ORGANIZE THIS - Home October 2004

Beat Bath Clutter - Tips for organizing a medicine cabinet and vanity

The master bath is where most of us begin our days. It's best to make the time there as hassle-free as possible. "The last thing you want when you wake up with the sniffles is to be scrambling for the cough medicine," says Linda Rothschild, above, a professional organizer in New York City. We tagged along with Rothschild to a home in Pittstown, New Jersey, where she brought swift order to an overtaxed medicine cabinet and bathroom vanity. Among the maxims heard that day: "just because it fits, doesn't mean it works." (In other words, don't store necklaces in the medicine cabinet.) Read on to learn Rothschild's other suggestions for organizing a bathroom, from above the vanity to under it's sink.

Produced and written by Dan DiClerico
Styled by Simone Uranovsky
Photographed by Eric McNatt

 

CABINET DECISIONS

ELIMINATE expired products. Medicines are the obvious out-of-daters, but ven cosmetics have a shelf life - two years on average, through mascara can dry out after just three months

GROUP items by category. Everyday things, like razors and deodorant, belong on the easy-to-reach bottom shelf while little used (hopefully, anyway) first aid supplies go up top.

DISPOSE of oversize packaging and put goods in more compact containers. Six-ounce acrylic cups, for instance, take up less space then bulky Q-tips boxes, plus they are easier to access.

RELOCATE breakables, such as glass perfume bottles and cosmetics jars, as well as any delicate jewelry, to a vanity drawer. This will prevent accidents and reduce clutter in the cabinet.

VANITY REVISIONS

CREATE zones for supplies kept under the sink - say, one for personal hygiene products, another for toilet paper and stock items, and a third for cleaners and disinfectants.

CHOOSE storage devices that maximize awkward spaces. Adjustable undersink shelves fit around pipes, while pullout baskets keep like items together and slide in and out on runners for easy access.

CONSOLIDATE multiples of the same product in clear containers. Not only does this ward off clutter but it allows you to take inventory easily and avoid buying duplicates.

LIMIT items on countertops to a few everyday essentials and decorate with an unobtrusive floral arrangement or low-profile aromatic candle.

 

PRODUCT PICKS

Expand-A-Drawer vanity organizer. $14. Organize-It: 800-210-7712, organizes-it.com.
Bath-turn rotating cabinet. $114, Topdeq; 866-876-3300, topdeq.com.
Hair-care organizer. $7. The Container Store; 888-266-8246, containerstore.com.
Undersink shelving unit. $15. Clever Gear; 800-829-2685, clevergear.com