Before you clean your bathroom next, declutter it first
Decluttering your bathroom is the step you didn't know you needed!
The bathroom is the room you start and end your day in– it’s not a room that you want filled to the brim with clutter! You have a cleaning routine in place for the bathroom, but what about a decluttering and organizing routine? Tossing your empties and broken brushes will turn this room back into the haven you want it to be.
Bathroom sink
It’s the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing you see at night- you don’t want this to be cluttered! If you start the day off with a cluttered sink, you’ll be starting your day stressed.
The only things that should be on your counter are the products that you use EVERY day. The products that you only use occasionally are put away, and the ones you don’t use at all are decluttered.
Under the bathroom sink
Under the bathroom sink is where hope goes to die. You have no idea what I have found under people’s sinks that have NO BUSINESS being under there! Pull everything out, and I mean everything.
When you go to put things back, take stock of what you really need down there. Extra toilet paper, some cleaning supplies, and maybe a couple of backup shower products. Empty boxes can definitely go, and so can that random toy that got shoved into the mix.
My go-to for organizing under the sink is a turntable that will make all of your products easily accessible! For the things that can’t stand up on their own, putting drawers in will give you more space so things aren’t piling up on each other.
Shower/edge of the bathtub
Kids Toys
The edge of your bathtub can be home to one rubber ducky, but not to a horde of them. If you have kids and their bath toys are taking up all of the real estate without paying the rent, it’s time to go through them.
Take them all off the tub and throw out the ones they don’t play with anymore and the ones that are growing mold inside of them. Throw the rest into a mesh bag and suction it to the wall so they stay out of your way!
Bottles of products
The only things that should be in your shower are the things you actually use every time. If you have half a dozen half-empty shampoos, keep one out and put the rest under the sink to be swapped out when you finish the one you are using.
You know which bottle you reach for every time and which ones just collect suds.
Medicine Cabinet
How many medications do you have in your medicine cabinet that you actually take? How many are expired? How many are for afflictions that no longer afflict you? What about the baby thermometers you are holding onto even though the children are grown?
Safely dispose of the medicine you no longer need, and clear up an extra shelf in that cabinet.
Hair accessories
These pile up like crazy! Get rid of those claw clips that are missing teeth, and the butterfly clips that are missing wings. The hair ties that have no more elastic in them and the headbands that give you headaches – out, out, out! If you are still hanging onto hair brushes that are missing bristles and can’t get out the most simple of knots, you can let them go.
Bonus tip: if you have kids and it’s impossible to corral them into the bathroom to do their hair in the mornings, keep the hairbrush in the kitchen so you can brush their hair while they have breakfast! Find the system that works best for you.
Makeup and Skincare
Let’s get honest about all the beauty products you don’t use. I know you spent a lot of money on them and I know they promised a magic bullet cure-all.
But something being expensive is not a guarantee that you will like it. Maybe it irritates your skin, or maybe you just don’t like the way it smells! Whatever the case, you can get rid of something if you don’t like it and you don’t use it. Donate it to a women’s shelter if it’s unused, or give it to a BFF who would be happy to take your pre-tested products!
Additionally, makeup and skincare products have expiration dates. Do a quick search to see how long your creams and powders are good for, and make the easy decision to toss the ones that aren’t anymore.
Tracy McCubbin is the founder of dClutterfly, one of America’s top decluttering companies. Tracy looks at the root of our clutter to find the real cause and ways to find real solutions.