A small, cluttered bathroom can be a stressful way to start and end your day. When every surface is covered and you can’t find what you need, your personal sanctuary can quickly feel more like a chaotic closet. But the good news is, you don’t need more square footage to have a functional and serene bathroom—you just need smarter organisation.
Learning how to organise a small bathroom is about maximising every inch of space you have. With a solid plan and some clever solutions, you can transform the chaos into a calm, orderly oasis. Here are seven steps to reclaim your space and create a bathroom you’ll love.
The Golden Rule: Declutter Before You Organise
You cannot organise clutter. This is the most crucial step, so don’t skip it. Before you buy a single basket or shelf, you need to know what you’re actually keeping.
- Empty Everything: Take every single item out of your vanity, medicine cabinet, shower, and off every surface.
- Sort and Categorise: Group similar items together (makeup, skincare, hair products, medicine).
- Purge Ruthlessly: Toss anything that is expired, broken, or you haven’t used in the last six months. Relocate items that don’t belong in the bathroom.
7 Smart Ways to Organise a Small Bathroom and Maximise Space
Once you’re left with only the essentials, it’s time to give everything a proper home.
1. Go Vertical: Utilise Your Wall Space
In a small room, the only way to go is up. Your walls offer a goldmine of storage potential. Install floating shelves above the toilet to hold decorative baskets, towels, and plants. A slim, wall-mounted cabinet can hide away less attractive items, while an over-the-toilet storage unit (an étagère) provides multiple tiers of shelving without drilling into the walls.
2. Master Your Vanity and Sink Area
The vanity is prime real estate. To keep the countertop clear, use drawer dividers to create specific compartments for makeup, dental care, and daily essentials. Under the sink, use stackable clear bins or a pull-out organiser to make it easy to see and reach everything. Keep only daily-use items like hand soap on the counter, preferably corralled on a small, stylish tray.
3. Optimise the Shower and Bathtub
Bottles cluttering the corners of your shower are a common problem. Solve this with a good shower caddy. A tension rod caddy that fits in the corner offers multiple shelves without drilling. For a more minimalist look, use waterproof adhesive wall pods or a simple hanging caddy that slips over the showerhead. This keeps everything off the floor and within easy reach.
4. Use the Back of the Door
Don’t forget this often-overlooked storage space. An over-the-door hanging organiser with clear pockets is perfect for storing hair tools, brushes, and backup toiletries. Alternatively, simply adding a few hooks or a towel bar to the back of the door provides much-needed space for hanging towels and robes, freeing up precious wall space.
5. Choose Smart, Multi-Functional Furniture
If you have a little bit of floor space, choose furniture that works hard. A slim rolling cart can be tucked beside the toilet or vanity, holding extra toilet paper, cleaning supplies, or guest towels. A small bench can provide seating as well as a lower shelf for storage. A leaning ladder shelf offers a stylish, non-permanent way to add multiple levels of display space.
6. Divide and Conquer with Bins and Baskets
This is a core principle of organisation. Grouping items in containers creates a clean, uniform look and makes things easy to find. Use clear acrylic bins inside drawers so you can see the contents at a glance. On open shelves, use beautiful woven baskets or fabric bins to hide away visual clutter like extra toilet paper, cleaning supplies, or less-used products.
7. Decant and Label for a Cohesive Look
For a final touch that makes a huge visual impact, decant your liquids. Pour your hand soap, lotion, shampoo, and conditioner into uniform, matching dispenser bottles. Add minimalist, waterproof labels. This simple step instantly reduces the “visual noise” of mismatched branding and gives your small bathroom a cohesive, high-end, spa-like feel.
Conclusion: Enjoy Your New Oasis
Organising a small bathroom is a highly rewarding project that you can likely tackle in a single afternoon. By starting with a thorough declutter and then implementing smart, vertical, and contained storage solutions, you can create a functional, beautiful space that feels twice as large. Now go enjoy your calm and clutter-free oasis!
