Keeping a Bathroom Somewhat Tidy

We have lived in three different houses in out married life: a 1910 farm house, a 1950-ish house in a small town, and a 1940-ish house in a city. I have loved each of these dwellings, but none of them have been without challenges. One challenge common to all three has been having our primary family bathroom just off the main living area of our home. No tidy guest bathrooms here! The space where all seven of us bathe,brush our teeth, and wash muddy little hands is the very space our visitors see when they "pop-in" at our house. Although I see great value in letting others see that we don't live in a perfectly tidy home, I do desire to keep our bathroom decent looking. I am not always successful, but here are some of the things I have come up with over the years to help in this department: 

  

* Limit the number of towels in the bathroom.  We each have our own color of towel and a designated hook or bar to keep it on.  I keep the rest of the towels in a place other than the bathroom. They are used only in an unusual situation ( broken washing machine, spilled gallon of apple juice, and so on). 

* Keep a hamper with a lid in the bathroom to prevent dirty clothes from ending up on the floor. Try having a "Clothes and Shoe Jail" for items left on the floor.  (Bail = 25 cents per item.)

* Encourage/train everyone to do something to make the bathroom look better each time they leave the room.  I cannot remember exactly where I heard about this technique, but I believe it was from Kim at Large Family Logistics. This really works!  Even though the children will often bypass the really messy areas ( like tooth paste in the sink), it still trains them to be aware of their surroundings and make improvements ( like straightening the towels).  It also lets them know that we all have a valuable part in making things look better around the house. 

*Keep disinfectant cleaning wipes handy.  I am not a big fan of commercial cleaners, but having a container of these wipes nearby to quickly wipe off the counter (and other not-so-clean places) makes a real difference.

* Use rugs/mats that can be flipped over if one side gets dirty.

*Use suction cup hooks inside the tub area for hanging up wet wash cloths.  This way they are not visible, and they will not end up smooshed up in the corner of the tub!  

* Train your children to close the shower curtain after use.  I view this as the "making of the bed" in a bathroom...if you do it everything in the room looks better! It also prevents mildew from forming on the curtain.

*  Do a spot check of the floors after lunch each day.  A mid-day check and quick sweep/spot mop can keep things under control. 

* Wipe the toilet and sink area off before bed. It is such a good feeling to start the day out with things looking nice! This is also a great time to leave your husband or teenager a little note if they will be the first ones in the shower the next morning. Try using a dry erase marker on the mirror! For years my husband was up and off to work before I was awake.  We had a little note pad that we kept on the bathroom counter. Each morning he would write some sort of rhyme about the upcoming day or a current news event, and each evening I would write a rhyme back to him about our day at home or his upcoming day.  It got pretty silly sometimes ( especially during political races!), but we had lots of fun coming up with things to write. Happy memories cover a multitude of messy areas in the home :). Enjoy your family and visitors to your dwelling no matter what gets done or undone in a day's time!  

This post is linked at Our Simple Country Life, Raising Homemakers,  Far Above Rubies, and Growing Home .