For most people, when they think of their home, their first thought isn't the bathroom. Yet it's probably one of the rooms we consistently the most time in. After a long day of work, it's often the first stop for many us upon arriving home. How your bathroom looks, smells, and feels can make a big difference in the quality of time spent in there.
So if you're a new, old or a currently shopping homeowner, we at Flushie have the tips you need to create a space you can feel comfortable to do your uhhh, “business” in.
1. Focus on a Functional Bathroom
If you're looking to redecorate your bathroom, the first thing you need to keep in mind is that it is a room you use. Don't let your want of a beautiful space interfere with the function of it. Keep the size of the room, and where you generally sit or stand in it in mind.
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If you're purchasing new cabinets, opt for smaller units that lay more flush to the wall. If you have excess toiletries, think about keeping them in a larger storage space elsewhere in the house and moving them into your cabinets as needed.
Take advantage of wall space. If you can mount it on a wall, do so! Floor space in small bathrooms is at a premium, and the more visible floor space, the bigger the room will appear.
2. Low Maintenance Means Low Stress
Nobody likes cleaning bathrooms, (well, maybe a few of us). So it's important to keep maintenance of the bathroom as low as possible. Bathrooms get wet, and where there's water, there's mold. Avoid excessively intricate or overly complicated furnishings in your bathroom.
Every crack and divot is a potential space for moisture to collect and sour. Instead, opt for smoother finishes on your furnishings. A beautifully detailed sink may “look good”, but it won't smell good without constant upkeep. Smooth finishes prevent moisture from gathering in hard to clean spaces.
Use large tiles for your bathroom flooring. Tile is easy to clean, grout is not. Water will always take the path of least resistance, and that often means sliding right off your tile into the grooves of your grout. Larger tiles minimize the amount of recessed areas for water to collect in, and your back will thank you when you're spending less time attacking your dirty grout seams with a toothbrush.
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3. Avoid All White Designs
Somewhere along the way, modern bathroom design turned white. Like, really, really white. But this doesn't need to be so! White coloring can give a sense of sterility, which is why hospitals are so often shades of white and gray, but it can also, make your bathroom look like a hospital, which is probably not ideal. Bringing some color into the walls and accouterments can really make your bathroom pop to the eyes. Consider throwing a splash of color in your wall coloring, cabinets, or even your towels. Just a few colored accents can make a white room far more lively.
4. Don't Design Around Squares
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Bathrooms tend to be square, but the design of your space doesn't need to follow this rule. Something as simple as a circular vanity mirror can help break up the boxy shape and draw your eyes to more pleasing focal points.
5. Keep Your Counter Tops Free of Clutter
This one feels like common sense, but it's easy in the hustle and bustle of life to take the easy way out and leave things where they lie. But keeping your toiletries tucked away in accessible cabinets means less clean up for you, and you'll never find yourself looking for a specific toiletry that you left on the sink.
Don't put your toothbrushes in a cabinet! Leaving your toothbrush in a cabinet will cause it to collect moisture, which as we've already touched upon, is unsanitary. Leaving your toothbrush in the open will give it the air circulation it needs to stay dry and, well, not gross.
Consider switching to bottled hand soap instead of bar soap. Bar soap creates a sticky mess beneath it that will attract mildew and dirt.
6. Keep Your Bathroom Dry
We've touched on it previously, but moisture in your bathroom is a breeding ground for mold. Nobody likes that moldy mildew smell. So try to ensure your bathroom gets proper ventilation. If your bathroom has a window, consider opening it after a shower to help circulate air through the room and dry it out. If not, and your bathroom has no vents, consider placing a small fan in the room and facing it towards an open door. Squeegeeing down wet shower doors or sponging up around the tub will also go a long way towards reducing long term maintenance. Wet bad! Dry good!
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7. Switch to Shower Doors
On a similar note, consider switching to glass shower doors as opposed to shower curtains. Shower curtains are safe havens for that mold causing moisture we keep talking about. Shower doors will brighten up your shower experience by letting in more light, but they're also easier to maintain, as it's much simpler to wipe down a shower door than to take down and wash curtains.
8. Keep Your Toilet Seat Closed
Nobody wants to drink toilet water. (Right)? So keep your toilet seat closed! The centripetal force of flushing your toilet flings tiny water particles, (and the gross stuff in them), around your bathroom. Therefore when you flush, or when you're not using the toilet, make sure to keep the lid closed. Your toothbrush will thank you!
9. Keep the Room Smelling Nice
There's nothing that ensures an about face quite like the smell of an unclean bathroom. Even if your bathroom is freshly cleaned, and you've sprayed air freshener, perhaps your last visit after enchilada night was... less than pleasant. Keep a bottle of Flushie Pre-Toilet Spray within arms reach of your porcelain throne so before you go, you can avoid smelly bathroom disasters. Your friends and family will thank you. And if you're visiting a friend, maybe bring some Travel Sized Flushie Spray so that you leave a more pleasant mark on their bathroom as well.