5 Tips For Organizing Your Bathroom Vanity

Toilet paper, Q-tips, makeup, toothbrush, and soap all belong in the bathroom, but making sure all those little things are in one place and easily accessible without looking messy can be a tall order. According to Pristine Home, a cluttered bathroom can be a breeding site for mold, mildew, and other yucky bacteria that loves a damp environment. A cluttered space causes stress and imbalance, which can also impact mental health.

However, an organized and clean bathroom vanity can make for a more leisurely morning and nighttime routine. With the hustle and bustle of mornings and the stress at the end of the day, a vanity that makes getting ready for work and sleep easier can be so helpful. There are so many organizers out there that range in price, size, and assembly that it can be tough to figure out which one works best for your space. That's why we've got five easy tips for organizing your bathroom vanity that will make an immediate difference in how you approach the space, time and time again. Read on to see our pointers.

The first step to an organized and clean vanity is to see what you already have in it. Taking everything out allows you to see what you really want to keep and which items should be thrown out. According to The Container Store, half-empty bottles of hairspray or broken hand soap pumps should be thrown out or used quickly so as not to take up precious space. The items on hand should be functional and used often.

Once you have everything in sight and out of the cabinet and drawers, you'll have a better idea of where everything should go. Keep a trash bag handy in order to organize everything into a "keep," "donate," or "throw-away" pile. Pay attention to the "keep" pile as that will need a place either on your counter or in a cabinet. You'll be surprised by how cathartic this process is and how much better you'll feel after going through your vanity items. Knowing what you have to put away makes the process so much easier.

Remember when you moved out of an apartment or home and needed to clean the rooms before you turned in the key? Gear with the same mindset when cleansing the bathroom vanity. A deep cleaning session on an empty bathroom ensures all the mold, mildew, dust, and dirt are removed and the walls are cleaned before placing all the items back. Not only will you know what you have in the bathroom, but you'll likely use it up more frequently, eliminating that half-empty-bottle situation.

According to Vevano, keeping the vanity clean can really make a difference in the lifespan of the sink, cabinets, and countertops. So that new marble countertop you spent weeks researching can really last if cleaned properly and consistently. If looking to remodel the bathroom vanity soon, this will also help determine what section of the room (whether the cabinets or countertops) needs the most space to design around.

Once you take everything out, see what you really use on a daily basis and what you use on special occasions or for a night out. For example, if you don't use hairspray on most days except when you know you'll be outside in humid weather, there is no reason to have that product sitting front and center on your vanity. The same idea goes for that face wash you apply twice a day that is sitting in the back of the cabinet and needs to be pulled out constantly. Placing that in eyesight makes the morning and night routine so much easier. Give yourself a helping hand with those super early groggy mornings.

Clutter suggests assigning everything a place, so you know where to look when you need something. For example, extra bars of soap, toilet paper rolls, bulk bandages, and hand soap can go in the back cabinet since they are not used daily but still belong in the bathroom. By having those things in a place that can be accessed when needed and hidden when not, you won't have to go looking for a new roll of toilet paper at an inconvenient time or buy a bulk size of bar soap because you forgot you already bought it last month and now need to make space for it.

Next on the list for organizing your bathroom vanity is taking a closer look at your morning and night routine. If it helps, write down that process from start to finish, including the products you use, where in the bathroom they're needed, and how long you spend on a certain task. Also, take into account who else is using the bathroom as the process would be different for kids getting ready for bed, for example.

Once you have that process written down, take the time to organize the countertop with the essentials that you and your loved ones frequently use — face wash, deodorant, toothbrush, hand soap, etc. Don't forget to check the expiration date and put those front and center, as Real Homes recommends. Next, save the hair products (unless used every day) in a cabinet for easy access, and the little items like hair clips, hair ties, and Q-tips in a drawer with inserts, which you can find at your local retail store. Again, there are plenty of options you can find to organize your essentials, the key being to place them in a spot that's easily accessible. The last thing you want is a beautifully organized counter, cabinet, and drawer, only to have it return to a cluttered mess because the items you use often weren't accessible.

This is the fun part when you can look for pretty containers and dishes to organize and elevate the space. For example, you can get some glass jars with pretty lids to store the Q-tips and cotton balls, while small decorative dishes can be used as a catch-all for daily jewelry.

One tip is to avoid getting a ton of décor and containers for your countertop, as it can have the opposite effect and make the cabinet look cluttered. Pick two or three functional items that match your décor style. If you want to add a touch of color, greenery is ideal, so get some indoor plants that will thrive in a humid environment and hang them so they don't take up any space.

According to Well + Good, a functioning cabinet that is customized to fit your needs can be so good for your mental health that using it might even become your favorite part of the day. We hope these tips help elevate your bathroom vanity to a next-level space of convenience, peace, and functionality.