Organize bathroom to get rid of cluttered feel

The number one rule for keeping a bathroom neat and tidy is finding the right place for everything. By using the room efficiently and providing everyone with space for their personal items, you will help keep the peace, create a better-looking bathroom, and even provide a more comfortable visit for guests.

A bathroom shared by a family can get a little chaotic, especially during the morning rush. Toothpastes and hairbrushes crowd the sink, and towels constantly find their way onto the floor. The result is a space that feels cramped and cluttered.

To provide sufficient storage, add a standing cabinet. If you can, choose one with separate spaces, preferably one for each person — one drawer can hold Mom's hair-care essentials, for instance, while another contains the kids' bath toys.

Bathroom drawers are second only to junk drawers in their potential for messiness. It's easy to toss grooming products in there pell-mell. Use wooden boxes and trays to help categorize the items. They are available in various sizes and materials, so they can be mixed and matched to fit any sort of drawer. Lazy Susans, too, make accessing toiletries a snap. As a final touch, paint the cabinet a color that coordinates with rest of the bathroom.

If you have a wall-mounted medicine cabinet, eliminate items that don't belong there, such as prescription medicines (which can be affected by humidity and heat). To expand storage space, affix a sheet of precut galvanized steel to the back wall of the cabinet's interior with construction adhesive, and use magnetic hooks to hang scissors and a hand mirror. Small plastic containers with magnetic bottoms can be used to corral small necessities, such as hair elastics and clips. Clear cups will keep cosmetics and tweezers in order, and let you store larger items, such as toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes, more efficiently.

If you have enough storage elsewhere, you might replace the medicine cabinet with an interesting antique mirror that coordinates with the rest of the bathroom's decor. A sink with ample counters can hold small attractive trays — one for each family member — to keep frequently used personal items in place. A bedside carafe makes an attractive container for mouthwash.