Cutting Boards Don't Belong In Your Bathroom, Right? (Hint: Yes, They Do)

What do small kitchens and small bathrooms have in common? If you guessed a lack of counter space, you'd be correct. If you live in a small house or apartment, which wasn't designed for modern living, chances are there's never enough room for a skincare routine — let alone a couple of hair styling tools and a makeup bag. So if you're strapped for space, we propose taking a hack for small kitchens and applying it to the bathroom: Put a cutting board over the sink.

At first glance, it might seem a little weird to store a cutting board in the bathroom — but once you try it, you'll never go back. Instead of prepping soup ingredients or trimming a couple of steaks, your bathroom board will add a significant amount of extra counter space in a pinch. And when you're done? Just stash it under the sink until next time. Before you grab your favorite kitchen cutting board, however, there are a few points to consider. First, once the board goes in the bathroom, that's it — it lives there. Make sure it's clean and sanitized before you use it, and don't bring the board back and forth to the kitchen, because that's not food safe. Second, only use this hack if you have the space to store a cutting board in your bathroom so that you're not tempted to use one from the kitchen from time to time.

It doesn't take any engineering skills to use a cutting board as a countertop in the bathroom. All you have to do is put the board over the sink and it's ready to go. However, if you plan to shop for a board rather than reuse what you already have, it's helpful to measure the sink so that you can buy a board that fits the space.

Both wood or plastic boards are fine to use in the bathroom, and you don't have to worry about which one will keep your knives sharp since you're not preparing any food on them. A non-slip bottom or bumpers will work better because it won't slide around on the slippery porcelain surface of the sink. Also, plastic boards are water-resistant and easy to clean if you spill makeup on them; just toss them in the dishwasher.

Once you get a routine going, you'll notice that not only does this hack give you several more precious inches of work space, it'll also keep your bathroom a little more organized. Think of it like a kitchen prep surface or mini vanity and your products are the ingredients; once you're done using the stuff, stash the tools away, wipe down the board, and slide it under the sink.