This is my bathroom today.
I'd like to tell you that I simply made a change and stuck with it when it came to changing my bathroom, but it's only because we'd really like to sell our home. In this current market you need every edge you can and that includes staging your home well. So, I spent the last two months cleaning out every closet and cabinet in this house. The results were surprisingly refreshing and freeing.
Yes, I have to put things away as I use them, but it certainly feels a lot better to walk into the above bathroom rather than the drugstore battlefield. (Sorry that there's no "before" picture. I was working so hard to stage everything that I didn't take many pictures!) I'm not promising that cleaning up your bathroom will actually make your mornings less stressful, but they just might feel a little less hectic.
Here's how I did it:
1. Purge - Start by mercilessly tossing all your old products and cosmetics. (Most of them have expiration dates anyway!) If you don't use it, get rid of it.
2. Separate items into categories - I have 3 basic ones. Make up, Everyday items and Occasional items.
3. Decide on storage for each category - I have all my make up in a tray in a drawer. I can see everything I need quickly and easily. All my everyday items are in a small basket that fits under the sink, and all my occasional items are in a larger plastic bin, also under the sink.
4. Keep your items organized and put away!
This is the real kicker. I thought it would be a real pain to keep my house in good "showing" condition all the time. But it's really not difficult. It takes only an extra 30-60 seconds to put everything back in the basket and set the basket back under the sink each morning. And when I walk into my bathroom all day I feel more calm and enjoy being there.
It sounds silly, but it has made a big difference in how I feel about my mornings. I encourage you to give it a try. You just might like it!
Let me know if you try it or if you've had any success at streamlining another "problem" area in your home.
Somehow I missed this post last week, Alicia! I am totally onboard with the whole, take a few seconds & clean it up idea. In fact, that's one of our family goals right now! If anyone hasn't tried it, I totally recommend it--if you take a few seconds and put something away when you are finished with it, it doesn't sit out and become a magnet for other stuff that leads to a giant pile that has Mommy pulling her hair out at the end of the day/week. :)
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago we had our house on the market, and I found that once we packed up all of the clutter and staged the house...I liked it better that way! I love antiques and STUFF...but I dislike dusting. So ever since then, our decorating style has been somewhere in between cluttered and minimal, and it can sometimes be hard to strike a balance between personalized and, well, minimal. But it's sure easier to dust nowadays (which is why I don't *mind* letting my 7 year old do it!). Hee hee.