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Apartment Therapy writer Pallavi Mehra reports that a heavy ceramic soap dish with raised grooves helped her keep cables, jewelry and other small belongings together on a compact nightstand. The piece presents the idea as a personal organizing tip, not a tested product review or a claim that the dish suits every bedside setup.
Apartment Therapy writer Pallavi Mehra says she has begun using a ceramic soap dish as a catchall on her nightstand, repurposing a bathroom accessory to keep small belongings from scattering across a limited surface. Her report describes a personal organizing experiment prompted by bedside clutter and the fear that an earring had been lost.
Mehra says her compact nightstand regularly collected charging cables, hair ties, lip balm, jewelry and earplugs. After an expensive earring rolled onto the floor and she thought it might be missing, she decided to look for a way to gather the small items instead of leaving them loose. She writes that the idea was inspired by an earlier Apartment Therapy tip about using a soap dish as an entryway catchall.
For her bedside setup, Mehra chose a heavy ceramic dish with raised drainage grooves. She says its weight helps keep the tray in place, while the grooves make it less likely that small objects will roll around. The open top lets her see and retrieve what she has placed there. These are her observations about the item she selected, rather than results from a controlled comparison of different organizers.
Mehra describes the dish as compact enough for her nightstand and says she likes its minimal appearance. She notes that a soap dish may already be available at home, or could be bought from a thrift shop or online; her article says such dishes typically cost less than $10. That price statement is general, not a current price for a named product, and the report says prices were accurate when published.
A Small Fix for Bedside Clutter
The tip addresses a common constraint in small bedrooms: a nightstand has limited surface area, but often holds several small items that are easy to misplace. A shallow, visible dish offers a defined place for belongings without requiring a larger organizer or a closed container. For readers with spare bathroom accessories, it also presents a way to reuse an item rather than buy a purpose-made tray.
The article does not establish that a soap dish will prevent every item from falling or suit every nightstand. The benefit described is practical and personal: Mehra says the heavy, grooved dish gives her everyday essentials a contained spot. Readers would still need to choose a size and shape that fit their own furniture and belongings.
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From Bathroom Accessory to Catchall
The article sits within Apartment Therapy’s home-organizing coverage and builds on an earlier suggestion from the same publication: using a soap dish as an entryway catchall. Mehra adapted that idea for her bedroom after a loose earring made the clutter on her nightstand more concerning.
Her account focuses on an individual purchase and use case, not a broader product test. She says a grooved design is her preference for keeping small pieces from moving, while acknowledging that a smooth dish could also function as a catchall. She writes that she plans to get another dish for her dresser to hold cosmetics, perfume and hair accessories; that is a stated plan, not a reported purchase or outcome.
““My bedroom nightstand has always been a bit chaotic.””
— Pallavi Mehra, Apartment Therapy writer
How Well It Works Beyond One Nightstand
The report provides one writer’s experience, not independent testing, reader feedback or a comparison with other organizers. It does not specify the dish’s dimensions, exact price, brand or how long Mehra has used it. The article also does not measure whether the grooves keep different objects in place during everyday movement, or whether the dish’s weight is sufficient on other surfaces.
It remains a personal organizing suggestion rather than evidence that every soap dish is stable, suitable for delicate jewelry or a good fit for all nightstands. Mehra says a second dish is planned for her dresser, but the source does not report whether she has bought or tried it.
Mehra Plans a Second Dish
Mehra says she plans to use another soap dish on her dresser for small cosmetics, perfume and hair accessories. The source does not give a timeline or confirm that she has done so. For readers considering the idea, the immediate next step is simply to check whether a spare or suitably sized dish fits their own storage needs.
Apartment Therapy’s report does not announce a product launch or a follow-up test. Any broader assessment of the hack would depend on additional experiences, including how different dish shapes and materials perform with the items people want to store.
Key Questions
What did Mehra use the soap dish to store?
She used it as a nightstand catchall for small belongings such as charging cables and trinkets. Her article mentions jewelry and other everyday bedside items as part of the clutter she wanted to manage.
Why did she choose a grooved ceramic dish?
Mehra says she chose a heavy ceramic dish with raised grooves because she expected its weight to help anchor it and its ridges to keep small items from rolling. Those benefits are based on her account, not a comparative test.
Does the article give a specific product or price?
It says Mehra selected a dish from Amazon but does not identify a brand or give its exact price. The report says soap dishes are typically available for less than $10, while noting that prices were accurate at publication time.
Can a smooth soap dish work as an organizer?
Mehra says a smooth dish could work too, although she prefers grooves for small pieces that might roll. The right choice depends on the items being stored and the available surface.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
