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31 Days to a Clutter Free Life: Master Bathroom (Day 15)

Day 15: Master Bathroom

An organized master bathroom can diminish stress and help you in a variety of ways. From more efficient mornings to better hygiene, skin care and general health, having an organized master bathroom is key. Just like a command center for your home, your master bathroom is a command center for your body and beauty.

Second to the kitchen, the master bathroom is probably one of the biggest areas of clutter accumulation, and one of the most challenging areas to keep clean. Beauty and bath products can pile up in drawers—and hair, hairspray, moisture and mildew add to the mix, making it a perfect storm of gross and grime (and that’s not even counting the toilet).

Yet, the master bath is a place that we clean the dirt of the world off our bodies, so it should become a sanctuary where we can literally put on our best face to the world. Organization and cleanliness is mandatory in this area of your home.

 Objective: A clean, organized “body command center.”

Assess the current situation: What products do you use daily? Weekly? Are you utilizing storage space efficiently? Where does dirt, grime and mildew hide in the bathroom and how can you prevent it?

Assignment:

1. Remove and put away any items that belong in other rooms. If necessary, use a basket to collect items, then distribute them to their proper homes.

2. Sort and Declutter. Remove all items from drawers, under-sink cabinets, vanity and other areas. Discard anything that has not been used within the last three months. Check all expiration dates and discard anything that is over six months old. (Lotion can separate, and sunscreen and other products lose effectiveness and can even go rancid.)

Keep only items that:

  • You use regularly
  • You like and work for you
  • Are in good repair

 Do not keep items that:

  • Are expired, leaking or in broken containers
  • You no longer use or didn’t fit your needs
  • Are over six months old
  • Are sensitive to heat or moisture (like medications)
  • Are decorative but difficult to keep clean

 3. Clean. Thoroughly wipe down all surfaces, insides of drawers and cabinets, and shower surfaces. Shower organizers can be scrubbed or run through your dishwasher.

4. Organize. Place “like” items together—for example: hair products and accessories, shower products, under-sink storage items.

 5. Beautify. If you like, line drawers with pretty paper or drawer liners.

 6. Create functional storage areas in your drawers and cabinets. Use lidded clear plastic containers to house smaller items in drawers. Organize larger bottles in plastic crates with drainage for storage under the sink. Separate them into large plastic bags and label with markers. Toilet paper, feminine hygiene items and other products can be stored under the sink.

 7. Organize shower and bath products into a drain-able caddy—keep one of each type of product (one shampoo, one conditioner, etc.). Hang a squeegee in your shower and spray for quick cleaning after each use. Discard any sponges, loofahs, or other items that are more than one month old (they are a prime area for bacteria growth) and run synthetic scrubbies through the wash on a weekly basis to disinfect.

 

1. Storage Packed Master Bath (Ikea.com)
2. Cabinets Galore (HGTV.com)
3. Clever Bathroom Storage (MarthaStewart.com)
4. Tame Your Hair Dryer (RealSimple.com)
5. Casual Cabinet (GoodHouseKeeping.com)

 

 

Ruth Soukup

Ruth Soukup is dedicated to helping people everywhere create a life they love by follwing their dreams and achieving their biggest goals. She is the host of the wildly popular Do It Scared podcast, as well as the founder of Living Well Spending Less® and Elite Blog Academy®. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of six books, including Do It Scared®: Finding the Courage to Face Your Fears, Overcome Obstacles, and Create a Life You Love, which was the inspiration for this book. She lives in Florida with her husband Chuck, and 2 daughters Maggie & Annie.

View Comments

  • I'm joining this challenge at the half-way mark but, better late than never, right?

    Given I'm not a big consumer of cosmetics and keep the hair care and skin care products to a minimum anyway, this *ought* to be an easy room in which to start. That'll ease me into the scary rooms!

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Ruth Soukup

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