Keeping the bathroom neat and tidy
If there’s one thing that a bathroom needs to be, it’s functional. This utilitarian space begs for order, but when it’s shared by two or more individuals, it can become a cluttered catch-all for too much stuff since everyone has their own personal hygiene habits.
“It’s all about making sure that your choices are taken into consideration at the beginning of the project so that you can organize it in a way that suits you,” said Mylène Houle Morency of FLO Organisation.
You’ll want to begin a bathroom organizing project by going through everything you keep in your bathroom, from toiletries and self-care items to cleaning products.
Get rid of duplicates and find a way to part with that “special soap” or fancy face mask (or just
use them already!). It’s also a good time to go through all that medication and properly dispose of those that are expired.
Allison Weigensberg of Everything In Place also suggests agreeing on some personal care products collectively to cut down on the number of products that are being used.
“If you’re a family of five, you can’t have different body washes and shampoos because space is at a premium,” she said.
Morency suggested using specific categories when organizing bathroom contents — for example: first-aid, hair care, shower care (with soaps and shampoos), nail care, skin care, and dental care.
Depending on the space available, where will you store everything? Begin by considering how often you use a product. Things you go to daily, like a toothbrush and toothpaste, may be out in the open. But manicure/pedicure supplies not used on a daily basis might be better stored outside the bathroom, in a container in the linen or bedroom closet.
Experts suggest keeping the bathroom vanity as clear as possible; a cluttered surface will only look messy. Stylish mirrored trays are perfect (and pretty, too) for a few go-to items. Weigensberg has even purchased Ikea spice racks and spray-painted them to match a client’s decor; they ’ve been used to get things up and off the bathroom counter.
In the cabinets under the sink, incorporate small risers or shelves to maximize space, and use bins to keep items sorted.
“Sometimes there’s piping, so look for shelving that can be moved around to avoid it,” Weigensberg said.
Morency prefers to keep medication out of the bathroom and on a high shelf in a cupboard where it is out of a child’s reach.
“Humidity and temperature fluctuations are hard on medications,” she said, “so I like to store them in shoe boxes away from the bathroom. I also separate the medication into different groups, like kids’ stuff (so when you’re woken up in the middle of the night, you’ll know exactly where to find the thermometer and kids’ medicine), adult medications, and cold medications with cough syrup, cough drops, etc.”
Both professional organizers are proponents of hooks rather than bars for wet towels.
“Things don’t tend to dry as well when they are on a rack,” Weigensberg said. “And people are inherently lazy, and it’s easier to hang things on a hook.
“The less work it is, the more likely it will be used. You want to decrease the amount of steps as much as possible.”
Morency recommended limiting the towel count per family member to two each.
Bath toys are best kept in a mesh bag in the bathtub/shower area so that they can dry properly without getting smelly and full of mildew. Morency likes to throw them into the dishwasher to give them a good cleaning every few weeks.
Once everything has a space (containers, baskets, and so on), it’s best to label everything.
“The bathroom is a major area worth labelling,” Morency said. It will make the cleanup process much easier because it will be clear to everyone where things should go. If you have smaller children who aren’t reading for themselves yet, pictograms can be a good way to identify where things such as hairbrushes, toothbrushes, etc. are kept.
The bathroom is one of the most frequented places in the home, and it makes good sense to have it set up in such a way that it works for the entire family. When it is organized with a clear and concise design, it becomes a functional, clean space that makes cohabiting a little easier and a lot more pleasant.