I've seen such things online, but I think they're a solution for a problem that doesn't exist. Plus, if you put these items into a cabinet, they'll hold onto water and mold.

I'm happy with these items in our current bathroom and plan to copy them in our new house:

- We keep our plunger in the back corner (behind the laundry hamper) of the small linen closet in the bathroom. Given that I don't think we've used the plunger in a couple years, it's not a problem having it several feet away from the toilet. When it IS used, we set it in the shower until it dries, then we return it to the linen closet.

- I don't try to hide the trash can. Both of our current bathrooms are very long, and in each we have a small trash can next to the toilet and a second one next to the sink. I HATE having two trash cans in each bathroom -- more to empty each Thursday night -- but the ridiculously large layout makes it necessary. In our new house, we'll have only one trash can between the sink and toilet.

- You didn't ask, but consider a place to store toilet paper -- especially if you like to buy in bulk.

Something I'm planning to do differently:

- I like the idea of getting things off the floor, so I'm going to use a wall-mounted toilet brush.

I designed my one vanity to have a recess for a custom Corian waste basket and toilet roll, and the other for a toilet roll only.

But I keep the plunger and brush in a plastic bucket inside each vanity so they can be rinsed and sprayed with Lysol and allowed to air dry after use.

If you hide them, make sure they can air out after each use. As Mrs Pete said, that would be a perfect recipe for mold. Cut away some of the cabinet door and put a grill to cover the cutout for airflow. I’ve personally never thought of a need for this. I like my stuff right there when I need it, especially a plunger.

WG Wood Products makes them.Plunger and Brush Wall Closet.

This one comes with the plunger and three disposable trays. An adhesive hook allows you to hang the Toilet brush where ever it works best for you. They have smaller ones just for the brush.

Good point about the water and mold, Mrs Pete, and good airflow idea, Steve.

Your custom waste basket solution sounds fab, palimpsest. My new vanity won't be roomy enough for a bucket to hold plunger and brush. (This is my set up as well in the other bathroom.)

Thank you for this link, nancyinmich! Pretty much what I had in mind.

amazon sells a plastic one that's recessed into the wall between studs. The reviews say, however, that only small plunger and brush fit, so if you are choosy about your plunger (DH is!) that doesn't work. The depth between studs isn't much more than 4" IIRC so the diameter of the plunger can't be more than 8" I'd think?

I just use a small trash can inside the vanity, for decades (no mold or other issue ever; guess I have enough air flow).

Simple Human makes a slim toilet brush, it slips behind the toilet out of view. I have one in each of my bathrooms. I have older models that look a little different, but concept is the same.

Slim toilet brush

(scroll through the pics and you can better see the slim profile)

You can keep the bowl cleaner under the sink. I keep the plunger in the basement - I hardly use it, so not storing in the bathroom. Simple Human makes a great plunger with a magnetic handle so it stays in the holder if/when you need to carry it.

Rinse the plunger!!! Those things are disgusting and require extreme sanitation. I can't imagine stepping in a shower that a plunger has been rinsed in. I must have a very different view of cleaning... my skin is crawling.

Double bagged, I'd rather have the toilet cleanser on it than ****. A plunger is only used when the toilet backs up and we all know why. I don't keep it in the bathroom, it's quarantined to the laundry room in the basement. I'm hoping you're kidding because that is a nasty way to get an enteric infection.

Joking about what? I spray it with the sanitary water sprayer (google shataf) into the toilet when done with it, then spray with cleanser, wait until it stops dripping, transfer it to the shower, spray it thoroughly there, let it sit a while, rinse, and let it dry. Mine lives under the utility sink next to the washer. I have used it twice. Do you lick your shower floor often? Why would you assume others are getting enteric infections?

Regardless of where people are storing plungers or toilet brushes, I don't think anyone said they're putting items away without washing them. Seems like common sense.

Oh I use my toilet brush to scratch my back and keep my toilet plunger with my fresh vegetables, doesn't everyone?

Thanks palimpsest, good laugh!!! I thought of another to add, flossing your teeth with a plumbing snake : )

The procedure I always saw was after using the plunger to clear a clog, put toilet cleanser in the toilet and swish the plunger around in it and then double bag it. That's all I've seen a plumber (or family member) do with one. Enteric infections can come from stepping in **** and if you put a plunger in the shower...

As anyone else heard of rinsing a plunger in the shower?

I have never had to use my plunger, but when I might have to how do you suggest to clean it without carrying the germs throughout the house? Shower seems just as good as carrying it through multiple rooms while touching door knobs, with my hands that just touched the flusher,to get outside to use a hose. I do not think there is a win in any senerio but the convenience of a near by shower followed by a Clorox cleaning in bad weather will win at my house.

Also raye, if you are not the first owner of your house, there could have very well been a clogged toilet drain that caused a sewer backup to seep right into you shower. I think many waste pipes are connected to shower drains are they not? You know the saying, sh** happens and it might have happened in one you have used, rut roo.

We rinse in the shower but then the whole shower gets bleached properly.

Roarah, you're only going to be touching the handle of the plunger which shouldn't have anything on it, then washing hands. Plus you could double bag it, wash hands then use a clean bag to grab the handle. Usually the doors are open so I wouldn't be touching any.

That's a good reason to Clorox all fixtures when moving into a house. Fortunately for that situation my house sat empty after 1990 so any germs would have been long dead. So far I've never experienced a catastrophic sewer backup like that.

Raye, you must never have had to deal with an overflowing toilet if your plunger is quarantined to another floor.

If you have a good toilet like a toto, plugged/overflowing toilets are generally a thing of the past, but doesn't mean it can't happen. I would never want to be a guest a someone's house though and happen to clog their toilet and have to tell them about it. Much nicer to just take care of it myself.

I think every bathroom should have a brush, plunger, and a basic supply of cleaning materials under the vanity or stored where guests can find them without having to embarrass themselves by asking for it. Some people's systems get out of whack when they travel and why increase embarrassment by making a guest have to ask. I don't care how fluffy the towels are or how spa like the bathroom is. I'd rather have to tools to straighten up after myself if necessary.

Good point, Palimpsest. I would not have thought of that, since I have never had a toilet overflow. I also have very few guests, so just don't think about things from their point of view. I am finishing the planning for remodeling both the full bath and the half bath, so these are good things to keep in mind. I have already purchased brushes that are held in glass wall-mounted holders. Nothing is sitting on the floor anymore!

Why would a guest be in my master bathroom? And no, I've never had a toilet overflow just run too slow. If your toilet is overflowing turn off the water valve under it, plunging won't help at that point. I agree with Steve that part of the equation is good quality toilets and the other part is being careful with what you flush. Although I don't like the smell of them I really like the clorox disposable end brush, everything in one package.

We had a terrible cheap toilet when we first moved in, in one bathroom that constantly clogged when that had never been a problem before. (As it ended up we replaced 95+% of the rough plumbing in the entire house, including the entire stack system). That's when we started keeping a plunger in the actual bathroom.

And I don't know about anyone else, but when I have had groups of people in the house, no one considered the master bathroom off limits if the hall bathroom was occupied, they just used it. I would have to lock the bedroom door or put a sign on it that said "Keep Out" which I would not consider particularly hospitable toward people I am supposed to be friends with.

I would never assume that the master bathroom would never get used - bathroom emergencies are bathroom emergencies. I'd hope in general people would wait to use the 'public' restroom (hall bathroom, powder room, whatever) but if someone is having an issue, they can use whatever bathroom they want. And someone having an issue is more likely to need plunger/toilet brush/etc. than someone not.

That said, toilet brushes really gross me out. You can't really ever get the bristles properly clean. We use the Toilet Duck system with flushable wipes (our toilet has a coating where you can't use the scrubby type pads anyway) for our toilet brush option. When we were having trouble with clogging all the time (pre-toilet replacement) we kept the plunger by the toilet in a small bucket with sanitizer in it. Now that the toilets are way better behaved (although kiddo did manage to clog one recently by trying to flush paper towel for some mysterious reason) I'm trying to find a good place to stash the plunger so it's handy but not obvious. We're going to replace the vanity - I might see if I can add something when we do that. Maybe build a 'plunger and cleaner niche' into the side of the vanity next to the toilet?

Master is on a different floor and it's not obvious that it has a bathroom.