What to consider before buying a shower organiser
Size
If you’re a large family, using lots of different products, you’re probably going to need one of the larger caddies with separate baskets. If you’re looking at storage for more than one shower, you may wish to consider buying a few budget caddies, so you can distribute them across different bathrooms.
Durability
Some Mumsnet users found that caddies with adhesive or suction cups didn’t stay attached to the wall. We’ve investigated all of our recommendations to ensure that we’re recommending some of the best products out there, however, like any DIY project, nothing is completely fail-safe. If you’re worried about a caddy falling from the wall, an over-the-door option or tension pole is a good idea as they don’t rely on any form of adhesive.
Material
All of the shower caddies we’ve recommended are made from rust-resistant materials. Resistant is the key word here though, as any item subjected to prolonged periods of time under a stream of water may succumb to some damage eventually. Stainless steel is particularly hard-wearing whilst plastic caddies are also a great choice as they are particularly easy to clean.
Types of shower caddies
Gone are the days of having to drill holes in your bathroom wall to attach your shower caddy securely. There are a number of different ways organisers can be mounted to the wall without causing permanent damage:
Suction cups: These are suckers that stick to the wall of the shower to hold your caddy in place. A great option if you want something you can take down easily, but perhaps not the best choice if you plan on loading it up with heavy items.
Adhesive hooks: Hooks are attached to the wall with a strong adhesive glue, and then the caddy is simply hung from the hooks. This makes taking the caddy down to clean much easier. For the most part, once the hooks are stuck to the wall they aren’t reusable or adjustable, so you want to make sure you get it right the first time.
Tension pole: This is simply a pole that wedges between the ceiling and the floor of the shower. They are adjustable so will fit most rooms, are a doddle to assemble and are a great option if your shower is over the bath rather than in a separate cubicle. They are an expensive option, however.
Over-the-door hooks: As simple as it sounds; a caddy that can simply hang from your shower door and requires no attaching aside from the hooks. They are easy to remove and usually offer plenty of storage. Some of these caddies come with large hooks meaning you can hang them on the back of the bathroom door if you don't have a shower cubicle.
Where is the best place to hang a shower caddy?
The most important thing when attaching or hanging your shower caddy is to make sure it isn’t directly under the stream of water from your shower.
If it’s mounted via adhesive or suction cups, you’ll need to make sure that the surface is compatible. Also, consider who is going to be using the caddy. If you’re storing toiletries for younger members of the family they’ll need to be able to reach it too.
How do you keep a shower caddy from falling?
The key to this is to quite simply read the manufacturer's instructions. When it comes to suction cups, some manufacturers will tell you to moisten them first; other models will require them to be completely dry. Some adhesives will work better with the application of a little heat, others can be stuck straight on the wall.
Every caddy is different so take your time and check the guidance beforehand. Also make sure you avoid the grout lines and be aware that adhesives and suction cups won’t attach well to more porous surfaces such as mosaic tile, concrete and wood.
Once the caddy is up, don’t be tempted to overfill it and take care when you’re placing things back in the basket.
How do you rust-proof your shower organiser?
There’s no sure-fire way to guarantee your caddy won’t succumb to rust after it’s been up a while, but keeping it away from the stream of water from the shower will certainly help. Plastic shower caddies obviously won’t rust, but you will need to clean them regularly.
How do you clean a plastic shower caddy?
If your plastic shower caddy has removable suction cups you may be able to pop it straight into the dishwasher.
If the suction cups are not removable or your caddy uses an adhesive, you’ll need to use some warm soapy water and cloth to remove any build-up or stains. An old toothbrush works a treat for getting into all the nooks and crannies of your caddy too.
How we chose our recommendations
Recommendations from real Mumsnet users
Nothing will give you a better sense of whether something is worth buying than an honest, unbiased review from a real parent. That’s why our first port of call is always the Mumsnet forums where we trawl the Talk boards to find recommendations and top tips from the Mumsnet community.
Expert opinions
To help us decide on our shortlisted products, we also took on board the top tips and advice from industry experts to find out a little more about the best materials to choose and how best to attach your caddy to the wall or shower cubicle.
Authentic customer reviews
Finally, we looked at shower organisers that were ranking highly on bestseller lists and those that had first-class reviews on retailer sites. We took into account what reviewers were saying regarding value for money, durability, storage capacity and style.
Why you should trust us
We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.