Searching for a Shower Caddy
My quest for the perfect shower caddy is about more than hair product organization. This is more of a mini-rant about shower organization. I need to talk about why shower caddies and organizers drive me so bonkers.
How Much Should You Pay for a Shower Caddy?
There are so many issues with the basic ones you might find at Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, or Walmart. Each bathroom section is seriously lacking. I even browsed Amazon and looked for some good options.
The cost usually starts around $15 and goes up. There’s always some expensive options. You can get a pimped out pink carry for $150.00 esay. But this isn't about looks. The problem on either end – cheap or expensive – is the cost to utility ratio. Nearly all caddies have serious flaws.
College Basket Caddy
Starting with the cheapest – the college style carried basket caddy might hold items well but sits on the ground. These often have holes that smaller shower items can fall through. You have to lean over to get your items. They take up valuable shower floor space (especially if these are large enough to hold all of your bathing accoutrements).
Plus shower gunk can build up underneath and something will inevitably spill down the side. (And it looks like a laundry basket. Not an actual problem but it’s kinda silly.)
This Is Not A Solution
Shelf Caddies
The ones for the ground are rife with issues as well. You have the shelving height problem again. The shelves are often too close together to you can only fit hotel-size shampoo, conditioner and body wash bottles.
The more annoying part is these shelves usually wobble. It could be because the shower is poorly made, or there may just be an incline in the corners. Also, without a tall edge, items will fall over.
Be ready to shuffle those feet at any moment because gravity and imbalance means your stuff could possibly drop everywhere at any moment.
Each Shiny New Shower Caddy Has 99 Problems!
Caddies Hanging Over the Shower Head
The popular caddies that hang over the shower head have a myriad of issues. The biggest one is that often they don’t hold standard shampoo and conditioner containers. The hair products will be too tall so they will either have to be put in sideways or at the very top (where shorties like me can't reach. The shelf just don’t have enough space. And this is its very purpose!
Sometimes the entire hanging rack will slide down the shower head. This becomes a hazard to any unsuspecting bather focused on shaving their legs or rinsing their hair.
There are suction cups that are supposed to help with this but they don’t stick very well. You can use water, press them on the tile with all your might and get nothing, no friction or tension to keep your hanging caddy there.
In summary, these are too high, made only for 6 foot tall bathers who use short hair products that remain in perfect balance. Using each product creates an Indiana Jones sand replacing golden idol situation.
Why Even Shower?
Unless you have built-in shelving, those shoulder height ledges so beautifully fixed in place. Unless your shower came pre-loaded with everything but water, then what after all is the point?
II don't want to struggle with installation, bottle size, tipping from side to side, and poor material choices.
Steel ones rust. Plastic ones grow shower funk. You’re left with gross lines on the shower tile and shampoo that is ever in danger of falling and spilling.
It seems these were designed to make showering more convenient, but instead make bathing slightly hazardous and totally annoying.