5 Budget-Friendly Bathroom Organizing Tips for Your Chicago Home

If you’re a busy Chicago professional or renter trying to keep your small bathroom looking fresh and functional, you’re not alone. Between work, social plans, and the chaos of city living, finding time to organize and clean can feel impossible. But with a few smart, budget-friendly tricks, you can transform your space without spending a fortune or sacrificing your weekends. Whether you need apartment cleaning support or just a little DIY inspiration, these ideas will help you create a bathroom that feels luxurious, organized, and easy to maintain.

1. Maximize Storage with a Pedestal Sink Skirt and Organizers

Pedestal sinks are classic but notorious for offering zero storage. Instead of letting your countertop get cluttered, try a metal pedestal sink organizer that slides right in front. It’s easy to assemble and gives you a dedicated spot for all your daily products. To make it look polished, add a water-wicking sink skirt (under $10!) that attaches with Velcro—perfect for renters. You can lift it to access hidden storage underneath, and it’s machine washable. If you’re short on time and need fast cleaning services to keep your space fresh, Jikas Cleaning has you covered.

2. Use Dollar Tree Finds for a Luxe Look on a Budget

You don’t need to spend a lot to get a high-end feel. Stick with acrylic organizers and woven-style baskets from Dollar Tree—they create a luxury aesthetic for $5 or less. The office section is a goldmine: under-sink pedestal organizers fit perfectly inside shelves, and pencil holders work great for compartmentalizing drawers. For vertical storage, try Dollar Tree suction cups on your sink to hold hair ties, combs, or even a small hair dryer. This system keeps everything visible and easy to grab. When you want deep cleaning help to reset your space, booking a professional visit can make organizing even easier.

The Grabber Hack for Small Bathrooms

In a tiny space, every inch counts. Install a shelf above your bathroom door and use a long-reach grabber to access lightweight items like toilet paper, hand towels, or extra bottles. Store the grabber on a simple command hook in the corner. This trick doubles your storage without taking up floor space. If you’re overwhelmed and looking for a cleaning service near me in Chicago, Jikas Cleaning offers quick, reliable help.

3. Curate a Minimalist Makeup Capsule

One of the biggest bathroom problems is keeping too many products that don’t actually work. Simplify by creating a small makeup capsule with only your essentials: a great under-eye concealer, a translucent setting powder, and a makeup setting spray. Brands like Morphe and Tarte are affordable, and you can save even more by shopping through Rakuten for cash back. A streamlined routine means fewer decisions in the morning and less clutter on your counter. For a truly stress-free home, consider professional home cleaning to complement your minimalist setup.

4. Upgrade to Turkish Towels and Smart Counter Curation

Ratty towels can make even the cleanest bathroom feel messy. Switch to Turkish towels—they’re lightweight, absorbent, and dry quickly without that mildew smell. Roll them up and store them in a basket or under your sink. For a classic look, try the Simply Vera by Vera Wang towels from Kohl’s as a dupe for expensive brands. On your counter, only keep items that make you happy and serve a purpose: a thrifted piece of art, a candle for guests, or a motion-activated trash can. This curated approach creates a serene, spa-like vibe. If you need someone to clean my apartment so you can focus on styling, Jikas Cleaning is ready to help.

5. Add Texture with Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper and Molding

Play with texture to make your small bathroom feel custom and cozy. Peel-and-stick wallpaper from Amazon mimics high-end designer looks for a fraction of the cost. Add peel-and-stick molding for a wainscoting effect that stands the test of time. This DIY upgrade is renter-friendly and can transform the whole room. When the project is done, schedule a cleaning with Jikas to keep your new space sparkling.

Final Thoughts on Small-Space Bathroom Organizing

No matter how small your bathroom, you deserve a space that feels beautiful and functional. With these affordable tips—from pedestal sink skirts to peel-and-stick upgrades—you can create a serene sanctuary without breaking the bank. And if life gets too busy, remember that home cleaning service in Chicago is just a click away. Jikas Cleaning makes it easy to book an appointment and get your space cleaned by professionals who care.

Welcome to my teeny tiny bathroom. I’ve got tons
of organizing ideas today, all on a budget. If you’ve got a pedestal sink, but you still want
it to look glam, I love these metal pedestal sink organizers. These assemble super easily. I’ll be
sure to link this one below. All you do is stick it in front of the pedestal sink, just like
that, and you can put all of your products on it. And I got a really easy way to cover this up
that looks awesome, plus tons of tips and ideas, including some of my favorite affordable makeup
products. Today’s video is brought to you in part by Rakuten. I have organized hundreds of
bathrooms over the years and I can confidently say there’s a few products I would really recommend
from the Dollar Tree for your bathroom. Stick with acrylic pieces and also stick with woven style
baskets. That combination of woven and acrylic is going to give you that true luxury look. And
this year 2026, Dollar Tree came out with so many beautiful organizers that look vintage. From trays
to boxes, I can highly recommend all of them. And they are all $5 or less. One of my favorite places
to come in the Dollar Tree is the office section. And if you buy the under sink pedestal organizer,
check out this. These fit exactly inside so we can organize the entire thing. This is so good. The
number one most common problem you have in your bathroom is not enough storage or places for
things to go. And maybe you’re like a lot of people and things just end up on your countertop.
We’re going to talk about decluttering in a second, but if you truly have a small bathroom, I
specialize in helping people affordably organize small spaces. These pencil organizers unlock the
magic of section organizing. Each organizer holds a specific type of item. This is a drawer that
I took out the inside of for face masks. I can utilize a hack to maximize vertical space. I took
Dollar Tree suction cups, which work amazingly well on porcelain sinks. Just trust me. These can
hold quite a bit of weight in what would have been an underutilized space. They’re great for hair
ties. They’re great for extra cords. And yes, they’re even great for combs. And here’s the
thing. For me, in a bathroom, I really don’t like over the toilet organizers. I find them rickety.
They’re expensive. They tend to break. And this can hold taller products, including a hair dryer.
I think holds a lot more and make it so much easier to see. By compartmentalizing the sections,
it’s easy for me to take out one at a time and put them away. Added benefit, the size and quality
of this is perfect to set at a pedestal sink, making clean up a breeze. And now, to make the
pedestal sink actually look beautiful, we’re going to cover it up with this pretty little skirt. You
can get these super affordably. Mine was less than $10. You could just use regular fabric, but what I
like about this one is not only does it come with the sticky piece on the back to make this easy to
apply to the pedestal, it’s also water wicking. So, if water gets on this, it’s going to bead off,
which by the sink is bound to happen. So, we’re going to go ahead and install this. The fact that
this is quality and renter friendly, so so good. I was impressed with this product for less than $10.
It was really easy to apply and a perfect length for a standard pedestal sink. I’m just going to
take the fabric scissors. Do people try to use the fabric scissors in your house? My kids always
grab the fabric scissors and then they’re like, “Oh, I’m going to use the fabric scissors. Try
to cut this wood stick I found outside.” Tada. Anytime I need to get to what’s under here, I can
lift this up. And remember, this is on Velcro, so you can easily take this off, wash it, and then
put it back on anytime. And no one’s the wiser. You have so much extra storage under your sink. In
a small space, you need to have a grabber. I think these are a long reach picker upper. I don’t know
what you want to call them, but all you need to do is install a shelf above your door, and then you
can store light products up there. I like to store very light bottles. I also like to store toilet
paper, hand towels. I can grab them down. This has been a game changer. We’ve used it for years in
our house. Ideas that stand the test of time. So, I can put towels up here. I also like to
keep home essentials as well as toilet paper, all the light stuff that’s like super easy to
get down. So, what you can do is just, you know, do that. It’s simplified, clean, doubles my
storage, and more on all of these products in a second. I just use a little command hook in
the corner of the ceiling to be able to hold the grabber. Number two, you be trying to do too much.
And I am saying this with all the love in my heart that there is a very likely scenario that you are
keeping way more products that have promised you things that they are not delivering on. Things
that you tried and they didn’t actually work. And my solution to that has been to have a small
makeup capsule. Be intentional to clutter down to the things that work. You know me, I’m frugal and
affordable. I’m just going to share every product with you and what actually works. If I can keep
it manageable, in other words, I could fit all of my products in one bag, it means I could really
easily travel with it and I can get it out to use it. It eliminates decisions in the morning. There
are three products that for me have to be in my capsule. And the first is a really awesome under
eye concealer. The second is a setting powder because that’s going to give any makeup that you
have that flawless off the runway look. And the third is a makeup setting spray. Morphe setting
spray. Some of my struggles or makeup coming off during the day or just a concealer that doesn’t
look natural. These fix all of that. In fact, my assistant Kathy when she came over, I had to
try some of them on her, too. And we had a really good time. This is my beautiful assistant Kathy.
And you can see we did her left eye and we did not do her right eye yet. I know. You never know.
Sometimes I’m putting blush like five blushes on my wrist. I know. Kathy is doing all the fun
behind the scenes stuff that makes Do It on a Dime magical. Here is gorgeous Kathy before.
Please say hello to her in the comments. And here is the after. The only product we use was the
Tarte under eye concealer. Y’all, I have to say this is my all-time favorite. Isn’t that so good?
Morphe and Tarte are already really affordable products, but I don’t like to have you pay full
price for literally anything. And right now, Ulta has 15% cash back through Rakuten. If you’ve
never heard of Rakuten or if you’ve had it but you just forgot to use it, like don’t forget this
week. May 4th through May 11th is Big Give Week, which is Rakuten’s biggest annual shopping event.
They have 15% cash back at hundreds of stores, Ulta included. If you’ve never used Rakuten
before and you use my referral link, you’re going to get a $50 welcome bonus. That is $50 free.
That’s basically like getting these products for totally free. It’s easy peasy. Download the app
on your phone. It’s totally free. Or put Rakuten as an extension on your browser. Search for Ulta.
Click on it and you’ll be shopping through Ulta like normal. I like to do pick up in store because
it’s really fast and somebody prepares my order for me to get that $50 welcome bonus. Just make
sure that you make a qualifying purchase through Rakuten. That’s at least $50 within 90 days. It’s
free money back in your pocket. It is always such an honor for me to get to work with Rakuten.
They’re one of my most trusted partners and I’ve been using them for literal years and saved
thousands and many of you tell me the same. So, don’t wait. These deals are really good. Trust
me, that capsule is a game changer. I’m really a fan of Ulta because they have Morphe, which
is their line, and it’s just super affordable. But if you want an even more affordable product,
you know that I love shopping at the Dollar Tree, too. And there are some all-time fun favorites I just
want to point out to you in case you didn’t know. If you’re looking to save money on beauty supplies
at Dollar Tree, there’s a couple places I just want to point out to you. And sometimes at Dollar
Tree, you’re going to get off-brand products that just aren’t as good. But other times, you’re going
to have name brand products that are hidden. And you know, I always tell you about them. If you
are looking for a translucent setting powder, and you’re lucky enough to find it in your store,
Dollar Tree has KC brand. This is Flawless Seal Translucent Setting Powder. This is a detangling
comb. Yes. Look at this product. Okay. The Dollar Tree hair spirals by Sophie Brand are wonderful.
Some of my favorite quality bathroom products at Dollar Tree. They have these exfoliating
dry brushes. Really beautiful. And lots of their gentle bath and shower cleansers. Some
are made of bamboo. These are beautiful. Oh, exfoliating stretch cloth. Wait, this is really
good. Have you seen these? This is like all the rage right now. This is a stretch cloth
so you can like exfoliate your back. I Yes. Look how pretty this is, too. This is nice.
This is the Delta Home hand soap from Dollar Tree. This is still $1.25. For summertime, this
is in the scent watermelon and basil. This year, Dollar Tree also launched their room sprays. They
come in three different scents. The packaging is beautiful, and my personal favorite is eucalyptus
and neroli. I told you I would tell you more about these products, including the world’s best towels.
Problem number three are ratty towels. My friend, there is a good place for a ratty towel,
especially if you have kids or pets. But for you, something that you wrap in your body every single
day. You should feel good in the morning. And I like a towel that gets better with time.
As it ages, it improves. And in our house, we have really started enjoying Turkish
towels. And before you’re like, Catherine, that sounds very expensive. Trust me, they
are not. I found a dupe of a high-end brand. What sets Turkish towels apart is they’re
made from long staple cotton and a flat weave, so less moisture gets trapped in them. They’re not
damp or like heavy towel feeling. So therefore, they get less mildew smell, which is huge for
small bathrooms. And if you roll them up, they go down super super small. So you can stick this in
a basket or even under a pedestal sink organizer. And they come in hand towels, too. These absorb
lots of water and they’re super lightweight. This is what I’m going to put in this bathroom. And
what I like to do is have hooks on the wall so I can just take the towels and I can put it right
on the hook just like that. We’re going to fight, but keep it friendly in the comments below. I got
to know, do you like Turkish towels or do you like regular towels cuz I’m going to cover all the
bases. I really love Egyptian cotton for regular towels. And my favorite brand is Frontgate. But if
you’ve ever shopped Frontgate, it is expensive. Like really expensive. So the best and closest dupe to
a Frontgate Egyptian towel is this towel. You can get it at Kohl’s. And yes, Kohl’s is on Rakuten —
Simply Vera by Vera Wang. This is the Simply Vera towel. They are great if you prefer a standard towel and you
want a nice uniform, crisp, and white look in your linen closet. The number four problem I see is not
curating what goes on your counter. Anything that is visually out in the bathroom should make you
happy and it should be functional. If it’s going to live out in your bathroom for a luxury feel,
it should be designed to be seen. I like to have a floating shelf in bathrooms just like this and
then I can take some art and put this above so you can really enjoy the beauty of this space without
feeling super enclosed. I thrifted this art for $7. It retails for a lot more. I found
something similar on Ballard Designs, so I was really excited about this. And you always
got to have a candle for when guests come over. That way I can quickly light this. What I love
about this, too, is it’s so easy to wipe down. I can store so much in here, but a guest could still
come in this bathroom. It would feel so beautiful and serene. I love these flickering night lights,
too. If you’re a guest coming into this space, I plug this in. I have this candle lit, and no
one is the wiser with all of the storage. It feels open, but also cozy at the same time. If
you want an awesome trash can in your bathroom, especially that guests are going to be using,
welcome to the automatic trash can. These are awesome in guest bathrooms because they are motion
activated. Just like that, and then you can throw things away and this will automatically close.
This is really great if you don’t want something kind of that’s an eyesore in the bathroom and
it’s also super low profile. So, in a small space, I can set this right down here. Number five
is most people don’t allow themselves to play and have some texture in their space. I love that
we’re moving away from everything gray and beige. And believe me, I was on that bandwagon for many
years. But incorporating some texture, but doing it on a dime. And you know, I am a huge fan. And
the solution for me is often peel and stick. You can add lots of texture this way in a bathroom. I
love looking at designer bathrooms like Schumacher, William Morris and Co. Oh my goodness,
those designs are amazing. And there are so many really quality wallpapers that you can now get on
Amazon to redo a space. And I would be remiss if I did not mention peel and stick molding. I have
used these in two bathrooms now and yes, they have all stood the test of time. This has not come off.
It looks completely custom and it is so easy to do on a budget. This is a renovation that I did a
while ago, and I like to come back and be able to share these things with you, like, how did it hold
up? Is it still working? This wallpaper has not peeled at all. It looks great, and the sheen on it
reads very high-end. Same with all of the molding, it has looked awesome. There have been a couple
of places in the bathroom where the peel and stick chair rail has chipped just a little bit
and I think that’s because it’s made of PVC, but everywhere else this has been an awesome
experience and I think has looked really good. No matter how big or small your space, you deserve to
be held in luxury. Be sure to download Rakuten, make your qualifying purchase. You can check
out the makeup, all of the deals right now and get your $50 welcome bonus. My beautiful friend,
if nobody has told you today, you are beautiful. You have and you are more than enough. I’ll see
you soon. Coming to hug you every time. Bye.