31 Days Of Organizing & Decluttering: Day 18

Today’s challenge is decluttering, cleaning, and organizing the main bathroom in your home.  We have 2 bathrooms in our house.  The bathroom on the main floor and the bathroom upstairs.  All 7 of us share both of the bathrooms therefore making them probably the busiest rooms in the house when everyone is home.  That being said, I will be cleaning, organizing, and decluttering the bathroom today and probably by tonight, someone will have messed it up which is so frustrating but with 5 children, that’s what happens!

Today will probably take you the longest of all the challenges so far.  If you don’t have much time, divide the challenge up and do one cabinet, clean the toilet, or the bathtub.  Do what you can! Just because you don’t get the whole challenge done doesn’t mean you failed!  If you get one thing done, that is one thing that wasn’t done yesterday, which is a win!  I’m extremely busy today but also know that sometimes I work better under pressure, so I’m giving it a whirl anyway!  Don’t feel guilty about what doesn’t get done, do what you can and feel good about that!

There are many items needed in the bathroom.  However, there are also many things that make it into the bathroom that do not need to be there.  At our home those would include: toys, clothes, cups, and possible backpacks if someone ran in directly after school!  In our bathroom, storage space is very limited, so it is important to maximize what space is available.

One important step in organizing and decluttering your bathroom is deciding what needs to be in there, what products do you actually use, and what you will never use again.

Here are my recommendations for decluttering the bathroom:

• Remove all clothing from the bathroom and put either in the hamper or the proper bedroom it belongs in.
• Start at the top and work your way down.  Cobwebs first and then move to the cabinets.  (My steps really are decluttering first, then I clean and organizing is last.)
• Do one cabinet at a time.  If you run out of time, you don’t have nearly the mess!
• If you don’t have enough space for your towels, they look neat and pretty rolled into a basket!

• Take everything out of the cabinet, wipe it out and then start putting the like items together.  If the item will be going in a different cabinet, set it aside until you get to that cabinet.  If something is broken, throw it away!
• Check items for expiration dates!  Make-up will grow bacteria if it is kept too long and can harm you.
• Remember, if you haven’t used the items in a long time, it’s time for them to go!  This is also true for items that you know you won’t be using (curling irons, waxing pots, etc).
• You can organize with suction cups to keep items off the counter such as toothbrushes!
• You can also use a silverware divider for toothbrushes to keep them from touching the others (I will be doing this when we build our new house, my drawers are not wide enough in this house!)
• As far as lotions, shampoos and other products, decide how much is enough.  If you have 20 bottles of lotion and 7 are half used up, something can probably be tossed.  You can donate the full ones or toss or give away the half used up!  If you are like me you have your favorites.  Feel free to keep those and get rid of the rest!
• When you get to the countertop, replace what has been used up if it is toothpaste, need new toothbrushes, etc.
• Put away anything that doesn’t belong on the counter
• After the counter move to under the sink.  Once again, sort, clean, declutter, and organize.

• Remember as you are decluttering and cleaning that if you find something you are out of (toilet paper, feminine products, etc.) grab your list and write it down!  It will save you from trying to figure out what that item was later on!

• If you need some storage ideas, an easy fix is to put some hooks behind the door.  You can get over the door organizers to help as well.

Clear totes with drawers work well for organizing items when you do not have enough space.  I bought a small one for all of the girls hair accessories and it has really helped keeping them in one spot.

• If you have toys for kids to play with in the tub, keeping them organized is easy with a toy organizer!

Don’t forget, in case you have missed any days in this series, here they are!  (Don’t worry you can jump in right where we are in the series and go back later if you want to catch up or just finish out what we’re working on with us!  I’m so happy that you are joining us in organizing and decluttering your home!)

Day 17 Update:    Day 17:    Day 16 Update:    Day 16:    Day 15 Update:    Day 15:    Day 14 Update:   Day 14:    Day 13 Update:   Day 13:    Day 12 Update:    Day 12:    Day 11 Update:    Day 11:     Day 10 Update:     Day 10:    Day 9 Update:   Day 9:    Day 8 Update:    Day 8:    Day 7 Update:    Day 7:   Day 6 Update:   Day 6:     Day 5 Update:     Day 5:     Day 4 Update:     Day 4:     Day 3 Update:     Day 3:     Day 2 Update:     Day 2:      Day 1 Update:     Day 1:  

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