Summary: Good habits to keep bathrooms tidy
While a well thought out layout and impeccable design creates a good foundation for tidiness, lifestyle habits are crucial for keeping a bathroom clutter free. These basic things will help you to keep good habits:
- Give everything its place: especially in a shared bathroom
- Remove what you don’t use: don’t keep cosmetics for ‘just in case’
- Use storage within storage: clear containers and shelf separators are great.
- Display with intention: matching dispensers and colour theming.
- Little and often tidying: never let it get out of control!
Photos of stylish bespoke bathroom refits are a delight to browse through. We should know, our gallery shows plenty! But in real life, day to day bathroom use can soon take its toll and if bottles, towels and brushes are repeatedly left out, there’s soon little sense of stylish calm left!
Having plenty of storage in your bathroom design is only the start of maintaining a clutter free bathroom. We’ll look at how to best organise your bathroom, how to set good lifestyle habits, and how to overcome the challenges of a shared bathroom.
Give Everything a Home
The first rule of a tidy bathroom is simple: everything should have a designated place. This is especially true in a shared or family bathroom where things can quickly get muddled. When every item has a home, it’s much easier to put things away after use and find them again when you need them.
Well designed storage starts in your bathroom design. Bespoke, custom made units that use the full height of the room, deep drawers with integrated organisers, and recessed wall shelving are all excellent ways to maximise your space.
For shared bathrooms, try allocating a specific drawer or section of a cabinet to each family member. Colour coded baskets can work really well and are easy to use and identify, especially for when there are lots of smaller items like hair ties or makeup. This gives everyone responsibility for their own things and can go some way to avoiding arguments and drama.
Declutter and Remove What You Don’t Use
Bathrooms can easily become a dumping ground for half-used bottles of shampoo, expired makeup, and those “just in case” cosmetics that never see the light of day. A clutter free bathroom starts with a no nonsense clear out.
Be ruthless. Go through the cabinets and drawers, and discard anything not used in the last year, anything that is expired, and anything you simply wouldn’t choose to buy again.
Taking this approach on a day to day basis is where the real lifestyle changes happen. Try adopting a “one in, one out” policy to help to instil a clutter free habit. Never start a new bottle without finishing (and discarding) an old one. Don’t be tempted by bulk buy offers unless it’s for items you use daily, like toilet rolls or soap.
Use Storage Within Your Storage
Once you’ve decluttered, the next step is to organise what’s left. This is where clever internal storage solutions can double the capacity of usable storage. If everything’s thrown into the same drawer, you’ll be more inclined to keep the things you want access out of the drawer and on the worktop. You see where we’re going here?!
- Drawer Dividers: These are perfect for separating different types of items, like makeup, skincare, and dental products. You can find what you need at a glance without having to rummage around.
- Clear Containers: Use clear jars or boxes for smaller items like cotton balls, bath bombs, or hair grips. They look neat, keep things hygienic, and you can see when you’re running low.
- Tiered Shelves: Shelf risers or small tiered units can double the usable space inside a cabinet, making it easier to see and access items stored at the back.
Talk to your bathroom designer about integrating these features as part of your bathroom refit.
Display With Intention
A clutter free bathroom doesn’t have to be completely bare. Simply be intentional with what you leave out on display. Do this by choosing a few select items that tone into your design or colour scheme and add to the room’s aesthetic.
- Matching Dispensers: Decant hand soap, lotion, and shampoo into stylish, matching dispensers to create a cohesive look that remains consistent.
- Colour Theming: Stick to your bathroom’s colour palette. If you have beautiful perfume bottles or a decorative soap dish that matches your tiles, show them off.
- Lit Recessed Shelving: Recessed shelves are perfect for creating curated displays. Adding integrated LED lighting turns them into a design feature, beautifully highlighting a few decorative objects or your favourite luxury products.
The aim is to keep the main surfaces as clear as possible. A tidy worktop not only looks better but also makes cleaning much more bearable.
Embrace the “Little and Often” Approach
The secret to a permanently tidy bathroom isn’t one giant cleaning session every month; it’s doing small tasks regularly. Just five minutes a day can prevent clutter from building up and becoming a tedious chore.
Make these small habits part of your daily routine:
- Put products away immediately after you use them.
- Wipe down the basin and worktop after your morning and evening routine as you would in the kitchen.
- Give used towels a designated spot on a hook or heated rail to dry properly.
- Squeegee the shower screen after each use to prevent water spots and limescale.
By tackling these little jobs as they arise, you never let the mess get out of control. After a short while of forming habits, you’ll find that your bathroom is always a calm and inviting space for everyone who uses it.
Start with Stone & Chrome
Maintaining a clutter free bathroom is less about constant cleaning and more about establishing smart habits and having the right storage in place.
Quick Habits Checklist:
- Put things back after use
- Take ownership of your space
- Discard what you don’t need
- Wipe surfaces daily
- Design to maximise storage
If you’re struggling with a lack of storage or a layout that just doesn’t work, a bespoke bathroom design could be the solution. Give us a call or visit our showroom at Stone & Chrome to talk to our experienced designers.
FAQ’s
What’s the best design for a family bathroom?
Create a layout that includes optimal storage to cater for the whole family.
What trends are stylish in bathroom design?
Keeping a base of timeless elegance with selected nods to trends is the best way to achieve style.
What’s the best low maintenance bathroom design?
High quality and durable materials are the best start for an easy to clean bathroom.