Day 3: Happy Clutter-Free Home Series
Curling irons, hair straighteners, unused hair products, multiple lotion bottles, half-empty toothpaste tubes, etc. Does this represent a possible inventory of your bathroom counter? Let’s not even discuss what may be hiding under the bathroom sink!
Achieving a minimalist bathroom that is free of clutter and yet still suits all your needs for getting ready every day is possible. It doesn’t mean white walls, white bath towels, and no make-up. A minimalist bathroom can just mean creating yourself a bathroom retreat. Think of a spa. It can be a place where enjoy going every morning to get ready and yet, you don’t have to deal with messy chaos before your day has really even started.
Getting rid of the clutter in your bathroom is probably the easiest decluttering task you can take on. Why? Well, because other than the financial guilt of buying things you didn’t really need, there is little sentimental attachment to bathroom items. They are quite easy to throw out or give away, as appropriate.
If you want to experiment with minimalism, a minimalist bathroom is one of the best places to start. It is often your own clutter, so chances are you won’t be aggravating others in your household with your big purge efforts.
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Easy steps to create a minimalist bathroom:
Purge and declutter!
The first step to create a minimalist bathroom is to get down under the sink with a trash bag and start throwing away things that are well past their time! There will be a moment of financial guilt, but ask yourself why you haven’t used an item in so long? Is it because it was hidden and you forgot about it, or is it because you never really liked it? Let it go. Learn from your purchasing habits and try to prevent it from happening in the future. I still experiment with different products. However, if I open something and don’t like it, rather than throw it under my bathroom sink, I find it a new home. There is almost always a friend or family member that will take it and actually use it! If not, I accept its fate.
Clean out under the sink
Pull everything out from under the sink. This is the only way you will truly ever know what is in there! Once it is all out, wipe down the cabinet. Then, install some pretty shelf contact paper. I don’t know why, but this step always makes me feel so accomplished. No one ever sees the shelf paper but for less than $10 you can completely transform an ugly bathroom cabinet that you have to look at every day!
Medicine storage
After having kids, I wanted the medicine to be somewhere safer than in the accessible medicine cabinet or under the sink. Get yourself a clear storage container and put all your medicines you don’t use every day in there. I store mine on the top shelf of a closet, where little ones can’t reach. It also opens up a ton of space I need for everyday use in my now minimalist bathroom.
Cleaning supplies
Cleaning supplies are another set of items that do not have to be stored in the bathroom if you want a minimalist space. This was another revelation I had after kids. I didn’t want bathroom cleaning products to be within reach, so I started putting them all together on a higher shelf in the laundry room or linen closet. It helped create a lot more space under my bathroom sinks. If you clean your bathroom daily (I’m impressed), then consider one spray bottle with an all-natural, homemade cleaning solution. This way it is more multi-purposeful, and it takes up a lot less space.
Create an organization system for your morning and night routines
The ultimate goal is to get everything off the counter and put out of sight. I have what my kids have named “the get-ready basket”. It is a small cube wicker basket that stores my essential items for getting ready every day: daily make-up, my comb, the spray I use on my hair, a handful of daily contacts, and a few ponytail holders. Your system may look different but create a system that works for you.
Here are some of my favorite storage solutions for organizing my daily routine under the sink so I can achieve a minimalist bathroom:
Other bathroom organization hacks
If you don’t have drawers in your minimalist bathroom, then you can use other storage solutions for all those “extras”. We have a clear plastic shoebox that fits nicely under the sink. It holds all the extras one usually stores in a bathroom. I store extra floss, toothpaste, razor blades, etc in this box. All these loose items can create chaos in your minimalist bathroom, so it keeps everything tidy and bundled together in one small box.
For toilet paper, I prefer storage methods that make it easy to grab an extra roll without having to go under the sink. I always feel like when I’m a guest somewhere that I’m violating someone’s privacy when I have to look for toilet paper in their bathroom cabinets. Make it easy! My favorite is a decorative basket that holds a couple extra rolls. The trick is to pick a storage solution that fits your bathroom size and doesn’t create more clutter.
Clear the bathroom countertops
A minimalist bathroom should be nearly empty on the countertop. That is the ultimate goal! You should even find a storage solution under your sink for your toothbrush! You can put the toothbrush holder in a spot under the sink, or, if your toothbrush stands on its own, then simply stand it up under the sink. This helps keep nasty germs from spreading to your toothbrush too!
I also stopped storing my flat iron and other common items on the bathroom counters. Even when I’m in a hurry, I try really hard to clear the countertops in the bathroom. Coming home from a long day to a clean bathroom helps with that overwhelming feeling you get when the house needs cleaning!
Decorative items
In order to achieve a minimalist bathroom, keep your decorative items limited. Maybe one or two wall hangings and one or two decorative items on the counter or shelf. It all depends on your bathroom size. Less is more in a bathroom!
Use decorative items to store things that can’t be hidden completely. For example, invest in a nice soap dispenser and refill it with bulk soap. You can also purchase decorative baskets or containers for other items that need a home. The trick is to keep the small bathroom essentials hidden and appealing.
Small Bathrooms
If you have a small bathroom, you can still have a minimalist bathroom space. In fact, this is probably an example where embracing minimalist principles is the most important for your sanity! Purge, purge, purge. If something can be stored outside of the bathroom, then find a new home for it. Use your wall space for storage. You can buy a cabinet or shelf that hangs on the wall and use decorative baskets and containers for holding certain items that fit nowhere else.
Create your minimalist bathroom
A minimalist bathroom is within reach and fairly easy to achieve in a day or a weekend. Be honest with yourself about what you use on a regular basis and get rid of anything that adds to the clutter. A bathroom should not cause clutter-overwhelm, and in a few easy steps, you can get the minimalist bathroom retreat you have always dreamed about having in your home.
Related post: How to Manage Bathroom Counter Clutter
This post is part of the Happy Clutter-Free Home series. You can achieve a decluttered home once and for all. You don’t have to settle for cleaning all day, stress, and general clutter overwhelm. Being a mom is hard already. Don’t let clutter make it feel impossible. Get back time and reclaim the joy in your home.
If you haven’t had a chance yet, check out the previous post in the series, The Flat Surface Clutter Rule – How to Clear Clutter from Flat Surfaces in Your Home.
In the next post, we tackle the bedroom with How to Create a Minimalist Bedroom (That’s Not Boring) in 10 Easy Steps.
The Flat Surface Clutter Rule: How to Clear Clutter From Flat Surfaces in Your Home
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