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I've always shared a bathroom at every stage of my life—from childhood with my sister to college dorms, post-college roommates, and now with my husband and kids (yes, our family of four has shared one bathroom for the past eight years!). At each phase, storage has been a challenge, whether it's managing hair tools or bath toys.
But gaining control over these items can offer both a visual and mental relief, says Kelley Jonkoff, a professional organizer and founder of Unfolde, an organizing company based in Raleigh, North Carolina. “The bathroom is where we prepare for the day and unwind from it,” she says. “It’s a space for reflection, so it can become overwhelming if it’s too messy or cluttered.”
To assess your storage needs, start by taking stock of what you have. “The first step is to declutter and minimize,” Jonkoff suggests. Keep only the essentials you use daily—extra towels or soap can be stored in a nearby closet, if possible. Then, discard items you don’t use anymore. “People often hold on to skincare, makeup, or hair products they’ve tried, even if they don't work for them,” Jonkoff explains. “There’s a lot of trial and error, and people sometimes think, 'I spent so much on this, I should keep it'. But keeping these items only adds to the clutter and increases stress. Think of your bathroom as a peaceful retreat, a place where you nurture yourself.”
If space is extremely tight, consider whether there are other places in your home that could house everyday items. “For instance, many people store vitamins and supplements in the bathroom, but it might make more sense to keep them in the kitchen, where you make your morning coffee,” Jonkoff adds.
Once you’ve figured out what you need to store, there are plenty of tools available to help organize skincare, makeup, hair products, towels, and other bath essentials. Whether you're sharing your space or have limited room, these smart bathroom storage solutions will help streamline your routine and keep everything within easy reach.
1. Adjust the Shelves in Your Medicine Cabinet
If you have a medicine cabinet, Jonkoff recommends adjusting the shelves to suit your specific needs. “This makes it easier to optimize the space,” she explains. For example, you can move the shelves higher to accommodate lotions or hair products, or keep them lower for jars, creams, or medications. “Since this is the most accessible space, try to store your daily-use items here,” Jonkoff advises.
2. Use Bins Inside Your Medicine Cabinets
target.comOnce you've adjusted the shelves, take your organization a step further: Use slim bins for items like makeup brushes, toothbrushes, tweezers, or small ointments that can easily be grouped together. Jonkoff prefers clear, small bins because they make it simple to locate what you need.
3. Install a Shelf on the Wall Near Your Sink
“Shelves are perfect, especially for everyday items,” Jonkoff explains. Many of her clients utilize the wall next to the sink for daily skincare products, toothbrushes, toothpaste, medications, or other frequently accessed items. “This setup is particularly beneficial for people with executive function or neurodivergence challenges, as it places your essentials right in front of you,” she adds.
A simple picture ledge or spice rack may be just what you need. One thing to remember: just because something is used often doesn’t mean you want to have it on display all the time (think: toenail clippers, Tums). In these cases, she recommends: “Showcase your beautiful skincare products instead.”
4. Keep Your Most-Used Items Within Easy Reach
westelm.comIf a medicine cabinet is unavailable (or already overflowing), think about adding narrow shelves on an open wall to keep your frequently used items within easy reach. Shelves with a lip or rail can be particularly helpful to prevent items that may get wet from sliding off. Another alternative is a shallow cabinet with doors, just deep enough to store makeup and skincare essentials.
5. Add Freestanding Storage Above the Toilet
urbanoutfitters.comIf drilling into your walls isn’t an option, consider a freestanding storage unit that fits over the toilet. A sleek, minimalistic design with a slim profile offers a contemporary solution.
6. Use Shelf Risers Inside Vanity Cabinets
“Many people don’t fully utilize the vertical space in their under-sink cabinets,” Jonkoff observes. She suggests using shelf risers to maximize the full height of the space. Jonkoff prefers to store less frequently used items here since bending and reaching multiple times a day can become uncomfortable. “I keep things like a waxing kit or nail polish in this area,” she says.
7. Use Bins Inside Vanities
amazon.comAbove or below the shelf risers, use bins to organize smaller items, making them easier to pull out and identify. “I store hair products on their sides in bins, since they are tall and tend to topple over,” Jonkoff explains. She prefers stackable clear bins with pull-out drawers for maximum accessibility to the items inside.
8. Organize Vanity Drawers with Compartments
“People often stuff things into drawers, making it difficult to locate what they need,” Jonkoff explains. To solve this, use small bins or dividers to optimize the space and fit more items inside. “Maximizing space is key,” she says, noting that she uses graph paper to plan the drawer layout. She particularly likes shallow drawer organizers with rubber feet to prevent slipping. Alternatively, you can repurpose small boxes you have on hand as organizers (“Apple product boxes work great,” she adds).
9. Store Makeup in Transparent Bins
For deeper drawers, use taller transparent bins to store small items like makeup and serums, keeping them vertical and organized. “These Home Edit bins are my favorite for in-drawer makeup storage, especially when paired with the matching bin dividers,” Jonkoff shares. Their compact size makes them easy to access while applying makeup, and simple to put away afterward.
10. Use a Shelf Liner
While bins are useful, it's uncommon to find a set that fits your drawer layout perfectly. To complement the bins, Jonkoff recommends using a shelf liner with a slightly tacky texture to prevent items from sliding around. “Plastic works particularly well because it’s resistant to water damage,” she advises.
11. Hang Baskets Over the Door for Hair Tools
amazon.comIn spacious vanities, Jonkoff finds over-the-door baskets an excellent solution for storing items that don't fit easily in drawers, like hair tools. “They help keep everything organized and prevent cords from becoming a tangled mess,” she says.
12. Incorporate Slim Rolling Shelves
ikea.comvesken white shelf
13. Opt for Vertical Shower Caddies
simplehuman.comThe tub or shower area can become disorganized quickly, so Jonkoff suggests being intentional about what you store there. “This is a space for only the products that actually work, not the ones you wish worked,” she says. “To keep things visually tidy and easy to clean, it’s best to limit the items you store here—keep backups and occasional-use products, like hair treatments, out of the shower.” For items you use daily, Jonkoff prefers using over-the-shower caddies or corner tension pole caddies, depending on your tub or shower setup.
14. Install Hooks
Though less is often more, Jonkoff recommends adding a suction hook or Command bath hook inside the shower to hang “strategic items” like a loofah or pumice stone that need to dry between uses.
15. Opt for Smaller Products
While buying jumbo-sized shampoo and body wash from a warehouse store may seem like a steal, it might not be the ideal fit for your shower space. “Those oversized containers can be a trap!” Jonkoff warns. Instead, consider how fast you go through products and whether the savings really outweigh the clutter that comes with storing them.
16. Make Use of the Back of Doors
For wooden doors, simple two-prong metal hooks that match your existing bath hardware can free up space for towels and robes. For kids, position the hooks at a lower height so they can easily grab their items. (If you’re sharing, install both high hooks for adults and low hooks for the little ones.) For hollow-core doors, a heavy-duty adhesive hook is a great alternative.
17. Outsource Your Backup Products
If you have available closet or storage space nearby, consider transforming it into a linen closet to store additional bath towels or bulky items. Even positioning a compact cabinet just outside your bathroom door can help create more space and make your bathroom feel less cramped.
