Organize It Week 3: Declutter Your Bathroom and Kitchen

Your medicine cabinet has reached critical mass, and your sink counter is filled with toddler toothpaste, contact lens cases, face wash, and the eye cream you haven't used in six months. The drawers in your kitchen have redefined the name "junk drawer," and you've got more AA batteries in random places than you can count. Sound familiar?

Let's focus and purge by doing one room at a time.

Get Rid of Bathroom Clutter

Here's a three-step questionnaire (and solutions) that'll help you tackle bathroom pile-up.

1. What don't you need?
Pull up a big black garbage bag and purge. Lotion opened once and never used, shaving cream that your husband says makes his face break out, or a diaper rash ointment that didn't workâ€"toss it.

Stop waiting to see if you like a product again, especially if you haven't used it in the last half year. Unless it was very expensive, do yourself a favor and throw it out. (If you can't bear to throw it out, try to find a way to use itâ€"cut it with another product, or give it to a friend who might use it.)

2. What do you use every day?
Now that you have space, determine your daily-use items. Your medicine cabinet or a shelf near your sink should be the designated spot for makeup, toothpaste, razors, or any other items you use most often.

3. How do you want to organize it?

• Makeup should typically go in an acrylic flat tray so that you can see through the sides, or in your makeup bag.
• Hair products should have their own separate basket.
• First aid (Band-Aids, hydrogen peroxide, gauze pads, etc.) should always stay in one clear container, preferably with a lid.
• Baby's supplies such as nail clipper, thermometer, or creams should be kept in one larger basket or clear container.
• Small, loose items should be kept in glass jars, small bowls, or plastic cups with lids.
• Toiletries such as toothpaste, face wash, and shave cream should go in the medicine cabinet.