When you look at your bathroom, is it clean and organized? Are you hiding all the clutter in the medicine cabinet or in under-the-sink storage? Bathrooms seem to attract lots of small items like makeup, medicine bottles, hair accessories, razors, hairbrushes, lotion, shampoo, product samples and the list goes on. Finding what you need as well as removing old products can be challenging. Here are a few simple ideas to help you create more space and be more organized.

==>De-Cluttering

Though they call it a medicine cabinet, it is probably not a great place to store your medicines. Bathrooms can become hot and humid and that may affect the quality of your medicines. Also, young hands and minds might go foraging in your cabinet and play with or ingest medicines that are not meant for them. So store your medicines out of reach in a dry, dark area, like a linen closet (as long as it isn't in your bathroom!). Toss out medicines that are past their expiration date.

Most people store makeup, nail polish, shampoo and other cleansing products in their bathrooms. Keep in mind that these products all have a shelf life ... even if you don't use them often.

Most makeup will last about 18-24 months, except for mascara which should be replaced every three months. Mascara accumulates bacteria quickly, so toss it out even if there is product still left. Liquid eyeliner lasts about three to six months and nail polish lasts approximately one year, depending upon how often you use it. If your foundation or lipstick starts to smell, it has probably turned bad, so toss it. Lipstick can last up to two years, though if you put it in the refrigerator you may be able to keep it longer. The shelf life of hair products is usually 18 months.

If the product doesn't have an expiration date, it's a good idea to take a permanent marker and add your calculated expiration date on the product as soon as you start to use it. This way you don't have to remember when you purchased the product. Then toss out all the items that have been hanging around forever.

==>Storage Areas

You have now gone through your makeup and cleansing products, tossed out what you didn't need or what has expired and now you are ready to organize what's left. If you have a small bathroom area, here are some organizing tools to help you.

-Over the Toilet ' this is a great space to add a storage cabinet that is enclosed and has several shelves. Don't forget to organize this space with appropriate sized bins to contain and organize all those little things.

-Tub and Shower Areas ' Caddies and corner shelving hold shampoo and cleansing products. A rack that fits over the tub can be good for the childrens' toys. Find a fishnet bag to house the toys and hang from the showerhead to dry.

-Under the Sink Area ' Here is a great space to include inexpensive storage containers. Go to your local dollar store and stock up on the right storage products for your bathroom. Have separate storage areas for each person or for different categories of products. You can also store products used for cleaning the bathroom for easy access.

If space is limited, and there are several people sharing one bathroom, have separate caddies for each individual's products. These caddies can be stored in their individual bedrooms or closets and brought out only when needed, thus not using up all the available storage space in a small bathroom. A makeup or nail caddy can be easily transferred to the bathroom or another room when you want to use it and stowed away when not in use.

==>Final Thoughts

Once you've put the time in to de-clutter, clean and organize your bathroom, it is easier to keep it up. And now that it's done, it's time to celebrate by creating a relaxing mood ... light a great smelling candle, run a warm bath and either read or just daydream. It's your time to relax.

Copyright (c) 2008 Pat Brill