Keep your bathroom counter tidy with these 20 organizers under $20 | CNN Underscored

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Cleaning and organizing are different jobs, but the two often go hand in hand, and for good reason: Organized spaces are simply easier to clean than ones cluttered with stuff everywhere.

Nowhere is this more true than in the bathroom, where airborne particles of everything from hair spray to toilet plume settle onto surfaces, and where high moisture levels and fluctuating temperatures create a breeding ground for bacteria. Taking the time to declutter and organize the bathroom, then, will pay off down the line when keeping that space clean is faster and less labor-intensive.

With the help of organizing experts Lisa Kron, who created Smallish Home to document the process of making her small home functional and stylish (check out her addictive TikTok videos!), and Rachel Rosenthal, the owner of Rachel and Company, a professional organizing firm based in Washington, D.C., we picked out 20 top-rated bathroom organizers, all priced at $20 and under.

If your bathroom lacks built-in storage like shelves, drawers, towel bars and so on, finding a place for all your stuff can be a huge challenge; these organizers offer solutions.

A rolling storage cart has so many uses we couldn’t possibly list them all here — in a bathroom it can be used to store toilet paper, hairstyling tools, cosmetics and toiletries… Truly the list is endless. This storage cart has a smaller footprint than similar models typically have, making it perfect for bathrooms that are tight on space.

If space for storing towels is limited, lidded bins or baskets are a solution to consider. Rosenthal says, “I love these white baskets, as they have lids that make them great to stack in a variety of places.” Opt for styles with lids to help keep clean towels from getting soiled while not in use.

Kron calls these felt baskets “perfect for organizing hand towels and washcloths” in the bathroom, but they can be used to stash loads of other things, from first aid items to hair accessories. The felt baskets come in two colors, oatmeal and dark gray, and have cutout handles on the side for ease of grabbing or carrying.

Storing frequently used items like toothpaste, face creams, makeup wipes and more in an easy-to-reach place is a smart way to make getting ready go faster, but a jumbled pile of those items looks bad and makes cleaning tedious. Tidy up the look of your vanity with this four-compartment marble organizer that can hold everything from makeup brushes to a bottle of daily vitamins.

Another smart way to increase storage in bathrooms is to use vertical spaces. These hanging and wall-mounted storage units let you maximize typically unused wall space to create room for your belongings.

This wall-mounted bathroom organizer has a towel bar that can hold hand towels or a bath towel, and sits right below two shelves that are large enough to store toiletries, tissues, extra toilet paper and so on. It comes in white and three variations of wood.

Another versatile storage solution for towels is a wall-mounted rack with hooks, which can be used to hang bath towels as well as robes, hair wraps and more to keep them out of the way when not in use.

Vertical wall space is also a great spot to install a wall-mounted hair dryer holder. This inexpensive holster-style caddy uses 3M’s Command adhesive strips to secure the unit to the wall, so no hardware is required for installation and it won’t damage the walls.

This waterproof toiletry organizer has an adhesive backing that allows you to mount it on glass (including mirrors), drywall or tile to store small items like toothbrushes, toothpaste and razors. It’s made of antibacterial silicone, and the bottom has drainage holes to prevent mold from developing.

Floating shelves are a great choice in any room for creating storage where there isn’t any. They come in a huge variety of sizes, colors and styles and are fairly easy to install. This set of three white, U-shaped shelves is a no-frills way to add a lot of extra space for storing cosmetics and toiletries.

Medicine cabinets and drawers can easily become dark holes into which your grooming and first aid staples disappear. Keep small and oddly shaped items organized in small spaces with these smart solutions.

Very deep drawers can quickly become a jumbled mess of items from bandages to hair ties, which is why Rosenthal recommends investing in an inexpensive set of drawer dividers to tame the mess. “Drawer dividers are a great way to organize your drawers and keep everything in its place,” she says. “We use them for everything!”

Drawer organizer trays are typically associated with desks and junk drawers, but don’t overlook how handy they can be in a bathroom. Kron likes this inexpensive set of eight small felt drawer organizers in different shapes and sizes, which can be used to hold grooming tools, cosmetics, hair accessories, medications and more.

The professional organizers we spoke with all love mDesign’s line of clear plastic storage bins for just about every room in the house. This narrow bin is sized to fit most standard medicine cabinet shelves, and each unit has eight compartments that can hold vitamin and medicine bottles, first aid supplies and more. The bins can also be used in the refrigerator to store things like medicines and skin care products that need to be kept cold.

Rosenthal suggests a surprising use for an item that’s typically thought of as a pantry organizer, saying, “This tiered can shelf is great for cans but can also be used in your bathroom or linen closet to hold products.” The three-tiered design makes it easier to find items in the back of a dark or cluttered cabinet.

The space under the bathroom sink is prime storage real estate, but all too often it turns into a jumbled mess of cleaning products and hairstyling tools because of the odd configuration of the space.

Kron says of this small lazy Susan-style turntable, “I use these everywhere.” She likes the turntable for storing cleaning products under the sink to maximize storage space and make it easy to get to the product you need when you need it.

Kron has another super-smart way to organize cleaning supplies under a sink: Command hooks designed to hold spray bottles. The hooks are secured to the wall using adhesive strips, so hardware isn’t required for installation and they won’t damage the cabinetry. The hooks can hold bottles up to 32 ounces, or 2.5 pounds.

Sometimes a super-basic storage bin is the solution to organizing a tricky space. This stackable storage bin is designed to nest when empty, and has soft-grip handles to make grabbing or carrying it easy. Each bin has an area that can be marked with a dry-erase marker so you can label the contents.

When it comes to shower and bath storage, when possible opt for metal styles rather than plastic, which develops mold and other bacterial growth faster than metal. And don’t forget that bath caddies need to be cleaned from time to time — most can be washed in the dishwasher!

One drawback of suction cup-style bathroom caddies is that the fluctuating temperatures and moisture levels that characterize a bathroom can cause the suction cup to come loose from the wall it’s secured to. Command’s adhesive strips are designed to be water-resistant, so they’ll keep the caddy secured soundly without requiring that you put holes in the walls.

If you’re a frequent bath-taker, a bathtub caddy can help you live your most organized soaking life! Use it while enjoying a bubble bath to hold a book or a drink. It also doubles as a storage tray to hold soap, body wash, shampoo and conditioner.

Corner shelves are a smart way to add storage in a shower and keep the floor (and tub ledge, if you have one) free of bottles of shampoo and body wash. This set of two black metal corner shelves uses adhesive mounting strips and/or glue to secure the units to the wall of your shower, and can hold up to 20 pounds.

An over-the-shower-head caddy is as basic as you can get — no screws or adhesives are needed to install it. Just hang it over the shower head and you’re done! This metal wire unit has a broad shelf for holding bottles of shampoo, a soap holder that can accommodate most bar soaps and hooks for holding shower poufs and razors.