Around the Home in 80 Days: Bathrooms

As our journey around the home is quickly coming to an end, we are going to face the challenge of organizing our bathrooms.  For this week we are going to focus on quickly purging our bathrooms of unneeded, unused, or expired items.  After purging, we will finish the week with a clean space. 

I always find it very helpful to set a timer when I am doing this type of project so I don’t find myself distracted.  Give yourself 5-10 minutes per cabinet.  During the time-block, only focus on the task at hand.  Don’t answer the phone, go to the bathroom, or get distracted by something (like trying out an eyeshadow shade you forgot you had).  If you need more time, simply set the timer again.

Please refrain from the temptation to run to the store and buy organizational tools now.  Wait until you get rid of the clutter before you try organizing your items in pretty containers.  Once you have purged; look at what you need stored, measure the space you have, and then you can look for containers that will suit your needs.  Be careful not to store things that should be tossed or donated.

Following is an example of how to break these tasks into 7 days.   Each day you should plan to spend between 15-30 minutes. Please keep in mind to break up your job into tasks however it suits you best:

Day 64:
Cosmetics- Pack up any unused items to sell or give-away.  The general rule of thumb is that most make-up is good for 1 year, but some are supposed to be used within 6 months, such as foundation.  It is not safe to give used items away, so if you don’t like it…toss it!  Do you have a bathroom cabinet full of make-up bags, which were included with department store cosmetic purchases?  These items are taking up very valuable real estate in your bathroom!  Donate them to a local charity, or use them at gift-giving time to pack up a present (like a nail care kit).  Wipe the shelves off before placing the items back into the cabinet. 

Day 65:
Toiletry items- Toss out empty bottles and consolidate half empty bottles.  Toss out anything that has expired.  If you have an over abundance of unopened and unused bath and body lotions from the mall, put these back for gifts.  These are great gifts!  Clean your toothbrushes by tossing them in a pot of boiling water, or better yet, get new ones!  

Day 66:
Towels- Now’s the time to get rid of the towels which have already fulfilled their life expectancy.  Cut them into squares for great rags and place with your other rags in the house and put some out in the garage. I know some people use a fresh towel per person every day and I am also aware of the health studies which would agree with this practice, but I find my family members can get around 2-3 days usage from a towel before I put it in to be washed.  For my family of four, I need around 12 towels per week.  I invested in 16 high quality Egyptian cotton towels 8 years ago.  These towels have been used very hard and remain brand new in feel and appearance.  

Day 67:
Bath toys- Clean any bath toys that your children have.  Dip an old toothbrush into some sea salt and scrub the toys.  If they are not able to be cleaned, toss them.  

Day 68:
Wash curtains (shower and window) and clean windows 

Day 69:
Give your cabinets a good thorough cleaning.  I personally like to use Murphy’s Oil Soap for my wood cabinets.  Today is another opportunity to purge more if needed. 

Day 70:
Wipe down all surfaces, wash the floors, and clean the toilets.  Clearly, if you have more than one bathroom this could take you longer.  Work at your own pace.  To reward yourself, make the room look pretty.  Place some fresh flowers on the vanity, display some candles around the tub area, and put some framed pictures on a stand. 

Enjoy the journey,
Betsy