I Tried the "Tidy Toss" Method in My Bathroom Cabinet, and It's Still Clean Weeks Later

If you’ve ever attempted to declutter and reorganize your whole home, then you know it’s never a one-size-fits-all situation. While recluttering might be great for one area, another zone might call for the 90/90 rule.

The same was true when I heard about pro organizer Holly Blakey's “tidy toss” method. I was eager to try it, but after watching her video, I needed to figure out where exactly it would work for me.

What Is the “Tidy Toss” Method?

As you can see from Blakey's video, this method is as easy and breezy as it sounds. You simply tidy up your space by tossing items into your containers of choice.

Unlike other methods that might involve rolling, decanting, or labeling, you just toss and go. Because this method is all about keeping down your visual clutter, Blakey gives you permission not to worry about what anything looks like inside the bins.

My Personal Approach

While I love some great organizers and storage bins, the ones in my closets are pretty carefully packed because they tend to hold all my off-season items. That ruled out my attempts to try Blakey's system in these areas, as well as my kids' wardrobes. Instead, I turned toward the bathroom.

Our primary bathroom doesn’t have any built-in storage, so when we first moved in, I nabbed a slim IKEA Billy bookcase in a natural oak finish. I debated extensively over whether I should get a glass front door or a solid paneled version, and in the end, I went with one that’s glass on the top half only.

In my mind, this option would keep the already small space from feeling even smaller. In reality, it very easily becomes a showcase of my mess.

The Before

I must admit, the “tidy toss” method showed up at the perfect time. I’d just done a re-stock of my go-to products ahead of some upcoming travel, and after a recent spa visit, I was flush with an excess of tiny samples. These are lovely problems to have, but my cabinet was looking particularly messy and out of sorts.

The Process

While I’m all for the idea of storage baskets and bins in theory, I also know how easily beauty products can move into "out of sight, out of mind" territory. I like to keep a lot of my extra make-up easily visible in acrylic storage drawers, but this wouldn't quite work for the "tidy toss" method.

I decided instead to move a few of my favorite MUJI bins into this space. They’re more translucent than transparent, so while you can get an idea of what’s in each one, the mess feels slightly muted compared to clear containers.

The important thing to note about Blakey’s system is that getting started does require more thought than simply tossing items into bins. I needed to make sure I had my categories sorted out and could figure out what exactly I wanted in each container.

The Final Result

In the end, I kept pretty much all of my cosmetics in their original acrylic home, but I reorganized the drawers a little, breaking things down by categories. I grouped together all my eye makeup, lip colors, and tools like nail clippers, tweezers, and scissors.

For the translucent containers—which will be my "toss" zones moving forward—I put things that I don't use daily, like medicines, extra products, sunscreen, and bandages.

One Week Later

The truest test of a great organizational system is how well it works in the long run, and while it’s only been a week, it’s been a successful week.

I’ve definitely tossed things into the containers rather than just popping them into the free space in the top half of the cabinet, and it's kept everything much more orderly and aesthetically pleasing than before.

I will say, I think part of the beauty of it is that this is my closet, so only I use this space. If it was an area I share with anyone else in my family, I could imagine things getting easily tossed into the wrong spot.

As a result, I'd say the "tidy toss" method is the perfect solution for a low-pressure, low-maintenance area like this.

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Read the original article on The Spruce.