De-Cluttering the Downstairs Half Bath

My next de-cluttering challenge should I accept it, is de-cluttering the downstairs half bath. Can I do it, should I do it? YES AND YES!! IM GOING IN!! This room just about completes the downstairs! It’s a small room but loaded with so much under the sink! As I was removing everything, over half the bottles of medicine were outdated so they all went in the trash. I have a problem with things getting lost in the “dark hole” at the back of the cupboard and then I purchase more because I forget what’s there!

The first thing I did was remove everything from under the sink and sort as a emptied it. The last time I organized I made a shelf from a cardboard box, cutting one side so I could have two shelves. This worked fine except when I put things in front of my shelf that was the last I saw of them. Okay everything is out and I’m working on a clean slate!

I could envision a two drawer unit that went the entire depth of the cabinet but with the sink drain it doesn’t leave much space. The other thing, when I’m on a cleaning mission I need to figure something out right while I’m working on the project. I can’t put it on hold, run to the store and purchase a storage unit. They other reason, I’m cheap! LOL! So I went to the garage and looked through the piles and mounds of stuff! I had some 3-sided plastic bins that we had when we had our shop and an extra drawer from the old cabinets in our kitchen. I turned the bin upside down and set the drawer on top of it. Now I have the bottom for storing items plus the top drawer! Oh wait, I’m going to have the same “dark hole” on the bottom since once it’s in the back, I’ll forget about it. BUT WAIT! I found a plastic drawer from an old drawer unit that was the perfect fit to slide under the 3-sided bin. It’s the perfect size and can slide in and out! I’m a ingenious or what? I moved my box shelf that was there to the other side and I was on the way to get organized. My storage system may not be as eye appealing as the companies that make closet and cabinet organizers but the price was right and it does the job I needed.

Now don’t laugh at my under the sink set up. I needed to figure out a way to lose the “dark hole” by only using things I had. SO I turned a 3-sided basket upside down, have storage room under that but can still get lost. So I had an extra drawer from an old plastic 4 drawer cabinet and it fit perfect under the basket! Then I still had a drawer from our old kitchen that I didn’t need in the pantry so I have that on top of the basket. Both can pull out if needed. The other side I put the same 3 sided box from the other the sink and store things I don’t use much but know where they are now. (Netti pot, ear wax flush machine) I put all the pump soap bottles in a basket so if I do need to get to the back I just have to pull the basket out. I’m very frugal (or is it cheap?) and don’t buy anything if I can repurpose something I already have! How did I do? Oh and I tossed brand new bottles of Aleve, antiseptic, etc. dated back to 2014!

My drawer invention worked perfectly! While it’s kind of a mish mash of unmatched things, it serves it’s purpose. It reminds me of the movie the Mismatched toys. But whatever works for me by repurposing things is okay in my book.

This little bathroom is the only thing that is “beachy” in our house. I have shells on display that we’ve found on the beach and a tray I decoupaged with beach themed wallpaper. But where is it, it’s behind the top shelf and can’t even see it! It’s time to organize the wall cabinet over the toilet and the window sill. That shouldn’t take long.

A little decluttering of getting rid of empty bottles that I thought I would save for “someday” and clean off the window sill. I took the curtain down and washed that but it’s about ready to make a new one. I made this when we first bought the house in 1999 but the fabric goes well with the beachy blue walls. Look, now I can see my picture!

This little basket on the tank was my grandmother’s and I display sea shells in it. Sometimes I have it closed with one large one on the lid and other times I open it to display our shells. Which why do you like it?

UPDATE in March 2021… I received some brushed nickel cabinet pulls to review and exchanged the old round knob pulls. They even match the new colorway in the kitchen which is right off the half bath! It’s the little things that make a big difference when doing a makeover project!

TaDa! My de-cluttering the downstairs half bath is done and it only took about 1 1/2 hours. I’m moving right along in my de-cluttering the entire house and I’m about ready to tackle the upstairs! That will take some time but I won’t stop until every room plus the garage has a total new look! All this came about because of the De-Stress your Mess Challenge I did in January. You know I love a challenge!

So far it’s hard to decide on my favorite room that I’ve decluttered….. I love Our Kitchen is De-Cluttered and new but I would almost have to say the best fun I had was decluttering and turning my computer room into Lia’s Princess Playroom. Shortly after we completed that transformation, we added Lia’s New Kitchen! So while de-cluttering has got me organized, I’ve had fun and feel great about my accomplishments!