How to Organize a Small Bathroom When You’re Broke

Having a small bathroom means not a lot of room for storing all of your toiletries. However, taking the time to organize them correctly makes a huge difference. Keep reading for some great tips on how to organize a small bathroom on a budget.

Over the years I have had to learn to cut back on the number of lotions, body sprays, and shampoos I used. Whenever there was an amazing sale at Bath and Body Works and I had coupons, I was stocking up on their lotions and body sprays. Half the time the body sprays never got used more than a few times and they took up lots of space.

Having a small bathroom means I have to steer clear of those sales and limit myself. (Now I have a candle hoarding problem, but that’s a different story.)

My husband and I built and stained shelves for our small bathroom and now we have more storage space. Now organizing everything isn’t as difficult because I have more space to put things. So today I’m going to share some great tips with you on how to organize a small bathroom.

Click here to see all of my home organizing tips!

How to organize a small bathroom on a budget

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1. Use the space you have

Since we are renovating our bathroom, we completely redid the closet space. Instead of a closet we now have open shelving, which makes the bathroom look a little bigger. If you have extra space above your toilet, add some floating shelves and place items in baskets.

Also, consider adding a shelf over your bathroom door to store extra rolls of toilet paper or items you don’t use often. This is a great place to store items you stock up on like extra shampoos and soaps, too.

2. Use baskets and jars

I love using jars and baskets to store things in the bathroom. Cloth cubes are also great for storing items and they are very inexpensive. I can usually find some unique baskets at thrift stores and rummage sales, so make sure you take advantage of those places. I like keeping my washcloths in baskets to keep them nice and organized.

My cotton balls and Q-tips are kept in cute little glass cookie jars from Dollar Tree and I keep round cotton pads in a mason jar. Dollar Tree has so many storage options, but sometimes you just have to think outside the box.

Another great use for baskets is to hang them on your wall to use as shelves. This is a cheap way to organize a small bathroom and get extra storage space.

3. Shop your home

Look around your home for items that you already have that you can use to store items. For example, mason jars are great for holding bath bombs, makeup brushes, and round cotton pads. Small dishes and bowls can hold jewelry or other small items you use regularly.

I like to keep my nail files and clippers in a small galvanized bucket my mom gave me last year. It’s the perfect size and so cute!

4. Repurpose empty containers

Before you throw away that empty plastic butter container, think about what else it can be used for. Clean it out, sand it lightly to scruff up the plastic, and spray paint it to match your décor. Then use it as a 1^st aid kit, or storage for scrunchies, bobby pins, and hair bows. Add a label to the outside of the container so you know what’s inside.

5. Organize items as you use them

As you are organizing your bathroom, think about what you use most often, and place those items near the front of your shelf or drawer. Drawers are perfect for organizing makeup and nail polish, but if you don’t have drawers, plastic bins work just as well.

6. Use the space behind your door

Over-the-door racks are great for extra storage space. If you don’t have a lot of counter space or no under-the-sink space, then consider investing in one of these racks. It makes is so much easier to organize your products and keep items together.

7. Repurpose Office Supplies

August is a great month to stock up on office supplies during back-to-school sales. And those office supplies can be reused to organize a small bathroom with no extra space! For example, a wire file holder hung on the wall is perfect for storing your hairdryer and flat iron. Or place it by the toilet to hold magazines or extra toilet paper.

8. Think vertical

While I don’t have any counter space in my small bathroom, I still love the idea of using tiered trays to organize items in the bathroom. These are perfect for holding deodorant, small lotions, perfume bottles, or anything you can think of! Plus it clears up counter space, too.

You can make your own tiered tray out of plates or pie pans from Dollar Tree like the one below. Isn’t it so pretty?

9. Use the toilet

(Not that way!) The top of your toilet tank is the perfect place to add a basket or bin to hold extra toilet paper rolls or toiletries. It’s like having an extra shelf!

10. Take advantage of corners

When we installed our new bathtub, we lost the shelving our old one had. So we decided to take advantage of the corners and add corner shelves. They work perfect at holding our bath products, plus they have hooks for hanging items on.

11. Use the floor space

Don’t forget that you have a floor in your small bathroom! Take advantage of the space and add a rolling cart to store cleaning supplies or a cute basket with a lid for storing towels.

12.  Keep like items together

Another great tip when you organize a small bathroom is to keep all the like items together. This not only looks nice, but it makes it so much easier to find things quickly. Keep cleaning supplies together, hair products together, first aid supplies together, etc.

For example, I keep my lotions, nail polish, and perfumes on one tray all together. In a separate basket I keep my hairdryer, curling irons, and flatiron.

13. Use a lazy susan

Place a lazy susan under your bathroom sink so you can easily reach items in the back. Choose one that has a lip around the edge so small items don’t fall off. Put taller items in the center and shorter items around them so that everything can be seen easily.

14. Hang items from a tension rod

Install a tension rod or a towel bar in your shower and place hooks on it for hanging things in squeeze bottles such as face wash. This is a great idea if you don’t have shelves in your shower and don’t want to hang any.

15. Hang a mesh shower organizer

Mesh shower organizers are really nice for extra storage space in the shower and they hang right on the same hooks as your shower curtain. When they get messy you can always throw them in the wash with your towels.

16. Use spice racks

Spice racks don’t have to be limited to the kitchen. They also work perfectly as shelves in the bathroom. Nail polish bottles fit perfectly on spice racks. The next time you see a spice rack while thrift shopping, grab it and give it a fresh coat of paint.

What’s your favorite way to organize a small bathroom? Do you have some amazing organizing hacks you’d like to share?

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