A Simple Bathroom

When I think about the “hot zones” for clutter, in the average household, the bathroom and kitchen come to mind.

Today, I share with you my bathroom.  It’s located on our main floor and is utilized frequently since it’s the only bath on this floor.  Here are nine tips towards a simple bathroom.

 1. Clear the counter.

Get rid of all those unused lotions, perfumes and makeup. Chances are they’re unused because you don’t like them. Offer to friends/family or simply trash it. It’s not worth the space it’s cluttering in your life (even if you paid a lot of money for it). View it as ‘it has a lesson learned:’ discovering what you don’t like.  Simply use your medicine cabinet and vanity to keep your surface clear.

Tip! Put items away after use.  It will prevent a huge cleaning later.

2.  Stay on time. 

Okay, so this isn’t exactly controlling clutter, but it does control your time.  I thought my husband was crazy for hanging a clock in our bathroom when we first lived together.  Now I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I spend most of my morning getting ready in the bathroom.  The clock keeps me focused to leave the house on time.

3.  Hang the bath mat.  

All too often our bathmat has gotten dirty and walked all over.  Instead of continuing this endless chore, I hung a towel bar to hold the bathmat when not in use.

Bonus!  Prolongs the life of your mat.

4. Opt for a light and clean paint color.  

Our bathroom is windowless, which is why we went with Off-White paint.  It’s clean, fresh and bright.

5.  Minimal art work.  

 Hang one statement piece on the wall.  That’s it.  Hanging too many things on the wall creates visual clutter.  And visual clutter causes stress.

6.  Everything in it’s place.

If you do buy extra products or have less frequently used items, store and appropriately label them.  I have photo boxes that can easily be stacked under our bathroom sink.  Each is labeled with a different category, such as toothbrushes/toothpaste, hair care, nail care and soap.  Make it easy for other family members to find items on their own.  It’s annoying to constantly be asked where things are and it helps promote independence for littles.

7.  Keep daily items accessible.  

This past January, I discussed Porter Knight’s Concentric Circles Method– have the more frequently used items in your first and closest circle.  The less frequently used gradually move further away from the body or space.  When things are easy to find and put away, we’ll do it.  Help reduce the stress of your busy morning and keep your bathroom cleaner.

8.  The linen closet.  

Our linen closet is close to the bathroom and holds our towels since we don’t have space in the actual bathroom.  I like uniform looks so all our towels are white.  I used vinyl lettering and pattern for added detail.

9.  Keep occasionally used items near but out of sight.

I created these caddies for our dog’s products and cleaning products.  They are stored under the sink, out of sight and easy to grab when needed.  Instead of looking around the house for cleaning supplies, keep a few handy in the room you’ll use them in.

As always, Happy Organizing!