Declutter Your Bathroom: 7 Simple Tips to Master Your Mess

Does your bathroom look like a drug store shelf exploded on your counter? We’ll show you how to declutter your bathroom and clear your counters with our simple step-by-step process.

Is the mess in your bathroom finally driving you crazy enough that you’re desperate to declutter?

Between the linens, toiletries, cleaning supplies, medication, cosmetics, and hygiene items, it’s amazing you can find an inch of clear counter space let alone any available storage space.

Every cabinet, drawer, nook, and cranny is stuffed to max capacity and you’re afraid to move anything due to the avalanche that’s sure to follow.

You have absolutely no idea what half of it is, and you’re not even going to try to guess what’s stuffed in the very back of the cabinet or how long it’s actually been there.

Then there’s the medicine cabinet.  Need the toothpaste?  Ha Ha – Good luck!  Beware of the Jack in the Box style clutter explosion you’re about to endure.

Every attempt to cram it all back in will be futile, so you might as well find a drawer that still closes and stuff it in there.

You just laughed out loud because that’s exactly what you did this morning.

Now that laughter is transitioning to a quiet frown because you know you need to do something about it.  The clutter seems to be affecting your entire life.

According to The Huffington Post, clutter can negatively impact your life in several ways including causing health issues.  That’s not good!

Go put on your Wonder Woman Bracelets of Submission because I’m going to tell you how to become a superhero, conquer the chaos, and declutter your entire bathroom.

beige and white clutter free bathroom tub, toilet and cabinets

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How To Declutter Your Bathroom

Bathrooms are the smallest rooms in most homes, yet they tend to accumulate tons of random stuff before anybody realizes it’s even happening.

You want to clean it out, but every time you think about decluttering the bathroom, you’re overwhelmed and have absolutely no idea where to start.

With these simple steps, you’ll have your bathroom decluttered in no time, but make sure you avoid these common decluttering mistakes.

1. Gather Your Supplies

Most bathrooms are already fairly small, so you’ll want to keep your supplies simple when decluttering.

Grab a trash can, a donation box, and a basket for the items that belong in another room. I really like a nice big rope basket because they’re flexible and hold a ton.

I usually place the trash can in the middle of the bathroom, and the donation box and storage basket just outside the bathroom door.

This leaves a little bit of room for navigating the mess without creating a bigger one.

Once you have your supplies situated, it’s time to tighten those bracelets and get decluttering.

2. Declutter Your Bathroom Countertops

You’re going to need a workspace once you start emptying drawers and cabinets, so start the project off by clearing your countertops.

Quickly scan the area and discard any immediately visible trash.

Did you notice a bunch of stuff that belongs in a drawer or cabinet?  Separate it into groups on the countertop for now.

You’re going to be emptying the cabinets and drawers out so there’s no point jamming more stuff in before you do that.

What about the things that actually belong on the counter?  Place them in their own little group in an out of the way spot until you finish decluttering the rest of the bathroom.

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3. Purge The Medicine Cabinet

Now let’s purge that jam-packed medicine cabinet.  Take everything out of the medicine cabinet and put it on the countertop.

I find the easiest place to start is checking expirations dates.  You can make quick and easy decisions that get your decluttering off to a successful start.

Toss any expired medications, first aid supplies, or toiletries.

*Random Fact: Did you know the bathroom is actually the worst place to store your medications?  Try the Pantry.

Next, sort through your duplicates.  Do you really need four tubes of chapstick or six bottles of eyedrops?  Probably not.  Toss any that are old and gunky, and donate any unopened items that probably won’t be used within the next few months.

Sort through and donate any extra first aid supplies or toiletries you don’t think you will use.

Neet to know how and where to donate stuff you declutter? This article will give you a few ideas on how and where to donate and give your clutter a new life.

Once you’ve gotten rid of all the expired and ‘won’t use’ items, see if there is anything left that doesn’t belong in the medicine cabinet.

If those extra items actually belong in the bathroom, put them in the appropriate pile or place. For items that don’t belong in the bathroom, place them in the storage basket to be moved when you’re finished with the bathroom.

Put the rest back in the medicine cabinet.

clutter free beige bathroom, toilet, cabinets and bathtub

4. Declutter Your Bathroom Cabinet And Drawers

Work through the vanity one section or drawer at a time. Empty the contents out onto the countertop so you can see what you’re working with.

Start checking dates and toss all expired items.

Decide which items don’t really belong and move them to where they do belong.

Toss any old, stretched, broken, or outdated hair accessories.  Get rid of those old nasty hairbrushes.

Throw out the old sticky cans of hairspray and those half-used bottles or tubes of hair product.

Combine any partially empty products that you still use, and trash any lotions that have gone bad or smell off.

Set aside all of those cosmetics you tried out but never really liked.  You’re honestly not going to use them, but somebody else might be able to.

Donate any lotions or perfumes that you don’t like and won’t use.

Place that entire collection of travel-size products you’ve accumulated over the years in the donate box before they all expire.

Go through your cleaning supplies and keep the minimum needed for cleaning the bathroom.  Store refills in a supply closet or in the garage.

Put away the items that made it through the decluttering.

5. Clear Out The Tub And Shower

Are you as surprised as I am at how much stuff accumulates in the shower?

The tub and shower seem to be dead zones for leftover soap pieces, half-empty bottles of shampoo and conditioner, and old used up loofas.

Every time somebody grabs a new one, they neglect to throw the old one out.

Oh well, back to the business of decluttering the bathroom.

Combine any half-empty shampoos, conditioners, and body washes.  Throw away all empty bottles.

Place all unused soap pieces in a ziplock bag so you can donate them.

Toss used razors and empty bottles of shaving cream and hair removal products.

Throw away those worn out loofas, exfoliating gloves, and old bath toys.

Get rid of any old bath salts, bubble baths and after shower sprays that you know you won’t use.

When you’re done, survey the shower and tub and make sure you only left products that are currently used.

6. Unstuff Your Linen Closet

If you’re lucky enough to have a linen closet in your bathroom (can you tell I’m jealous?), it probably holds a lot more than just linens.

They often act as more of a storage closet than a linen closet which means they accumulate a lot of stuff.

Go through your actual linens first. Throw out any tattered or stained washcloths, hand towels, and towels.

Go through your bed linens and get rid of any sheets that are tattered, torn, or stained. Donate extra sheets that are in good shape but you don’t need, especially the ones that fit your old queen mattress before you upsized!

Donate that stash of toothbrushes from the dentist that you’ve been collecting for the last several years.

Get rid of any products you purchased and didn’t like, or received as a gift but never tried. Most of these can be donated.

Get rid of anything that doesn’t belong in the bathroom and can be stored somewhere else.

7. Finishing Touches

Once the clutter’s cleared out, put your countertop items back into place.  Take one last look around the bathroom to make sure you didn’t forget to declutter anything.

I actually open each and every drawer, cabinet, nook, and cranny just to make sure I got it all.

Do you have any decluttering tips that I missed?  Share them in the comments below.

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