Tackling deep shelves in the bathroom so that you end up with an organized bathroom closet can feel like a bit of a project since there’s a lot of space to sort out and arrange so it’ll be functional.
But with the right approach, those spacious bathroom storage spots can turn into a neatly organized haven, ready to house all your towels, beauty products, and more, without turning into a chaotic catch-all.
Whether you’re trying to wrangle a collection of extra toiletries or find a smart spot for those extra rolls of toilet paper, a touch of creativity and planning can transform your deep bathroom shelves from cluttered to curated.
Let’s dive into how you can maximize that deep shelf space, organize the space efficiently and keep your bathroom looking sharp and functioning smoothly.
Assess Your Needs
Before diving into organizing the space, take a moment to assess what items you need to store in the bathroom.
Some common categories include:
- Beauty items
- Personal care toiletries
- First aid supplies
- Hair products and hair tools
- Bath towels, washcloths, beach towels and hand towels
- Cleaning supplies
Grouping items into categories will help you determine how to arrange items and what types of storage solutions might be best.
And by growing things together, you’ll be able to see how much space each category actually needs and you can choose the storage containers, whether glass apothecary jars, clear plastic bins, storage baskets or a wire shelf organizer.
Aim to keep what you’ll actually use in the space and move anything else out from the space and establish a home for it elsewhere.
Some bathrooms come with lots of storage space, including a medicine cabinet, a sink vanity with drawers and lower cabinets and maybe even a cabinet or deep closet with ample shelving.
But most don’t have all of those things, so a little bit of creativity and math, to measure everything out is required to get a good fit to make the space function well for you and everyone else in your family using the space.
Create Categories
Consider separating items to be stored in the bathroom cabinet into categories such as daily use, occasional or seasonal use, and bulk storage since this will probably affect how things are arranged in the cabinet and on the shelves.
Once created, you’ll want to store these like items together in zones in the cabinet and on the shelves.
This’ll make it easier to find what you’re looking for and will help to keep the space in order at the same time.
Take Advantage of Vertical Space
Deep shelves in a bathroom cabinet often mean there’s a lot of vertical space going unused.
Stackable storage options, such as wire racks or shelf inserts, can help you make the most of this space.
These solutions allow you to create additional shelving within the shelf, making it easier to organize and access smaller items like cosmetics and extra toiletries used for travel.
Adding some narrow shelving along one or two of the walls is a great way to position often used items so they’re easy to access and makes great use of the wall space.
Add some structure
Stackable drawer units are your best bet for adding some smart structure to the space to organize everything you’d like to store in the space.
Since they’re designed to be stackable, you can use as many stackable drawers as you need to fit everything in the space.
There are a bunch of different stackable drawer options available, so measure your space and choose options that best fit the space, leaving as little horizontal space leftover as possible.
Don’t forget to consider using the back of the cabinet door to add some storage space into the mix.
In deep bathroom cabinets, there’s an abundance of space, so be smart and add a short wired shelving unit or tiered organizer to the back of the cabinet or closet door to maximize storage options.
Similarly, don’t forget about corners, especially if your deep bathroom cabinet shelves are U shaped, meaning they go along both side walls and the back.
Corner shelves can help make use of this small space too.
Add Shelf Dividers
Shelf dividers are a great way to break up large shelf spaces into more manageable sections.
This can be particularly useful for separating towels, rolls of toilet paper or paper towels and giving them walls for support so piles and stacks stay neat and go vertical instead of spilling horizontally.
Plus, by creating designated areas for each category, you’ll prevent the shelves from becoming a jumbled mess.
These clear shelf dividers are especially good because they’re pretty thin and see through, adding neither physical bulk, nor visual weight to a space.
Another way to divide spaces on shelves is to use bins and baskets.
Bins and baskets are your best friends when it comes to deep shelves.
They allow you to group items together, making it easier to pull out what you need without having to reach back into the depths of the shelf.
Opt for clear bins if you want to quickly see contents or choose baskets for a different stylistic choice.
Be sure to label each bin or basket to make finding things even easier.
Do remember to opt for bins and baskets with straight sides since they’ll allow you to maximize what’s stored in them and will minimize unusable space between the storage containers.
The straight sides are also usually an indication of a quality product, meaning it’ll hold up better over time and you’ll get more for your money, quite literally.
If you choose to use storage baskets in the space, be sure they’re easy to clean since bathroom items can get a bit yucky over time, with build up from powders, and hair care and even cleaning product residue.
That’s why a solid sided plastic bin may be the option for this space since they’re easily wiped down.
Employ Drawer Organizers
For items that are smaller or need to be accessed frequently, consider using tiered pull out drawer organizers on the shelves.
These can be placed on the shelf and act like a drawer, pulling out to provide easy access to items at the back of the drawer.
This is particularly useful for cosmetics, medications, and small toiletry items.
Keep Frequently Used Items at Eye Level
No matter what type of storage solution you use for the space, whether stackable drawer units, or an open top basket or bin, remember to position items that you use on a daily basis at eye level and within easy reach.
Think daily skincare products, hair care items and cleaning supplies as some of the items that make the cut for start treatment and easier accessibility.
Keeping these items super accessible will save you time and effort in your daily routine and will make the entire space more functional too.
On the converse, items that are seldom or seasonally used, such as bug spray or sunburn relief should be positioned not front and center, but in a space that’s a little more out of the way since you won’t be reaching for them on the daily.
Store Soft Overhead
Storing bulky, yet soft items like toilet paper rolls, beach towels or extra towels on an upper open shelf or top shelf in the bathroom cabinet is a smart way to take advantage of all of the available space.
Storing soft items overhead means no injuries should something slip while you’re trying to access it.
Add Labels
Next, once you’ve placed all of your items in the space, use some labels to make seeing what’s where even easier.
This set of bathroom organizing labels features all the common categories of what’s commonly stored in the bathroom, meaning there’s a printable label for everything.
The streamlined label with graphics and words makes it impossible to overlook what you’re looking for, perfect for family members of all ages and stages!
Add Light
If your bathroom cabinet doesn’t already have a separate light source to light up the interior area, be sure to add one, since it’s always easier to find things in a well lit space.
Don’t rely on the light from the general bathroom to be sufficient, especially since you’ll be physically blocking much of the light when you stand in front of the cabinet with the door open!
These rechargeable LED lights bars have an integrated motion sensor, meaning they’ll come on when the cabinet door is opened.
How brilliant is that?
Conclusion
Organizing a bathroom with deep shelves doesn’t have to be a challenge once you know all the factors to take into consideration for organizing the space.
Remember to think about what you need to prioritize for storage in the space, add in some structure whether it be a vertical organizer, shelf divider, a simple bin or basket or back of the door organizer and the space will quickly come together into a well-organized and efficient bathroom.
Using the organizing strategies and tips outlined above, your deep shelves will no longer be a source of clutter but a well-utilized asset in your home.
Happy organizing!
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