Bathroom Tips
Read these 11 Bathroom Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Home Organization tips and hundreds of other topics.
Quick and Easy Touchups
Do you groan when you enter your bathroom? Is the toothpaste debris concrete-solid? Do you wish you had time to clean it? Does 'clean the bathroom' require a two-hour commitment out of your schedule?
Although the initial grunt work will have to be done first, cleaning the bathroom does not need to require chemical resistant gloves and face mask everytime! Nor should it take hours to accomplish. All it takes is a minute here and a minute there. And antiseptic wipes!! Don't forget those.
Keep a container of wipes in every room wherein they can be used (all bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchen.) Every other day (or everyday if you're a real neat-freak), simply wipe down the sink/counters that take the most abuse. Toothpaste that's only a day or so old is not nearly as difficult to wipe off as the week- or month-old stuff. Once or twice a week, wipe around the tub edges and floor corners and exposed areas. Don't forget the washer/dryer where lint and soap has accumulated. When it's time
to really CLEAN these rooms, you'll find that it goes quickly and with a minimum of effort.
Even your linen closet can be organized
Here are two quick tips for your linen closet:
How many sets of sheets do you have? Are they all complete sets, or have years of wear and tear caused havoc on them. I believe you need only to
have only 3 complete sets of sheets for every bed in your house. Why 3? Because one is on your bed, one is in the laundry and one is in your closet.
I also take one of the pillowcases and put the sheets and the other pillowcase inside. If you do this for all of your sheets, your linen closet will be very organized.
Now, about the towels. I believe, having three full sets of towels –bath, fingertip and cloth -- per person, per bathroom is enough for anyone. If you disagree then you must be my aunt who believes that towels in every shade of blue, green and yellow is never enough. That is why she is aunt clutter to the family. Do you want to be known as aunt or uncle clutter? No, so keep to these rules when you are dealing with the linen closet.
Bathroom Storage 101
Bathrooms and their supplies frequently get away from us because all of those bottles, tubes and towels take up a lot of space and are really awkwardly shaped. Its not as simple as buying like sized containers to get the most out of your storage closet, in this case you need to create storage that can absorb your supplies and linens. In some cases, you may not even have a linen closet to work with, so you need to work with what you have.
The first step is to assess your supplies - any duplications of supplies like shampoos, conditioners, hand lotions and the like should be tossed, and make sure you don't have anything more that about a year old. If you haven't used it, chances are you won't - so don't hold on to the clutter. As for your linens, assess the depth and width of your storage area - fold all of your items, sheets and towels alike in shape so that you use the most of your space - cut cardboard pieces as a guide if you must. Try to keep piles of like items and make sure the colors are visible on the outside so you can see what you have available.
Don't Overlook the Toilet, Look Over the Toilet
In considering bathroom storage, the space above the toilet tank is frequently overlooked in terms of storage options. For instance, many people hang art above their toilet, but why use the space for that when it could become a valuable storage option. A bathroom etagere is a great storage solution, especially when well designed.
If you choose a cabinet that is deep enough, it can be used for towels and linens - especially hand towels for your guests. This is another great opportunity to use baskets for small item storage - perhaps your manicure set or hair care products? You need to think a lot about what you want to store where in your bathroom.
A bathroom storage tip: If you want to keep certain supplies private, a basket in your linen closet or your bathroom hutch will do the trick. Keep items you don't mind people seeing in your étagère.
Tips on Bathroom Storage
If you decide to use baskets, or other storage bins throughout your bathroom, make sure you group your items by type so you can find things. For instance, group first aid in one bin, shampoo, conditioner and soaps in another and over the counter medications in yet another. By doing this, you'll know which bin to grab when whatever issue you are having presents it.
Another smart bathroom storage tip, even if you have used most of a given medication, keep the box it came in! The foil packets that hold pills rarely tell you what the medication is or what the directions are for usage. Because of this, if you ditch the boxes, you won't know what you are taking, or for how long you need to take it!
Color-Coded Baskets Aid in Bathroom Organization
Keep your bathroom organized by making color-coded baskets for toiletries for each family member. The baskets are designated areas for hair and body products, toothbrushes, loofahs, etc. This is a foolproof method of bathroom organization.
Everyone should either keep their baskets in their individual bedrooms to take them in the bathroom as needed. The more organized the bathroom, the easier it is to get to things when you really need them. The baskets can also be stored in a designated area, such as under the bathroom sink or on a wall storage unit in the corner of the bathroom. This will help keep additional bathroom furniture to a minimum, which will keep your bathroom from looking overcrowded.
Shower Caddys Aid in Bathtub Organization
Use a shower caddy for storing items in your bathtub area. This is the space for shampoos and soaps. Do not overload your shower caddy, as they can be fragile. Just keep what you absolutely need in the shower/bath on your caddy.
There are several varieties, however, the most sturdy include those with suction cups attached to hold the caddy in place or those that you can screw into the wall above the tile of your shower area. There are a number of brands to choose from, so before you choose one that's best for your bathroom, take stock of the layout of your bathtub/shower area. Note details such as what kind of tiling you have, how many types of products you have to place on the caddy and how permanent you need it to be. Considering these factors will help you choose the best shower caddy for your bathroom.
Storage for Bath Toys
Keep a plastic container for bath toy storage. A plastic box is preferable because it is easier to keep clean. Keep bath toys stored in it and be sure to disinfect the toys and the container often to keep germs and bacteria from developing on both in the bath toy storage area. The container should also be emptied of any excess water after each time the toys are placed inside of it.
Keep the container underneath a cabinet or sink, so that this extra piece of bathroom furniture doesn't clutter an already small space.
Creating a Great Looking and Usable Bathroom
Your bathroom is a utility room, but that doesn't mean it can't look good, stay organized and be chic all at the same time. If you move into a pre-existing condo or home, your predecessors may have made some interesting décor decisions.
Work with the permanent fixtures like ceramic tile, toilet and bath finish and anything else that would be more expensive to replace, but add bath furniture that meets your needs like wall mounted bathroom cabinets, a hutch, or a simple shallow bookcase to spruce it up. Replace the shower curtain according to your tastes and grab towels and a bath mat that work with the existing fixtures and with your new bath furniture. When you put it all together, you'll have a good looking and efficient space.
Bathroom Hutch
Is your bathroom large on space and small on closets? In many of today's condos - old renovated homes in particular, they manage to create spacious and well appointed bathrooms that are only missing one thing - and that is a linen closet. So if you don't have a linen closet, and you don't have the desire or the means to build one, you should consider a bathroom hutch or wardrobe cabinet.
Choose one that fits your decor whether it is wood or painted and make sure you choose the right size for your space. It should hold towels, sheets and other bathroom supplies in good order. You may consider using baskets in the cabinet itself to you have better access to the supplies that would end up in the back of the cabinet. You'll also be able to store more of the small items that typically cause the clutter problem in your bathroom.
Wall Mounted Bathroom Cabinets
If you have open wall space in your bathroom, rather than just installing another towel rod, think with storage in mind and consider a wall mounted bathroom cabinet with a towel rod incorporated into the design. This way, you get additional bathroom supply storage for bottles of shampoo, shaving supplies or even vitamins and prescriptions and you get the benefit of the towel rods. Typically, we overlook wall mounted bathroom storage options because the medicine cabinet may have already been installed and be in use, but you can never have enough bathroom storage and if you have empty wall space you should really make the most of it.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D. |
