Bathrooms seem to be notorious for becoming cluttered and unkempt. Between small makeup compacts, medicine bottles, hair accessories, razors and the like, it can be quite easy to lose things in the shuffle. How do you rid bathroom clutter? Assess your bathroom and its contents and utilize a few simple ideas and you’ll find more space and tranquillity as a result.
Take A Good Look Around
First of all, look around your bathroom. If you have products in your bathroom that you didn’t like after the first use, get rid. Maybe someone who previously visited left there and your family left them behind ages ago, get rid of them. Maybe that Star Wars bubble bath your nephew left behind last Christmas. Bin it. This can be a tough pill to swallow if you focus on the money that you spent on buying it. However, if it’s taking up valuable space in your cramped bathroom quarters, it’s costing you more in headaches and stress than it’s worth. You’ll probably be amazed at how much space you can free up by clearing out these unused, unwanted items.
Get Rid Of The Meds
Next, focus on specifics. Take a good look at your medicine cabinets. Ironically, it’s probably not a good idea to store medicine in your medicine cabinet. This is because most bathrooms become hot and humid during showers and baths. This can be detrimental to medication that requires being stored at room temperature. This can be a huge source of bathroom clutter. Don’t keep medicines past their expiration date, even if you’ve never opened them or have used them very little. Try storing your medications on a high shelf in your linen closet with a lock-tight lid. This will help lengthen their shelf life as well as keep them out of reach of curious little hands.
Makeup Needs To Go
The same should be done with old makeup. Generally speaking, most makeup will last about 18-24 months. This is with the exception of mascara, which lasts about three months. Liquid eyeliner will last about three to six months. Nail polish generally only holds up for about a year. If you have anything older, get rid of them. Since many makeup products have animal-based ingredients, it’s also important to pay attention to how they smell. If they smell like they’ve gone bad, they probably have, so toss them. Try using a permanent marker to mark the purchase date on the back of the item. That way you won’t have to try to remember just how long it’s been since you purchased something. It’s just become nothing but bathroom clutter!
After you’ve cleared these items out, assess what’s left. If there’s a drawer for makeup, but nothing in it is sorted, consider some small boxes or baskets to place them in. Place lipsticks and glosses in one bin. Another for makeup compacts, and another for makeup applicators such as brushes and sponges. If there are a lot of hair products, consider using a larger basket to place them in. This can be stored under the sink which can be easily removed and put away each morning.
Storage Solutions
If you take a look in your favourite discount store’s home organisation aisle, you’ll find lots of inexpensive storage containers that can easily be utilized in bathroom drawers, under the sink, and for shower and bathtub areas as well. Since bathrooms are full of small things, they can easily be organized in small bins, baskets or boxes. This helps to be where you need them to be when you need them. Much better than an eyesore of bathroom clutter.
Most importantly, get your family to agree on using and maintaining the organization system that’s been developed. It’ll do no good to organize only to find things dishevelled and unorganized the following week. Ask for input when devising a system, and make sure it’s one that everyone involved can live with.
Keep It Organised
Small, cramped bathrooms with little space and lots of stuff can present big problems for a busy family. With items strewn across the bathroom countertop with no designated space make it difficult to find that favourite pot of lip gloss, box of dental floss or can of hair mousse when morning routine time is at a minimum. You can conquer this problem with an honest assessment of your bathroom’s contents and some creativity.
If you’re in the habit of stocking up on those products you seem to go through quickly such as toilet paper, lotion, or toothpaste, consider storing those in a pantry or linen closet instead of in the bathroom itself. It’s then available in the same location each time. Not just viewed as bathroom clutter which finds it’s way to the floor. Make sure all family members know where to look for a replacement or refill should they run out.