De-Clutter the Bathroom

Bathrooms are busy places and for many, the morning ritual of getting ready can be a challenge. Whether you are spending all your time fumbling for those toiletries or share a bathroom with your spouse, children or roommates, everyone’s stuff is everywhere making clutter your biggest obstacle for getting out of the house on time and keeping peace amongst those who live with you. While much of the stuff that inhabits the bathroom is necessary, chances are there are plenty of unused items taking up valuable counter space. You are just one cleaning and de-cluttering session away from a smoother and quicker start to your day and we’ve got just the tips to help you:

Getting Started:

Everyone has their bathroom overflowing with that one item – from half empty shampoo bottles to disposable razors to the cabinet under the sink that has all those cleaning supplies. It’s important to follow a general rule when organizing and disposing of clutter: if you haven’t used it for months or it’s broken or expired, then you need to toss it. No one really needs six different types of hand lotion – no matter how good they smell or how much you paid! Like most things in life, skin care products, toiletries and beauty products don’t last forever. While an extra month or two may not pose a problem, if you wait long enough these products can break down over time, lose their effectiveness or even cause skin irritation. Once you’ve gone through your medicine cabinets, drawers, and any other bathroom storage areas and removed all of your non-essentials, the next step is to organize what you have left.

Sort Like with Like:

A good general rule of thumb for organizing is sorting like items together. With this in mind, keep a surface or shelf for sorting the items you use every day from the items that can be out of sight. If you share your bathroom with others, have everyone organize their items and designate a shelf, basket or drawer for each person depending on the space available. Next organize your items by categories such as cosmetics, hair accessories, shaving supplies, skin care items, and toiletries. If you are in the habit of maintaining a surplus supply of various toiletries, consider storing them in a linen closet or bathroom closet if space is limited. This also applies to items which are only used occasionally that may also be stored outside the limited space available in the bathroom (such as hair straighteners, various medicines or first aid supplies).

Tackle the Toilet

…. and the sink, mirror and floor. Start with the porcelain throne. If you’re worried about those toxic chemicals or are looking to avoid the bleach, consider brands such as Seventh Generation or Method which are great environmentally friendly alternatives. Channel your inner fourth grade mad scientist and grab the baking soda and vinegar. Mix half a cup of vinegar and a spoonful of baking soda and pour the mixture into the toilet bowl. After 30 minutes, scrub! You can also mix baking soda with all natural dish soup to create a paste that will help remove soap scum and rust stains from shower doors and ceramic tiles. Incorporate these cleaning habits into your life at least one a month (and preferably once a week) so that upkeep will be minimal.