The Big Mistake That's Making Your Medicine Cabinet A Cluttered Mess (And How To Fix It)

When it comes to home organization, getting and keeping your things orderly can be challenging. Sometimes it's a case of having too much stuff, but very often, it's because you're not making the most of your space. Fortunately, there are easy ways to fix common storage mistakes. Take your bathroom cabinet, for example. Unless you're, say, Taylor Swift, you most likely have a standard-sized medicine cabinet with a couple of adjustable shelves and not a whole lot of depth. Chances are you're neglecting its vertical space, too. But don't despair. All it takes is a couple of shelf risers and a few containers to double your cabinet's storage space and transform your bathroom nemesis from cluttered to KonMari'd.

The reason this works is twofold. Firstly, even with adjustable shelves, you're still wasting vertical space. Self-care items like face cream, ear swabs, hairspray, shaving foam, and so on, come in a range of sizes and heights. That's where the humble shelf riser steps in to save the day. Plus, the other bits and bobs (think nail clippers, hair ties, and floss) are not only small but also oddly shaped, so they're never going to stay neat and organized, no matter how many times you repack them. Placing them in lidded containers means they're out of the way but still easily accessible.

Medicine cabinet shelf risers come in several types to suit different organizational needs. Each style maximizes vertical space and improves access, making it much easier to keep your cabinet clutter-free and organized. For instance, small plastic or acrylic risers are lightweight and designed to fit narrow shelves, keeping smaller essentials like medicine bottles and skincare products visible. Stackable risers, on the other hand, allow for multiple layers inside the cabinet. They're perfect for grouping categories (like first aid vs. daily medications). Meanwhile, multi-tiered risers provide two or more stepped heights in a single unit, creating clear visual access to all your items. You could even make a DIY wood shelf riser to clear up space in your cabinet. Ultimately, what you go with comes down to your specific needs, taste, and budget.

Shelf risers only solve half the clutter problem, though. You still need to corral those itty-bitty hair accessories and dental care items that are impossible to keep organized due to their ungainly shape. Keeping them in plastic or wooden containers will not only solve that problem but also let you maximize vertical space if you stack them on top of each other. For a high-end look, you can go the store-bought route, but if you have some on hand, consider turning old glass jars into cute storage containers. Whether clear or opaque, labeling your containers can be helpful as well. You'll know what's stored in them and where to return items when you're done using them. This is especially handy if you're sharing the space with — ahem — absent-minded family members or roommates.