Running out of space below that bathroom sink? We’ve been there! Check out our tips to organize the bottom of your sink and our top DIY storage ideas.
Except for double sink vanities, bathroom sink cabinets are notoriously narrow and tall. And that makes organizing them tricky, especially if you live in a small apartment where you need to maximize space.
Some people stock their bathroom sink cabinets full of cosmetics, soaps, and personal products. Other people use them to house cleaning products and extra rolls of TP. Some people have no organization system and use their sink cabinet as a catchall for everything from towels to shampoo bottles to sponges.
If you’re ready to get your bathroom in tip-top shape, here’s how to organize it under your bathroom sink.
Declutter
Whether you’re organizing a bathroom cabinet, a bedroom closet, or a bookshelf in your living room, there’s one thing you MUST do first:
Declutter. Open the cabinet doors beneath your bathroom sink and take everything out.
Every single thing. Get rid of anything you don’t need, anything that doesn’t belong, or anything you can store neatly somewhere else.
Group like-items together and assess how much storage space you have to work with before buying any shelves or bins to organize the inside. Having a clear assessment of what you need to store is vital in keeping it neat and orderly.
Add Shelves or Risers
Because they tend to be tall, it’s easy to waste space in a sink cabinet. But with a few stackable shelves or risers, you can make use of every inch of vertical space from top to bottom. Create tiered storage levels by adding wire shelves, metal risers, or stackable plastic shelves.
Most bathroom sink cabinets have a vertical water pipe that runs down the center. It’s usually best to create two storage stacks with one on each side of that pipe.
Measure your cabinet before ordering or buying bins, and be sure to leave yourself some wiggle room. It’s best to leave an inch or two gaps on either side of your pipe.
You can also maximize space by mounting wire baskets or slender bins directly to the inside of your cabinet walls. The more storage areas you create, the easier it will be to organize various different items.
Buy Some Clear Bins
Organizing a bathroom sink cabinet is trickier than organizing a bedroom closet or a kitchen cabinet.
Why? Because they’re low to the ground and usually don’t have interior lighting, but you can find the things you’re looking for by investing in clear bins.
Clear stacking bins and clear plastic drawers come in every shape and size imaginable. Invest in small bins to hold hairbrushes, cotton swabs, cotton balls, and tissues.
Invest in larger bins to hold cleaning products and other tall items, such as bottles of conditioner and shampoo. Flat plastic bins are ideal for holding small appliances, such as hairdryers, flat irons, and electric razors. Deep, rectangular bins are great for storing cosmetic cases, extra rolls of toilet paper, and rolled towels.
Add an Over-the-Door Organizer
A great way to maximize space inside a small bathroom sink cabinet is to add over-the-door bins or baskets on the inside of the door.
Use them to hold hair ties and hair accessories, makeup, extra soaps, cleaning products in spray bottles, or backup shampoo bottles. You can even hang an over-the-door rod and rest the nozzles of your cleaning bottles on that.
The trick is to create different storage areas and make use of every single inch of space.
Want to organize your sink cabinet and have it look pretty? Choose bins, baskets, and shelves in the same color or material to create a stylish, cohesive look. The next time an overnight guest peers inside, they’ll be impressed!
Don’t have workable space between the inside of your cabinet door and your newly stacked storage bins? Consider adding some adhesive hooks to the inside of your door to hold cleaning rags, toilet brushes, or sponges to clean your shower or tub.
Even if you only have room for one hook, you can use it to hang a cosmetic bag, a loofah sponge, or a hairbrush that has a small opening at the end.
Add a Caddy or a Lazy Susan
Many bathroom sink cabinets are deep, and it’s not easy to access items in the back. Therefore, consider adding a pull-out caddy, a rotating lazy Susan, or bins on wheels for easier access to hard-to-reach items.
Lazy Susans come in all shapes and sizes. A small one is perfect for holding cosmetics and petite, slim items, while a larger one is useful for cleaning products.
Add Wicker Baskets
Wicker and rattan baskets are super on-trend right now, and they’re also great for holding round items. Add one or two small wicker baskets beneath your sink for a stylish place to stash rolled towels and rolls of toilet paper.
If you don’t have a linen cabinet in your bathroom, a large round basket underneath your sink is the best way to hold towels or extra TP rolls. Just be sure to buy a basket without a lid.
An open-top basket makes it much easier to spot and access quickly. (Think toilet paper when you realize you’re on the last square or a towel when you’re exiting the shower!)
Conclusion
The hard part about organizing a bathroom sink cabinet is that it’s small and takes some strategizing to make the most of the space. But the fact that it’s small also means that it won’t take long to do.
You can only store so much in a sink cabinet, so be thoughtful when decluttering. There’s no need to use that space to store any item you could easily store in another room.
When you take on a decluttering and organizing cabinet or a shelf project, one rule always holds true:
The fewer items you have, the easier organizing will be.
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Author bio:
Adam Marshall is a freelance writer who specializes in all things apartment organization, real estate, and college advice. He currently works with Candour House to help them with their online marketing.