By Ashleigh Lonsdale
How many hours do you spend in your bathroom each week? Add up the time you clock up showering, cleaning your teeth and primping and preening in front of your mirror every morning and night and chances are you probably spend more than you realise!
Keeping your bathroom in good order not only helps create a welcoming and calm environment, but also ensures that the space remains a clutter-free zone, saving you time and from stress while you go about your daily bathing rituals.
Reclaim your sense of order and transform your bathroom into an organised haven with these clever storage tips and tricks from organising guru Carolyn Verhoef, owner of Outside the Box Organisation Solutions and member of the Australian Association of Professional Organisers (AAPO).
Bamboo bathroom range from Howards Storage World.
1. Over the door hanging: These storage systems are one of the best ways to store items in a space-starved bathroom. You can even use the shoe-type hanging bags for your spray cans, lotions, hair dryer, etc.
2. Convert bathroom cupboards to drawers: An easy and cost effective way to do this is to use the plastic drawers often used in offices or craft rooms. There are types available that you can fasten to the cupboard floor for a more permanent solution.
3. Pedestal shelves: Pedestal basins are very popular with bathroom designers, but aren’t very storage friendly. Some companies now make self-standing shelves that will fit under the sink around your pedestal.
4. Instant towel hanging space: For those with shower screens, extra towel hanging space is easily achieved with metal hooks that sit on top of the screen. They don’t require any fastening or cause any damage.
5. Make-up caddy: There are some excellent acrylic make-up caddy systems available on the market. I’ve used these for several years – they make morning make-up routines short and sweet, everything is easy to see and at my fingertips.
6. Cube book shelves: These have been very popular for children’s toy storage and books for many years, but also make perfect bathroom storage. They offer endless possibilities; you can roll towels up and stack to fill the cubes or use baskets to store cleaning products and smaller items and hide them from sight.
7. Laundry basket with a lid seat: These are wonderful for spacious bathrooms; somewhere for the dirty washing or sit while putting on your stockings or socks.
8. Go vertical with slim line shelving: If you are space starved there’s nothing better than to go up the wall. As many things we use in the bathroom are quite small, a shelving system could start narrow at the bottom and widened further up the wall as to not hinder the floor space. Add decorative features like lovely candles for a extra touch of style.
9. Use vanity doors for storage: Many vanities waste valuable space around the plumbing. Attach wire baskets to the doors for access to things you need in the morning rush. Baskets on a pull-out rail system are also a fabulous option.
10. One last thing: If you have a rarely-used bath, consider covering it with a wood frame. A handyman could easily put a simple frame to rest across the bath top to create more bench space.
Carolyn and other AAPO members are currently celebrating DYMO National Organising Week (NOW), which wraps up this Sunday, September 11.
For more hints on how you can whip your bathroom into shape, visit http://www.aapo.org.au/ or www.facebook.com/aapoinc.
