Tiny Home and RV Bathroom Organization

It’s amazing what you can manage to fit into a small space, if you get organized!  Be inspired by our tiny home and RV bathroom organization ideas and solutions, while we live tiny with a family of 6.

*This post is sponsored by mDesign, a company after my own heart! With their organizing products and a little ingenuity, you can organize any space!

I’ll be the first to admit that during the first 2 weeks of RV living with 6 people, I had thought we made a grave mistake.  

Never had I been expected to live in such tight quarters – let alone make it a home for a family.  I had held some glorious expectations for us, and it all came crashing down.

Kids fought non-stop.  It rained for 2 weeks solid.  Mud was everywhere.  I was exhausted from moving.  Spring break hit, so the kids were home for a week.  Every day something in the RV would not work properly.  All I could think was . . .

What have we done.  What have we done.  

I told myself things like, “I’m not strong enough for this” and “I will never be able to do this for months”.  I cried. A lot.

One of the reasons I was getting discouraged was because I couldn’t quite figure out how to utilize the space we had and make the most of it.  Sure, we made it pretty, but in the rush of the move, our essentials were shoved into place, and digging through cabinets to find anything was making me absolutely crazy.

Crazy.

But alas, the sun came out.  I got some rest.  I began to see things clearly.  I started to tell myself things like, “I am strong and capable” and “I can do hard things” and “I can use my God given talents to make this tiny place our beloved home”.  I started to truly believe that there was still joy to be had in this journey.

I began to notice a pattern of what would make me upset first thing in the morning.  It was the mess in the bathroom closet.  As we all tried to get ready for the day, digging through the cabinet would lead to things falling all over and frustration for all.  I snapped this image when things got pretty bad.

I decided to turn my focus on making the RV bathroom spaces a place of calm and organization, to start our day off better.  I started to find myself again, and joyfully dove into the organization challenge – something I’ve enjoyed doing since middle school when I would color code my clothes.

Getting just this one space organized was a turning point for us all. It not only made mornings run more smoothly, but it brought with it a “can do” attitude. Once my attitude changed – it all changed.

I strongly believe it is worth investing in organization. It is worth every bit of the time, effort and money you put into it. Though sometimes hard to see, an organized home will end up giving you back time, effort and money – and is always, always worth it!

What I’ll cover in this post

Whether or not you live tiny, I hope you are inspired by these ideas. But most of all, I hope you are inspired with a “can do” attitude. So think of that space that is making you crazy and let’s talk about a few things:

• My process for organizing our RV bathroom
• Helpful products for tiny bathroom organization
• Tips for organizing

MY PROCESS FOR ORGANIZING THE RV BATHROOM

THINK OVER THE PROBLEM AREAS AND BRAINSTORM SOLUTIONS

You always need to think over a project before you go out and buy or find anything to help you get organized. If you don’t, you may end up with a bigger mess than you started.

For example, I knew I needed a small cupboard in the bathroom for my “personal items”, like my face cloths and menstrual products – things I didn’t think needed to be in plain site.

After using this space for a couple weeks, I knew very well what wasn’t working. I knew I had to rethink how we stored toothbrushes, towels, extra products, and the items we got out daily or multiple times a day. I had to sketch out and prioritize space for the important things and at each persons level. I had to consider giving up some things that I thought I would “need”.

This phase takes a bit of creativity as you try to think outside the box. You may find things in kitchen organization departments that would work great for the bathroom. You may need to rethink how you’ve always done things and find more practical solutions for your space. You’ll see in my other Bathroom Organizing post, our items were stored much differently, due to the space we had.

For example, my makeup has always been in drawers, but I had to find a way to create my own drawers by using storage containers that were not necessarily marketed for cosmetics.

I love that I can grab a drawer out, and easily go sit down to do my makeup, then put it right back.

MEASURE

In small spaces, you have to utilize every spot possible. This required measuring my cabinet space, my items, and things that I found on Amazon that I thought would work. I began to make wishlist and sketches for how I would use each space.

SHOP

Like I said above, it is always worth investing in organization. If the dollar store is all you can do, then do it! But I have found bins, containers and organizing boxes are always worth buying. You’ll love your home and find use for those items for years to come.

So after I planned, measured and mapped out my organization, it was time to buy!

Throughout the years, I have found myself buying and being drawn to mDesign products over and over again. I finally decided if I loved a company’s products so much, I really wanted to work with them! They were so wonderful to work with me on my particular needs for this space and sent the products that would fit my measurements and meet my goals. They have so much to choose from, and I’m thrilled to share them with you.

You can find a plethora of their products on Amazon. I worked very hard to create a resourceful shop page for all the items you see in our RV.

You’ll find all the direct links to the items you see in my images in my affiliate shop. I truly hope that is helpful!

Also get inspired on the mDesign site and discover all they have to offer and what a variety of purposes their organizing items can help you with.

ORGANIZE

I suggest waiting until you have all the items you need before you begin organizing. Sometimes if you jump ahead, you’ll just end up moving and adjusting things in the end, which is all part of the process. Organizing can be such an enjoyable process!

HELPFUL PRODUCTS FOR TINY BATHROOM ORGANIZATION

Shower Curtain Liner with Pockets

This brilliant invention may not be the prettiest, but it is hidden behind a pretty curtain and is perfect for stashing the things we don’t have room for inside the tiny shower. The link in my shop leads to one that is perfect for RV size!

Small Drawer Organizers

These were the exact size I needed them to be! They only hold a little bit, which is perfect for cosmetic type items. It’s great to ensure that everything has a place and I don’t have to move or adjust anything to get to it.

Clear Boxes with Handle Cut Outs

I could use these organizers everywhere!  I have 5 heads of hair to get ready every morning, and these hold our hair essentials perfectly.  I just grab them and go, and clean up is quick and easy!  They look so nice together too.

Dental Health Organizers

I had the hardest time figuring out what to do with all the toothbrushes!  My kids like to have an electric and manual brush, and that all adds up!  It’s not a good idea to have them touching, or not airing out.  When it dawned on me to use the door for storage, I was excited to find the perfect ones in color and size. 

Shelved Mirror

It’s always a win when design and function aline, and this shelved mirror did just that for me!  I think it is lovely and it holds the items that I use frequently and love to have within easy reach.

Toilet Paper Holder with Shelf

I’m not admitting to bringing my phone in to the bathroom . . . but they do make them for that purpose so .  . .

I also keep a diffuser on the handy double roll holder and shelf, so I can keep the tiny bathroom smelling fresh with my favorite essential oils.

Mini Wastebasket

There was not much room for a garbage inside this bathroom, so I was thrilled to find a mini trash can, perfect to tuck in the corner.

Hand Towel vs. Rug

No rug alive was small enough for this space, but I didn’t want little toes slipping on a wet floor.  So we hang a hand towel over the tub to be folded down as a rug after showers.  Another example of thinking creatively to solve your problems.

Shower Wall Hooks

These handy stick on hooks work great for holding onto our loofah’s.

Shower Soap Dispensers

We learned quickly that we didn’t have room for a bunch of random bottles of soaps for the shower.  These dispensers are sooo great for keeping extra bottles and containers from falling over and being in the way.

Cleaning Caddy

Under the bathroom sink will always look a bit messy, due to all the unique RV parts and plumbing that runs through here.  But I feel I made the best of the space by adding in this cute cleaning caddy, and utilizing a not so pretty space for some not so pretty products. Can’t beat ’em, join ’em!

TIPS FOR ORGANIZATION

I’d like to share some general thoughts on organizing. As I’ve dove deep into making our homes beautiful and functional, here are some key components I have learned along the way.

Discover beauty and calm in uniformity

In years past, I tried to gather whatever bin, container or box I could find to bring a space to an organized state. If this is your only option, it is certainly better than doing nothing at all. However, I have found that the spaces where I bring in the same or similar organizing items are the spaces that stay organized. It’s like magic.

Your mind and soul will find a great deal of peace, calm and consistency when you can unify the items that help with organization.

For example – use all clear containers, arrange things in patterns, coordinate colors, and find a place for everything and everything in its place.

Avoid stacking and moving when possible

If you are a busy body like me, making the time to stack and unstack items you need throughout the day will drive you crazy. You’ll end up reverting to the shove and stuff method.

I’m a firm believer that if you can avoid unnecessary stacking, you greatly increase the odds that the space will stay organized.

Having said that, I did have to end up stacking some containers. However, I made sure if I put items above or behind something, it was items we would only use occasionally. Like first aid supplies, swim towels, refill items, etc.

And even though they are stacked, the uniformity helps it feel more manageable and clean.

The everyday items were in a place where nothing was in the way of grabbing it and putting it away quickly. This is absolutely key for me!

Allow negative space

Sometimes in a small space, you have to use up every nook and cranny – like cupboard doors.

But never feel like you have to fill each space if you don’t have to. Leave room and negative space for the eyes to rest, and to make room for items that may need to find a home later on.

Leave empty hooks available for clothes, empty shelves for shedding accessories, and embrace the feeling of less is more – if at all possible.

Stick to the essentials

If we take away anything from living in an RV, it will be how much stuff we DO NOT need. I haven’t missed the linen closet chuck full of towels (and who knows what else) for a minute. I no longer have any idea what I actually put in those storage boxes, and why I thought I needed them.

We can do with less, my friends. And it is liberating.

Yes, we have found a lot of joy in this journey. It took an adjustment period, that is certain. While I still long for the day our home will be done, I am recording the wonderful things that have been said in our tiny home.

“You know mom, all I really need is at least 1 good friend and my family.”

“Go ahead and throw it away. I don’t need it.”

“I love that I don’t have to clean my room!”

Thank you so much for following us along for this journey to our dream! Let me know if you learned anything helpful in this post, or if you have an organizing idea I need to know!

Next up is the pantry . . . and it might prove to be my biggest organizing challenge yet! But hey . . .

“I can do hard things”.

Discover more about our RV adventures in the following posts:

• TIDBITS ON WHEELS big reveal
• RV Renovation Pre Decor Tour
• RV Art | Home is where you park it FREE printable
• RV Renovation Process | Walls
• Our Next Crazy DIY Adventure
• 20 Inspiring RV Makeovers
• RV Renovation | Kitchen Details
• Easy DIY Cabinet Shelf Risers
• The Best RV Bunk Bedding