apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

but how do you remember what is what?

I do this with my shampoo & conditioner. I buy large bottles of Pureology...they're too big to fit into any caddy and difficult to grab. I use the exact same bottles as shown in the pic (99 cents each at drugstores.) Shampoo & conditioner are usually different colors, and consistency so it's easy to tell them apart.

We use vintage and vintage reproduction glass bottles to store our shampoos, body soap and conditioner. They're all different shapes and sizes, so it's not too hard to remember what is what. Plus they're visually a nice decorative touch.

Gregory - I like glass storage containers in the bath, esp for cotton balls and Q-tips, but am afraid of breakage. Have you had problems with dropping and breaking the glass bottles in the shower/bath?

I want to get a glass bottle to store dishwashing soap in the kitchen, but with slippery suds and water, I'm afraid of dropping it.

I also buy mine in large volume, and put them in plastic containers, and you quickly do discern which is which product but initially I used a 'grease pen' (you can use a Sharpie too) to write a single letter on the bottom of the containers (S for shampoo, C for conditioner, B for body soap). I still renew those little letters when guests come to stay. And I keep my other toiletries in beautiful crackle glazed containers... makes the bathroom look so much nicer, and I prefer that to the clear glass (just less visual clutter), so I've got cotton swabs, cotton balls, shavers, bath salts in those and they're all lined up along a shelf.

ttt: I've dropped my glass dishwashing soap bottle a couple times, it's never broken or chipped, and I've had my soap stored that way for about 10 years now. The trick is finding one that has a narrower top, so you can really put your hand around it securely, to avoid those ~slips~.

ttt: since we only have a bath, dropping any of bottles would likely not result in any broken glass (just a splash). But we also chose bottles like Rucy recommended above...narrow enough to hold properly. So far, no problems, and the bathroom looks all the better for it, because we hate most labels and branding in our home.

ttt- for what it's worth I've used a glass container for dishsoap for years and I've never dropped and broken it.

i use one of those wall mounted soap dispensers. i got mine at home depot. they come w/ labels & mount to the wall w/ screws or silicone. it has 3 spots so i have one for shampoo, conditioner, & shower gel.

how do you tell what's what? labelmakers!!! it may not make the prettiest labels (although if you use clear tape, i think it's very nice abd clean looking), but it is simple, uniform, and easy to read. i do this with my travel bottles, but think it would be a great idea for all my stuff! brother p-touch i've always liked.

you can also get plastic bottles specifically for hair products from beauty supply stores for CHEAP!

I started doing this about a year ago for a couple of reasons - 1), I found I bought some items primarily for the visual appeal of the packaging, and 2) I wanted to try and visually declutter my kitchen and bath area. I started by stripping the labels off of all of the packaging. When I found, say a handsoap, in a really nifty package, I would buy several. As the handsoap was used up, I would clean out the bottle and put my hand sanitizer in one, my dishsoap in another, and so on. It liberated me from having to buy products for the visual appeal, ended up saving me a lot of money, and made the kitchen and bath a little more streamlined.

I love this idea. But what would make it even better is if more companies started supplying refill-sizes in eco-friendly packaging.

Yep, I do this in the full and half-baths.

In the kitchen I fill an aluminum pump travel bottle with dish soap. It saves a great deal of space around the sink area and is quick to fill. Beside it, I have a soap dish with a bar of soap for my hands. It works out nicely if you use glycerin or another type of soft soap and slice it in half. Very streamlined and easy to clean around the sink.