This is the third post in a series. For the first post, please start with the bedroom.
The bathroom is a place we sometimes go to decompress and be alone, among other things. It is a very interior room in which we can think our private thoughts and wash off the day’s accumulated grime. It is a room that helps us “start over” in a way. We go in tired and dirty and come out refreshed and clean. It needs to be functional, but also soothing. So, let’s look at the bathroom, together.
Is your bathroom counter littered with hair appliances, toothbrushes, makeup, deodorant, etc.? Do you and your family fight about who is going to clean the bathroom? This can all change, and more easily than you might imagine. It does require a bit of thought and planning, though. First of all, I am willing to bet you have a lot of stuff in the bathroom – probably too much. Set your timer for 15 minutes and go through the cabinets and drawers. Take out all the personal care products and only put back the ones you are actually using. That old hairspray you don’t use anymore doesn’t need to go back, and neither does the body wash you got for Christmas that you don’t really like. Next, set your timer again and make sure you have a spot for extra toilet paper. Make sure you have the supplies in there you do use – soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc. After that, go through the medicines. Take the expired ones to the pharmacist who can get rid of them safely.
Next, put in an all-purpose spray cleaner and some paper towels or cleaning rags, so you can quickly wipe down counters, etc. when you are in there. Not having to go and get the cleaners from under the kitchen sink makes it easier to clean, and the bathroom is a room that needs to be cleaned often. Check out Flylady.com for her instructions on “swish and swipe”. It will cut your bathroom cleaning time by more than half! After you get the bathroom cleaned out, clean and stocked with your necessary supplies, think about what would make this room more enjoyable to be in. How about art on the walls? If you have room in there, you could include a piece of furniture, like a chest of drawers for example. Replace old ratty towels with some nice new ones if it’s time to do so. Even though the bathroom gets some pretty hard use, (especially if you have small children), it can also be treated as a special room. A pretty soap dish, a hook on the door to hold clothes, or some nice bubble bath are just details, but they speak to the soul.