Organized Forever

Bathroom Priorities

by Judy Brown

The one room in the house that should be clean and tidy is the bathroom. It's the one private area of your home that might be used by anyone who visits. Could be friends or maybe a repairman; but, how can you say "Sorry, it's just too messy, you can't use the bathroom today?"

I know I've had to excuse myself when company called, on a few occasions (ok, maybe a bit more than a few) to run to the bathroom to make sure there was no dirty laundry or unmentionables lying around! Then I spent most of the visit hoping no one would need to go to the bathroom.

They probably wondered about me though, as every once in awhile I would make a trip to the powder room where I spent a frantic few minutes cleaning everything that looked like it needed it.

Usually by the time they left I had it pretty well cleaned and I was saying things like "Are you sure you don't need to use the washroom before you leave?"

Messy is one thing, but the bathroom is one room that doesn't take long to get really dirty if you don't do a bit each day to keep it clean. The whole house can be a mess but, take it from me, you are going to start feeling a whole lot better if you make it a practice to keep the bathroom picked up and cleaned every day.

Money Saving Tips and Tricks

Getting rid of the clutter in your bathroom will save you time and money. Cut down on the clutter and the daily cleaning will be a breeze.

The bathroom should be an attractive place in your home, but don't spend a fortune for fancy cosmetics and personal care items. Do you really need all those cosmetics? You can only wear a few dabs at a time you don't need more than one bottle of foundation or face make-up.

If it's something you wear everyday, visit the department stores and get make-overs. Don't buy anything until you find the one you like best. (Be firm here.) If you need it, buy good make-up. It may be a bit more expensive, but will make you feel good as well as look good and you're worth it!

Throw out all the old make-up, it does get old fast, especially the eye make-up. Get rid of everything you haven't used in the past six months.

Before the purge in my bathroom, I had mascara and eye makeup that I'm sure I bought when the kids were little. (I hate throwing anything away!)

I recommend getting a friend in to help with a project like this, if you can ignore the incredulous remarks like: "How long have these little pills been in here, the label says 1972!"

In a few minutes your pal will have thrown out all the old stuff and you will have a lot more room in the cupboard. If you don't have a friend that is close enough to survive a bathroom purge at your house, be ruthless and throw out everything you haven't used in the past year.

Quick Tips

Save your spray bottles and when the cleaner is gone fill with warm water, slosh it around a bit and then keep on hand in the bathroom for quick cleanups. (Keep it in the bathroom in case of unexpected guests.)

When you replace the stale baking soda in your refrigerator pour the soda into your bathroom drains. Follow this with about 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Flush with cold water and you will keep them free running and fresh smelling.

Laundry pre-wash spray does a great job of cleaning plastic shower curtains. I take mine outside in nice weather and spray away then wash it off with the hose and hang up again. Doesn't matter if it's wet as long as you make sure it is tucked in.

Don't forget to take some cleaner into the shower with you. Everything is easier to clean after the hot water has been steaming up the walls and floors. Use one of the left over cleaner sprays and give everything a swipe before you step out of the shower. The kids can be trained to do this, too. Somehow they think it is more fun to clean when naked.