How to Organize Bathroom Items Using Colors

Bathrooms are a vital shared space in the house that every household member uses frequently daily. However, using it is indeed a challenge, especially for people living with family, a partner, or a roommate in a house with only one bathroom.

According to the Survey of Construction (SOC), in 2020, 58% of all newly constructed single-family homes with less than 1,200 square feet were reported to have one or fewer bathrooms. This calls for a challenge in maintaining the boundaries and ownership of individual items amidst the limited space available.  

Another issue is when sharing the bathroom with kids or younger siblings, they do not recognize their belongings and there is a challenge on how to keep them away from using what belongs to the adults. Implementing the color coding system for their toothbrushes, soaps, and towels will help them easily recognize what is theirs. It is also a good exercise for the kids to learn about the art of organizing from a young age by attracting them with interesting color arrangements.  

One strategy you can adopt at home to ensure the awareness of every household of what item belongs to whom is the color-coding organization system. It has been scientifically proven that color can help you to memorize and associate things better. In line with this discovery, this article will explain two main strategies to organize the bathroom with color.

Color coordination: Rainbow Ordering System

Many professional organizers adopt the rainbow ordering system in their method. For instance, The Home Edit duo, Joanna and Clea, introduced the idea of integrating the ROYGBIV (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet) color spectrum into the sorting and organizing rule through their book and TV show.   

Using this as inspiration, you can start mapping out how you can group items based on the color of their package instead of their types or sizes. This strategy allows you to create a visual flow that effectively streamlines the items.  

In the context of a bathroom, this system enables you to color-coordinate your bath supplies in the cabinets, drawers, or shelves. When arranging, consider using clear bins or lazy susans that allow the colors to be visible at all times. Most importantly, these storage spaces will assist you in smoothly putting things away after use. This way, you don’t have to worry about forgetting where certain items must return after usage.

Color coding: A specific rule for associating colors

Dedicating a color for a household member

This method is pretty self-explanatory. The choice of color can be arbitrary or refers to your favorite color. For example, you may opt to always use a purple toothbrush while your partner uses the blue one to make a clear distinction between your toothbrush and your partner’s. The same concept applies to other bathroom tools, such as towels and shower caps.   

However, if you live alone, organizing by color-matching your bathroom is still possible. Considering other items in this space, you can use towels that are in the same color scheme as the bath rugs, mats, and shower curtains. Another useful idea is playing with the shades of the furniture and toiletries. This practice evokes the feeling of harmony and continuity.

Dedicating a color for the expiration period of the item

Another possible way to organize the bathroom is by using colors to represent the expiration period of an item. For example, orange is associated with items whose expiration date is in the first half of the year (January to June), while red can be used to mark the items that will expire in the second half of the year (July to December). Using color to recognize expiration periods is particularly useful for organizing bathroom cleaning and skin care products to avoid utilizing expired items that potentially become toxic or harmful to your body. 

In conclusion

If you are interested in applying this strategy, consider marking the items by sticking colorful labels on their packaging and grouping those with the same label together in a bin. If you are worried that paper-based labels can be easily destroyed by close contact with water, keep them in storage containers with the color you desire and stack them inside your bathroom cabinets. Not only can you establish a neat system and a cohesive look for the entire bathroom, but this system will also increase your creativity by encouraging you to think outside the box. 

The Home Organization Science Labs features a wide variety of organization strategies for your home. The lab uses the research of the Institute for Life Management Science to produce learning materials and interactive tools. Check out Home Organization Science Labs today.

Photo by Freepik