A cluttered bathroom countertop can make your morning routine feel chaotic and stressful. With limited space on most bathroom vanities, it’s important to regularly declutter and organize your countertop to maximize function and create a calming environment.
Implementing a few simple strategies can help you take control of the clutter and simplify your daily bathroom routine. Here are 5 effective ways to declutter your bathroom countertop.
Audit What You Currently Have on Your Countertop
The first step to decluttering your bathroom countertop is to take stock of everything currently sitting out. Take everything off your countertop and group like items together on the floor. This gives you a visual overview of what you have and makes it easier to evaluate what should stay out versus what should be put away.
As you sort through the items, ask yourself these questions about each product:
- Do I use this product daily? Only keep your most frequently used items within arm’s reach.
- Do I have multiples of this product? Eliminate duplicates to simplify your routine.
- Do I have more than one open container of this product? Keep just one open container out and store the rest to avoid clutter.
- When did I last use this? Toss or donate products you haven’t used in over a month.
- Does this product have an expiration date? Toss any expired products.
Be ruthless and get rid of anything you don’t absolutely love or need on a daily basis. Clutter accumulates when we hang onto items that we don’t use.
Categorize Items by Frequency of Use
Once you’ve eliminated the excess, categorize the remaining products according to how often you use them.
Daily use items like toothbrush, toothpaste, facial cleanser, and hand soap should go in prime real estate spots closest to the sink.
A few times a week items like moisturizer, contacts, cotton swabs, and lip balm can go a bit further away from the sink.
Weekly use items like nail clippers and tweezers can go in a drawer or medicine cabinet.
Putting things you use the most often in the most accessible areas minimizes reaching and rummaging around for daily items.
Store Items Vertically to Maximize Space
Most bathroom countertops have very limited surface area but plenty of unused vertical storage space above. Take advantage of this by storing items on their sides or vertically whenever possible.
- Stand bottles upright between the wall and the mirror or in a wall-mounted shelf.
- Use an organizer caddy inside a cabinet to hold bulkier items vertically.
- Install hanging shelves or wall-mounted bins for small items like cotton pads.
Going vertical with your storage allows you to keep more items accessible but in a neat, organized fashion. Bonus tip: Buy duplicate daily use items like hand soap in vertical rectangular bottles that take up less surface area.
Use Organizing Trays and Compartments
Utilizing small organizers is a simple way to neatly corral bathroom clutter. Here are some great options:
- Clear acrylic trays to hold cotton balls, Q-tips, hair ties, bobby pins, etc. Having one dedicated spot for these little items prevents them from scattering.
- Drawer organizers for makeup, skincare, or hair products. Compartmentalizes items so you can find what you need quickly.
- Hanging wall shelves with built-in compartments are perfect above or next to the sink for toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, etc.
- Tiered shelving makes use of vertical space for hand towels, toilet paper, and other supplies.
- Corner shelves take advantage of wasted space between the wall and mirror.
Think about your needs and choose organizers of the appropriate size and configuration to neatly contain your bathroom necessities.
Only Keep Out What You Use Each Day
The most effective way to maintain a decluttered countertop is to put things away after every use. Only your daily essentials should remain out on the counter overnight.
It takes discipline, but make it a habit to put away anything that doesn’t need to stay out 24/7. Never leave items like these out:
- Makeup products
- Hair styling tools and products
- First aid items
- Cleaning supplies
- Extra hand soap, lotion, etc.
- Random clutter
Developing the habit of putting things away right after using them prevents gradual countertop clutter buildup. Regularly do a quick 5-minute purge of anything left out that should be put away.
Maintain with Quick Daily & Weekly Cleaning
Once you’ve decluttered, it’s important to stay on top of maintenance to prevent重新建立. Follow this bathroom countertop cleaning routine:
Daily:
- Do a 5-minute tidy of the countertop at the end of each day. Put everything away that doesn’t need to stay out.
- Use a microfiber cloth to do a quick wipe down of the countertop.
- Check supplies like soap, tissues, cotton pads and refill as needed.
Weekly:
- Remove everything from the countertop and clean thoroughly with your preferred natural cleaner.
- Look for any new clutter items that don’t belong and properly store them.
- Check for expired products and empty containers to discard.
- Clean any organizers and trays that are looking grimy.
Staying on top of daily and weekly cleaning rather than letting messes build up keeps your countertop looking freshly decluttered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions about decluttering your bathroom countertop:
How often should I declutter my bathroom countertop?
Aim to do a thorough decluttering of your entire countertop once per season. Additionally, try to do mini 5-minute decluttering sessions 1-2 times per week to stay on top of daily clutter accumulation.
What’s the best way to organize my skincare products?
Use clear acrylic organizers to neatly store and display skincare products vertically. Group products by type – cleansers together, serums together, moisturizers together. Only keep out your 1-2 most used products.
How can I add more storage to my small bathroom countertop?
Install wall-mounted shelving, hanging wall bins, over the toilet shelves, or freestanding shelving units like étagères. Use vertical space efficiently with wall mirrors that have built-in shelves.
Where should I store items I use infrequently like tweezers and nail clippers?
These types of items can be stored neatly in medicine cabinets, drawers, or boxes/baskets under the sink to keep your daily use countertop clutter-free.
What’s the best way to neatly store cotton balls, cotton pads and Q-tips?
Use acrylic organizers designed for cotton ball storage. You can also repurpose a cutlery organizer. Having a dedicated spot for these small but essential items keeps them visible and within reach but not scattered all over.
In Conclusion
Decluttering your bathroom countertop only takes a small time investment but pays off through having a neatly organized, efficient, and peaceful space. Implement these 5 strategies to take control of your countertop clutter:
- Audit what you currently have and eliminate non-essentials
- Categorize by frequency of use
- Maximize vertical storage space
- Use organizers and compartments
- Put things away after every use
- Stay on top of daily and weekly cleaning
Investing some time upfront to declutter using these steps, along with maintaining organized habits daily, will keep your bathroom countertop free of excess clutter finally. What strategies will you implement first to declutter your bathroom countertop?
