We love to start with de-cluttering the bathroom. It’s the smallest room in the house, yet one we use every day. Due to it’s function it needs to be kept hygienic for our family’s health. And it’s usually a straightforward, and satisfying room, so a great first step.
De-cluttering the bathroom
First things first, remove anything that does not belong in the bathroom and return it to where it belongs.
Here we’re talking about items that are taking up space in the bathroom itself, not things in the bathroom cabinet. Don’t forget to use the basket or box that you used for organising the lounge. This will help cut down on the number of trips around the house to return items.
Next we need to clear the decks so we have some clear space to put things. So remove everything from the cabinet countertop and give it a good clean before we get started on organising the bathroom cabinet.
Now open up the draws and doors of your bathroom cabinet. Make a note of the sorts of things that you have and want/need to keep ie. make-up, skin care, soaps and deodorants, razors and body lotions, first aid and medicines.
As you go through each of the items, make a mental note as to when the last time was that you used that item. If it was over a year ago – out it goes. If you haven’t used it in a year – you’re not going to. As with the kitchen, being brutal with your clear out in the bathroom, will help you in the long run as you will have more space to be able to find things easier.
Throw out old bits of soap, worn out facecloths and towels and most importantly any medications and make up that are past their use by dates.
Try and get into the habit of checking the dates of your medications about twice a year ie. summer and winter. This applies to prescription medications and to over-the-counter medications. If you’re unsure about how to dispose of old medications, check with your doctor’s office.
Make-up also has a limited lifespan and using items beyond their recommend life can cause serious health problems, especially to eyes. So here is the general rule for make-up:
- Eye shadow, lipstick and blush – 2 years
- Foundation and powder – 1 year
- Eyeliner and mascara – 6 months
It is also a good idea to use a fresh sponge and to give your brushes a good clean about every 3 months.
Ok, its about now that your bathroom cabinet countertop is overflowing, so its time to start putting things back.
Here is where we put like things with like – exactly how we do it when decluttering the kitchen.
A good idea to help reduce the spread of items in your bathroom cabinet is to put things into baskets. We recommend plastic baskets for the bathroom as they won’t disintegrate or mould with the dampness and they are easily cleaned.
Remember to keep things like medications and make-up out of reach of little fingers.
As for the countertop itself, we recommend that you just keep out the bare necessities ie. tissues, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hand soap. Everything else can find a home in the cabinet.
Depending on the size of your bathroom, this will dictate how much ‘other’ stuff you can have in your bathroom.
If you’re limited on space, keep things simple – towels, a rubbish bin, a set of scales etc. If you have plenty of space, go to town with a comfy chair, plants, candles, towels rolled up and displayed in baskets etc.
Check out Clear room, clear mind: Clearing the clutter in 7 areas of your life for the rest of this great series.
