The Clever Way TikTok Hides Your Unattractive Bathroom Garbage

Jan 19, 2024

Every well-designed room is a blend of form and function. You want your space to be aesthetically appealing, yes, but there are also certain practical elements that should be in place. The latter is especially important in a bathroom. No matter how gorgeous your bathroom is, it'll be frustrating for both members of your household, as well as potential guests, if there's no place to dispose of garbage.

The problem is, garbage cans aren't typically the most appealing, and in a small space like a bathroom they're often even more visible than in other rooms. One simple solution is to invest in a trash can that you like the design of, so you don't mind seeing it tucked away in the corner of the room. However, if you truly want to figure out how to hide your unattractive bathroom garbage can, there's a recent TikTok video that might give you some inspiration.

In the clip, the homeowner opened a regular bathroom cabinet door and slid out a wood bin that contained a regular plastic garbage bin. The bin was mounted on a slide-out system that allowed the garbage to be conveniently pulled out and accessed and then smoothly pushed back in — no need to reach deep into the cabinets every time you need to throw something out.

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If you happen to have a bathroom vanity with cabinets and space behind doors, it makes sense as an easy and convenient place to hide everything from clutter to garbage while keeping countertops clean and tidy.

The clever tip demonstrated in the TikTok video is particularly ideal for those who have children or pets who might be inclined to get into the garbage, as the cabinet door itself could be secured so it can only be pulled open to access the garbage by adults. And, it also frees up precious floor space in your bathroom (although you'll, of course, lose some storage space in your vanity to accommodate the garbage bin, so it's a bit of a trade-off).

And, while you can get custom-built slide-out cabinets tailored to your specific space, you certainly don't need to spend a bunch in order to make this trick work. There are plenty of cabinet organizers available at retailers that can simply be placed on the bottom of your cabinet and removed whenever you're done with them. You'll have to be careful with your measurements, ensuring you get the right-sized pull-out organizer and bin, but it's something you can easily implement yourself.

If the idea of seeing your trash can when you open the cabinet door isn't appealing, you can follow the TikTok creator's lead and use a more decorative vessel to place the pull-out bin within, such as a wicker basket or wooden box.

A slide-out organizer with a garbage bin mounted to it just isn't the right solution for your bathroom? Not to worry — there are some alternative options that still allow you to keep your garbage tucked out of sight.

If you don't want to sacrifice as much storage space in your bathroom vanity, one alternative is to mount a trash can to the door of the cabinet rather than having it atop a pull-out organizer. If you select a relatively flat and small trash can, this should still allow you to store plenty of items in that cabinet. Crafty homeowners could create a DIY solution, although you could also use over-the-door hooks or even command hooks to affix a bin to your cabinet door's interior.

In bathrooms that don't have a vanity with storage, another option could be to place a garbage bin within the confines of a hamper, which tends to be more visually appealing. Just make sure no one in your household gets confused and begins tossing clothes into the vessel.

And finally, those with a sizable bathroom that can accommodate extra furniture pieces might even want to consider a tilt-out trash bin cabinet, commonly seen in kitchens. They come in a wide variety of styles, so they'll match whatever your bathroom aesthetic is, and you can add a bit of natural beauty and help combat any odors by placing plants or fresh flowers atop the cabinet.