In this post, I share expert tips for organizing small bathrooms and share tips from a professional home organizer (ME!) for small bathroom storage solutions. And thesesare budget and DIY organizing solutions as well!  Many of these are items that I repurposed in my own home.

But before we get started, let’s review a few decluttering and organizing basics that you can apply to any space, large or small.

Organizing Basics

1. Follow the principle of like-with-like. Just like you did in kindergarten, gather all items of a certain type together and identify where you have duplication or where things are grouped together in ways that make them difficult to find when you need them.

2. Declutter first! Before racing out to purchase organizing tools, eliminate any duplicates you own by choosing the best one and donating the rest. If the duplication makes sense (i.e. you are keeping an extra bottle of your favorite shampoo) consider whether you know to look for that item in its current location or whether there is a better place for it.

3. Keep things close to where you use them. Small spaces make this challenging, so you will need to make decisions about what to prioritize. After you have edited your collection of items, you can begin to determine the best place to store each category.

Don’t get bogged down by items that could go into more than one category. Just choose what makes sense to you now, as you can always change your mind later!

In my former home, I had very limited storage space in the bathroom and kitchen. For this reason, medical supplies were housed in the linen closet outside of the bathroom and extra canned goods were kept in a pantry downstairs. Organizing small bathroom closets may require thinking broadly about where to store items elsewhere in the home.

3 Common Small Bathroom Challenges And How To Solve Them

Small Bathroom Problem #1

Need more space for towels.

Small Bathroom Solution #1

  • Extra towel bar
  • Over the door towel rack,
  • Hooks, or
  • A 3 tier freestanding unit.

To create extra space for towels that need to dry is to install an extra towel bar in your shower or bathtub. In the photo below, an extra rod has been hung behind the shower curtain rod.

This creates additional space for hanging towels when space is limited. As a frequent swimmer, I would not consider life without this extra hanging space. It can also be used for kitchen towels that need drying (as shown here).

Another solution for not enough towel space is an over the door towel rack such as this one from Bed Bath and Beyond. At the time of this post, this handy rack is $9.99 and has three rungs. It comes in white or gray.

The small 3 tier oval rack shown below can be used to store towels, toilet paper or bath and beauty products.

Small Bathroom Problem #2

No place to store bath and beauty products.

Small Bathroom Solutions #2

  • Corner shelf unit (above)
  • Over shower hanging rack, pole,
  • Over cabinet hanging solutions.

A search for “over the cabinet door organizer” on Amazon will yield solutions of many types or you can use your Bed Bath and Beyond coupon (did you know they never expire!) to get this one.

The corner shelf unit shown below is made by Salt and can be purchased at Amazon, but you can find similar products from other sources if you look around. One of our showers has a shower head that is too large for ANY hanging solution, so I was delighted to find this two-shelf solution to create space for beauty products.

Two other excellent products to use for holding beauty products are over-shower hanging racks or a tension pole. Both can be found on-line or in many stores such as the Container Store, Bed Bath and Beyond.

Over-shower hanging racks are readily available and come in many different designs. The important thing to take into consideration is the size and nature of your shower head.

I have made the mistake several times of purchasing an over the shower hanging rack which had a top shelf which was too short to hold my bathing products. The one pictured above (left) has a lot of clearance on the top shelf and ample space on the bottom shelf, which works well in this particular shower. A wide variety of tension poles can also be found on-line or in your local stores.

Create Harmony in The Household With Expert Small Bathroom Solutions

If there are a number of people in your household and you find yourself jockeying for space for beauty products, invite one or more family members to use a handy tote and have them bring their  products into the bathroom from their bedroom when they shower or prepare for work or school.  There are numerous products available for this purpose and they come in all sizes and in lovely colors.

BONUS! Guess what:  No one else will sneak your specialty shampoo if it is not in the bathroom!

At Amazon, I got good results with this search “caddy tote.” I liked the green long handled bathroom tote above because it had tall handles. There were lots of options for under $20!

Small Bathroom Problem #3

Seriously Pam, I just need more space! Maybe this should be number 1!

Small Bathroom Solutions # 3

Find Hidden Bathroom Storage Options

Look up, down and all around!

You can make the most of every inch of a small bathroom by using the floor, the top of the toilet and the insides of shelves and doors. and spaces around and under the bathroom sink.

In the photo below, inexpensive containers are used to corral items that could be untidy if strewn across the surface. Cheap bathroom storage ideas like this will help you manage your clutter without breaking your budget!

Small Bathroom Storage Solution ~ Use The Floor!

Yes, to maximize storage in a small bathroom, you can even use the floor! In the photo below, a basket is used to hold Epsom Salts next to the bathtub and a budget towel holder keeps extra toilet paper close to where it is needed.

Small Bathroom Storage solutions ~ Walls, cabinets and back of doors

A variety of hooks and shelving can be used to maximize your walls, cabinets and doors and create extra space. Many over-the-door hooks like the ones pictured below require no installation, but there are also options that can be mounted directly onto the wall.

This over-the-door hook solution from IKEA offers 6 hooks for an investment of only $6.99. If you are not lucky enough to be near an IKEA store, a variety of hooks can be found at your local hardware or big box store.

Small Bathroom Storage ~ Inside Of Cabinets

This over-the-cabinet organizer basket from MetroDecor (lower left in the collection below) is simple and versatile and can be used for a variety of products. (Pssst – products like this can be used in your kitchen as well!)

A variety of over-the the-cabinet holders are specially designed to hold your hair dryer, curling iron, etc. All of the products pictured below are available at Amazon.

Shelf Risers: Below you can see how to make the most of vertical space in small bathroom storage cabinets by using simple shelf risers. 

These can also be used in other rooms and spaces.  They are very commonly used in kitchens and closets.

Small Bathroom Storage ~ On The Wall!

Floating shelves such as this inexpensive Lack shelf from IKEA can also make space appear like magic. This shelf and others like it do require someone handy enough to install them.

So don’t be afraid to look high, low and all around to discover clever ways to create organizing possibilities and additional storage space in your bathroom.

Bonus pro tip for organizing a small bathroom

To make a small bathtub feel bigger, a curved shower rod is a clever and budget-friendly solution.

Small Bathroom Storage Ideas: Product Roundup

If you are creative or handy, consider trying DIY bathroom storage ideas based on these solutions! Hooks, shelves, and racks can often be built with tools and supplies you already have in the house.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it on Pinterest!

Creative Small Bathroom Storage Ideas

What’s your favorite storage solution for small spaces? Share in the comments!

Are you tired of knocking over shampoo bottles when you get in the shower? What about running out of toilet paper (when the extra is down the hall!)? Get these simple solutions for small bathroom storage, so you have what you need, where you need it, all the while keeping your space clutter-free.