.

Click in next time to explore ways to hang towels, store toilet paper and dry hand washables.

Check out the following sites for products:
Hammacher.com
HomeDecorators.com
ShopGetOrganized.com
Solutions.com
ShopHomeTrends.com


Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net