These bathroom closet organization ideas will help you make the most use of a small bathroom closet. Your linen closet can store your towels, toiletries, toilet paper and more.
There are several big advantages to organizing a bathroom closet well. First, you’ll be able to put more in it. Bathroom storage is often at a premium, so you want to use the space the best way you can.
Second, you’ll be able to see at a glance what you’re out of and need to buy. This makes it easy to know when you need to restock items like toothpaste, shampoo, lotions, etc.
This can be a surprisingly fun and rewarding home organization project. With just a few storage solutions, you can turn a jumbled closet into a real asset.
The Basics of Bathroom Closet Organization
There are a few essential rules to linen closet organization.
Take Stock
Look at what you have and what needs to fit into this closet. Separate out anything that doesn’t need to be there. Add in anything you wish would fit, because maybe by the time you’re done organizing, it will!
Use Bins
Bins of some sort are very helpful for arranging your items. It might seem like they take up space, but they actually allow your closet to hold more stuff. They also catch spills.
Labeling
Label or map everything so you don’t accidentally disorganize your closet over time. This is optional, if you’re sure you’ll remember where things go and don’t share your bathroom with someone who might not.
Step 1: Declutter Your Linen Closet
First, you might as well get rid of anything you don’t need from your linen closet. Then you can really see how much space you have to work with, and what needs to be kept in it.
You might even find yourself with more room than you thought, and be able to put a few other items away!
Throw away any expired cosmetics
There aren’t a lot of hard and fast rules about products without expiration dates, but use your best judgment. If it looks or smells different than it used to, throw it out.
Get rid of anything you no longer use
Give it away if it’s in good shape. Otherwise, recycle or throw it away.
Consider getting rid of duplicate items
Do you have several nearly identical make up brushes, and always end up using the same one?. Remember the 6 Month Decluttering Rule.
Step 2: Categorize Items
Look at what you have left in the closet. You may have cosmetics, toiletries, towels, cleaning supplies, etc.
Consider where you’re going to put everything.
Most Often Used Items
Whatever you need easy access to should be at an easy height for seeing and grabbing. Less commonly used items can go on higher or lower shelves.
If you have open wire shelves, you might want to put linens above cosmetics, so that if cosmetics ever leak, they don’t get all over your linens. But a better idea is to get some bins.
Group Items by Category
You probably want to put similar items together. Cosmetics on one shelf, linens on another. And when you get to bins, one bin might be hair products and the next skin products. Categorize it anyway you like.
Toilet paper should probably go on the bottom shelf where everyone can reach it, but it’s out of the way
Step 3: Bins, Drawers and Baskets
At this point, you might need some containers to maximize your storage space and keep things from falling over or through. Especially if you’re dealing with a small bathroom closet.
Now, if you’re on a budget, you can make your own bins – sort of. Sturdy shoe boxes, parcel boxes, etc., make decent ad hoc shelving bins that can last for years. But they don’t clean up or handle spills as well as plastic.
A much better solution is clear (see-through) plastic storage bins. They hold things upright and they’re easy to clean. And because they’re clear, you can see what you have – and don’t have – at a glance.
Some great bins I’ve used:
Iris Stacking Drawers
I have had these for over a decade. The drawers pull out smoothly and they stack easily. They’re sturdy and have held a lot of weight during long distance moves. They give you easy access to items inside.
Open Plastic Bins
These storage containers aren’t in a frame like the drawers, but they are easy enough to pull out, grab what you need, and slide back into place. They clean up easily, and being clear shows what’s inside so you don’t have to hunt around.
Woven Storage Baskets.
Great for holding hand towels or bedsheets. You might think they wouldn’t hold up, but they last for ages.
Over the Door Shelves
Shelving that attaches to the bathroom closet door can maximize your storage and put often-used items right where you need them.
The storage baskets are also great for holding jars. You can buy a jar for cotton balls or swabs, or you can repurpose a condiment jar and even decorate it to make it pretty.
Step 4: Measuring
But how do you know which organizers will fit on your shelves? There’s no secret to this. You have to measure the shelves and measure your stuff.
Mostly, you should worry about the bins fitting into your closet in the way you want to arrange them. Your stuff will fit somewhere, and over time it will change anyway.
There’s some trial and error to this. But it’s not like you can make a big mistake here. A bin is a bin, and there are always ways to make them useful.
Step 5: Labels
Over time, items can migrate as you take them out and put them back. If you’re good at remembering where things go, this might not be an issue for you.
But if you’re not – or if you’re sharing a bathroom with someone who isn’t – labels are your friend. You have a couple of options here.
First, you can put labels directly on your bins and drawers and baskets so everyone knows what goes where. Or if you prefer, you can sketch a quick map of what goes where and stick it to the inside of the door or wherever is a good place for it.
Enjoy Your Organized Bathroom Closet
Now you’re ready to make use of your well-organized bathroom linen closet. Don’t be afraid to change things over time. Because everything is organized into bins, it’s easy to swap where the bins go when it makes sense.