My Mom Told Me to Put a CD Holder in My Bathroom, and She Was Totally Right (It’s So Smart!)

Earlier this year, my family found ourselves in housing limbo: We had just moved out of our old home, but our new place wasn’t quite ready. So we temporarily moved into a short-term rental for 10 weeks. The rental was near-new and lovely — but some parts of it, especially the bathrooms, felt unfinished. The main bathroom (used mostly by my kids and visitors) had a European layout, which means the toilet was in its own small room — completely separate from the shower, sink, and tub, and without any storage.

At first, we just perched the toilet paper roll on the back of the toilet. But that was hard to reach and way too easy to knock into the bowl. The window ledge was too high. And, worst of all, someone started putting the roll on the floor. Cringe. By day three, my mom came to visit. She took one look at the situation and said something I never would’ve expected: “Get a CD tower.”

If you grew up in the ’90s, you probably remember the tall, narrow towers designed to hold dozens of CDs. They’re slim, vertical, and often made from wire or plastic. As my mom explained, the dimensions of a CD shelf are actually perfect for toilet paper storage. Each shelf fits a standard roll, the narrow frame tucks neatly between the toilet and the wall, and most towers have enough shelves to hold four to six rolls — which means you’ll probably hear a lot less of the classic “Can someone bring me a roll?!” yell.

That same day, we went thrift shopping. And sure enough, in the first store we checked — sitting between old puzzles and stray knitting needles — was a black mesh-metal CD tower with five shelves. It measured 29 inches tall and six inches wide and deep. It was exactly what we needed — and it cost just $4.

Originally, I planned to donate it back when our rental stay ended. But when we moved into our home, I found a new use for it. While our house has built-in toilet paper holders, the bathroom lacks drawer and cabinet storage — and once again, the CD tower saved the day. It now sits in our family bathroom, stocked with extra rolls, and looks sleek against the black-and-white decor.

Can’t find a vintage CD tower? No problem. Amazon sells this six-inch-wide organizer for $28.93 that’s great for tiny bathrooms and comes in two-, three-, six-, eight-, or 10-shelf options. It’s also available in black, white, and wood finishes. Alternatively, there’s this sleek white option, or you could opt for a rolling cart instead. 

This post originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: My Mom Told Me to Put a CD Holder in My Bathroom, and It Was a Brilliant Idea