Bathroom Refresh in 10 Easy Steps

Is it just me or it it just easier to motivate myself to clean and freshen up the house in the spring? Just the change in temperature and days full of more sunshine make me also want a clean house to relax in.  Our master bathroom has been suffering for quite some time so when I saw bathrooms on the list for the Clear the Clutter Challenge it was the perfect chance to dive in.

We are fortunate to have plenty of storage in the bathroom.  Unfortunately sometimes that means things get tossed into a cabinet only to be forgotten.  I cannot begin to tell you the number of times I’ve purchased items I already had on hand simply because I could not find what I was looking for.  Here are a few tips to move you on your way to an uncluttered bathroom!

One | Empty all cabinets of the contents.  Not only will this help you purge unwanted and expired items but it will also allow you to evaluate how to use the space more efficiently.

Two | Wipe down cabinets inside and out.  If shelf paper has exceeded it’s useful life, now is a good time to update and freshen up.

Three | Purge.  Toss those 1/2 empty bottles of conditioner, samples which you will never use and hair products you really thought you needed but just have not worked for your hair.  If you aren’t sure, grab a sharpie and write the date on the item.  I find this to be a super easy way to remind myself how long it’s been since I’ve actually used something.

Four | Check all medicine for expiration dates and toss any which have expired.  Make a list of items to restock.

Five | Group like items.  Hair supplies seem to be the biggies for me that get lost in the shuffle.  I found things like thickening spray, root lifter, dry shampoo and hair spray in four different locations in the bathroom.  Not very efficient.  Sunscreen was another which seemed to multiply.  I’m guessing not having it easily accessible meant every time we needed it we just headed out and bought more instead of diving into the abyss.

Six | | Toss old towels.  I currently have been moving mine to the laundry room to use when we need a towel for dirtier jobs, but you can also donate old towels to animal shelters and I think my stock is getting to that point.

Seven | Evaluate the space you have.  Are there organizational items which would make your space more user friendly?  One of my cabinets has always driven me crazy because it is so tall the horizontal space was not used effectively.  I grabbed a shelf from the Container Store which created more flexibility.

Eight | Take a quick trip to Target to grab a Starbucks and browse the organizational stuff for just the right products!  Yes, this is a very necessary step.  Stepping away from the mess for a bit typically helps me see things more clearly.  Who am I kidding, I just want to go to Target! Who knows there may be a sale on towels too.

Nine | Replace all items and stand back and admire the job well done!  You now know what is in all cabinets and drawers and where to find quickly.

Ten | After years of needing the cabinets and walls repainted, it doesn’t take much to begin to see dings and scuff marks.  I like to keep paint in small mason jars handy and this is a great time to do a little touch up if needed.

So here is a little look at the before and after of our master bath!  (just try to ignore the quality pictures!)

Somehow I still have baby blankets on that top shelf and Carly Jo is 12!  They are special but have been relocated to the linen closet.  The bottom shelf had literally just become a hodge podge to all things without a real home.  I also think my mom must bring a lint brush every single time she comes to my house and leaves it because we have 4.

This very bottom cabinet was just a total disaster.  Not a good use of vertical space at all.

After adding a shelf below and using a basket I already had on hand to round up all the sunscreen, the cabinet is now much more functional.  Even though the middle cabinet still looks like a hodge podge, it is organized and the bins have like items combined in each drawer.

And what do we have here?  All the praise hands when you end up with an empty cabinet!  My friend Holly showed off her bathroom yesterday and used her empty cabinet to store swim suits and cover ups.  I’m now thinking I need to incorporate all the swim things on this shelf including the sunscreen and our swim bag!

This area under  my sink had really been driving me the most crazy.  I seriously didn’t even know what all was hiding in there.  Nothing makes getting ready every day more hectic than a disorganized space for my hair and makeup supplies.

After tossing lots of old makeup bags and grabbing this bin to organize hair products I”m feeling much better about this cabinet!  I’ve been using the magazine rack for my hairdryer for some time and it works alot better now that I’m not also adding curling irons.

Not even sure at all how in the world this cabinet ended up so crazy.  I’m blaming it on it being “Keith’s side”. Ha!

But it now looks like this!  Still not sure if I’m gong to add back the pull out shelf.  I was thinking I could use it in another space but it didn’t work out so it may come back to this cabinet.  Regardless it will still be much improved.  These bins are cheap and come in several colors and I’m already thinking of where else they will work in the house.  

I grabbed a new tray for this drawer awhile back but it still wasn’t functioning as well as I hoped.

Divided Tray Left | Divided Tray Right

I’m thinking these two new trays will do the trick and both Keith and I have everything we need easily visible and available. 

Seriously drawers are great but the second two are just deep enough to invite chaos.  When we first moved in almost 15 years ago these square bins were my solution.  Ugh…they were constantly full of hair and things we didn’t really use.

Divided Tray | Clear Bin

I added two new bins and, while it’s hard to really grasp in this picture, it is way more organized!  I’m excited to have my curling iron and flat iron in this drawer now as well.  I definitely spent more on the clear bins than I normally would want to but seeing as how it took me 15 years to change I figure I’ll get my money’s worth and if it functions well it is well worth it!  

And the bottom drawer had definitely taken on a life of it’s own.  Medicine, nail polish, a sewing kit and jewelry cleaner are all things I grab now and again but this also just became a drawer to toss things out of sight out of mind.

After tossing the expired medicine and getting rid of a few things it is back under control!

I’m so excited to have this master bathroom refresh marked off my list!  It’s been driving me nuts for a long time.  Hoping to finally get around to the master closet this week!

This month Erin is hosting 10 on the 10th (yes it IS already the 13th but whose counting!) so hop over there to join the link up sharing spring cleaning tips or just grab some fresh ideas for yourself.

If you are looking for some motivation to clear the clutter at your house, you can see the remaining dates for the clear the clutter challenge below.

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