Every bathroom needs a small trash can, but there never seems to be a place to put it where it’s not in the way. And, if you have a smaller bathroom, it’s even more of a problem.

But, here’s a Simple Solution for how to put a trash can in your bathroom and have it hidden away.

You can easily keep your trash can out of the way by mounting two hooks on the back of your bathroom cabinet.

On the back of one of the vanity doors, mount two small plastic hooks. These hooks happen to come from a ventilated shelving unit, the kind you might put in a closet, but we mounted them to the back with two small half-inch screws, and that’s really important. Use short screws because you don’t obviously want them poking through the other side.

Space the hooks maybe three or four inches apart, depending on the size of the trash can, and make sure the trash can has a lip on it. Most of them do. That’s really important because we’re going to use that lip to mount the trash can.

See? This trash can hangs right on the hooks. You close the door, and it’s completely out of the way. You walk back and forth, and don’t worry about bumping into it.

But, when you need it, it’s ready when you are.


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Editorial Contributors
avatar for Joe Truini

Joe Truini

Radio Show Co-Host

Joe Truini is a contractor, author, and the host of “Simple Solutions” on Today’s Homeowner TV and the weekly Today’s Homeowner radio show. He has worked on both large commercial projects and residential remodeling, and has written for national publications such as This Old House and Popular Mechanics. He has also written eight books, including three best-selling shed-building books. Joe lives in Connecticut with his family and enjoys hiking, traveling, and baseball in his spare time.

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