The bathroom. A place of both sanctuary and shame. A safe haven where we can relax and rejuvenate or a cluttered mess that causes us nothing but stress. If your bathroom falls into the latter category, it’s time for a change – declutter and organise this space.
By decluttering and organising your bathroom, you can make it more efficient and easier to maintain. This will free up time for you to relax and enjoy yourself without having to worry about cleaning up after yourself. In addition, by decluttering your bathroom, you can also help to improve its air quality and make it more pleasant to spend time in. But how do you transform your bathroom into a sanctuary? Here are some tips to get you started.
1. Clear Out All Expired and Unused Items
Have you heard of a clutter magnet? Well, bathrooms are known for this. In just a little time, bathrooms can become overcrowded with all sorts of items from toiletries and makeup to medicines and even pet items. The first major step of organising a bathroom is to declutter it completely.
Dedicate a time and place to do this. You will need floor space or a large table to unpack all items. Go through each item, check the expiry date (if any), and decide whether the item is used frequently, needs to be kept for long-term use, or ought to be discarded.
2. Sort Items According to Category
As you go through the decluttering process, place items in groups of function or use. For example, you start to find many hair products like gel, spray, and shampoo, so group these hair products next to each other. Other categories can include makeup, hair, face, body, medicines for cold and flu, child medication, adult medication, first aid items, vitamins and supplements, hair removal, female hygiene, and dental hygiene.
3. Store Items Based on Frequency of Use
Once you have gone through all your items, use bins to combine each category and find a suitable space to store them. Remember to store frequently used items close to the front of the cupboard or top drawers where you can get to them quickly. If something takes too much effort to store away, we tend to place items on the countertops. Try to avoid this as it creates a cluttered look.
4. Store Medicines Safely and Accurately
Medicines need a dedicated zone to be stored in, ideally out of reach from children. They should also be clearly labelled and discarded if expired. It is not worth using any medicine after it has expired as you have no idea how it has changed chemically or what its effects may be.
One unique thing about medicines is that they can accumulate very quickly. You may often buy new medicines when the family is sick and then very rarely use them all up (think: nasal sprays, cough medicines, supplements, and creams). Sometimes, you could also end up with duplicate items because you’ve forgotten what you already have at home.
5. Use Hidden Storage
Bathrooms don’t usually have lots of storage as they are small rooms primarily filled with sanitary ware. If you purchase additional storage for your bathroom, buy closed storage so items can be hidden from view. Too often, I see open shelves or trolleys that have become clutter magnets, resulting in messy bathrooms.
An organiser for the bathroom will always tell you to keep it clean and hidden. Examples of hidden storage can include wall-mounted cabinets like the ENHET series from IKEA, baskets with lids, and moveable chests of drawers.
6. Fold Towels Attractively
Storing your towels beautifully can make your bathroom so much more attractive. Ensure you have good towel racks to hang your towels neatly so they can dry properly. When storing extra towels in the bathroom, there are many ways to fold your towels so that they can look beautiful and organised. Two common ways are to roll them or fold them, so the edges are not visible.
7. Keep Surfaces Empty
This is key to keeping a bathroom calm and clutter-free. On your sink countertop, you should only have the items you literally use every day and maybe not even all of those. If a wall-mounted cabinet or drawer is nearby, keep your toiletries out of sight. Using a container with a lid is an option for bathroom storage, too.
8. Don’t Buy More Than You Need
When you have limited space to store items, you have to be mindful of how much you buy for that storage space. Try to use up all your toiletries before you buy more. Have no more than one extra stock of essential items like toothpaste and shampoo. If you have a large storage area elsewhere in the house, you are fortunate to create a space for extra bathroom stock that doesn’t encroach on the current bathroom storage.
9. Maximise Cupboard Space
Bathroom cupboards often have a large open space under the sink without shelving, and various bathroom organisers can help maximise this space. One idea is to attach wire racks or clear holders inside the cupboard doors to store items. Another idea I highly recommend is getting shelf inserts or modular, stackable drawers from KEYWAY at Homesmiths.
Usually, a lot of vertical space goes to waste under the sink. Using a shelf insert, like IKEA’s Variera range with clearly labelled bins, increases the surface area for bathroom storage. Stackable drawers are also a great way to enhance the storage space; each drawer can contain a different category of items. Labelling the drawers will help keep items in order and make it easy to find items quickly.
10. Calm the Space with Scents and Plants
Calm your home and create that sanctuary spa feeling by appealing to your senses. Think about how you can add fragrance to your bathroom – candles, diffusers, and incense are all ways to bring in a scent you love. Bring plants into the bathroom, too, as greenery makes us calm.
Both real and artificial plants work, as they both add to the atmosphere of being in natural surroundings. Hanging plants in a macrame hanger really suits the bathroom as you are not taking over the bathroom floor area and many corners in a bathroom are usually covered in tiles and very stark. Plants will soften these spaces creating a sanctuary you love to visit every day.
Fern McGahey is a professional home organiser at Calm the Clutter. Visit @calmtheclutternow or www.calmtheclutternow.com for more information.
