Neither Baskets Nor Shelves: A Smarter Way To Store Toilet Paper Without The Clutter

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Storing toilet paper can be a bit of a challenge. You want the rolls of paper to be easily accessible, but keeping them in the plastic packaging on the floor near your toilet creates quite the eyesore. Old magazine racks and baskets are common thrift store finds that double as cute toilet paper storage solutions, but if you don't have a good spot to place the racks and baskets, they can still feel like clutter in your bathroom. Shelves are another good option, but in smaller bathrooms, you might not have the space to install them. So what is one to do? Well, for a solution that involves neither baskets nor shelves, store toilet paper in an over-the-door shoe rack.

Over-the-door shoe racks are a budget-friendly toilet paper storage hack you'll wish you knew of sooner. Available in fabric and plastic/metal configurations, these shoe racks can easily be hung on the back of your bathroom door or under your vanity. This style of rack can be found, in various sizes, at most home goods stores. Or, you can find one online for less than $10. One big advantage of the shoe rack solution is that, with so many open pockets, you can store more than just toilet paper.

As far as using your shoe rack to store toilet paper goes, the concept is pretty straight-forward. Simply assemble your shoe rack following the manufacturer's instructions, hang it on your bathroom door or on the inside of your under-the-sink cabinet, then fill it with toilet paper rolls. Certain styles of shoe rack will work better than others. For example, racks with open shelves, like this Whitmor 36 Pair Over the Door Shoe Organizer, offer plenty of room and keep your toilet paper rolls angled up so they don't fall out. The pocket-style shoe racks should also work great. Whichever style you choose, always measure the width of your roll and the width of the cardboard toilet paper tube before buying something. That way, you will know for sure if your rolls will fit your chosen rack. 

If you live alone or with a small family, you may find that you have extra room on your shoe rack. Well, don't let that space go to waste. Instead, use your shoe rack as a catch-all bathroom storage solution that will help you cut out all the countertop clutter. Things like rolled up hand towels and face cloths, containers of cleansing wipes, laundry soap, and paper towel rolls can all be stored on the rack. If you opted for a pocket-style rack, then most of your smaller bathroom products (toothpaste, lotions, etc) can also go on the rack.