Bathrooms don’t have to be a place of dread, lost time, and rifling through hundreds of cosmetic products. Did you know that with some mindful minimising, you can achieve a bathroom which is airy and perfect for a long soak in the bath or shower? We’re talking space for some thoughtfully placed candles and a spa-like experience. Wouldn’t that be amazing?
How many people are sharing your household can, of course, have an impact on how minimalistic you can make it, but just by going through your products as an individual, you’ll likely be amazed at how many bottles, sachets and poufs you can live without.
Bathrooms often brim with half-full and unused shampoos, conditioners, beauty products and freebies. Quite often, even when a product has been replaced because the old was no longer suitable, the old is kept because ‘good money was spent on it’. But why not free up the space and breathe a little easier? It will save you valuable time during chaotic mornings and be so much simpler to find what you need. Not to mention, cleaning will be far less demanding.
Here is a checklist to help minimise your bathroom:
- Get rid of half-full and unused shampoo and conditioner
- Bin expired products (which likely mean it wasn’t being used)
- Donate or recycle freebies which have been stashed away at the back of a shelf or cabinet
- Dispose of unused beauty products
- Regift or donate unopened gifts such as that Lynx Africa set that’s been sat there for half a year collecting dust.
- Pare down to just one sponge, flannel or puff (one per person). Note that puffs are not considered to be hygienic, as mildew and dead skin cells can accumulate in the folds and the mesh. https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/beauty/skincare/shouldnt-wash-shower-puffs-327812
Photo by Icons8 team on Unsplash
Once you’ve been through everything you can, consider these tips to prevent your bathroom from becoming cluttered again.
Tips
- When it comes to hair products, buy 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioners where possible to reduce the amount of bottles.
- The same goes for body wash. It’s possible to buy an all-in-one which washes the body and the hair and is especially easy to find for children.
- Frequently replace sponges and poufs if you use them
- Have no more than two towels per person hanging up
- Use multi-purpose cleaning products to reduce the number of sprays and bottles.
- Don’t buy new products until the current one has run out (or is very close to doing so).
- A Tallboy bathroom unit can store most, if not all, of your supplies in one place.
- Be sure to recycle where possible: keep your eye out for the recycling logo on the back of most bottles and cans.
Photo by J.luis Esquivel on Unsplash
Following these tips won’t just help create a serene space for all your bathroom needs, but will minimise your impact on the environment. Minimising your bathroom is also fantastic if your room happens to be small like mine (my bathroom is also shared with 3 other adults and a child-none of them minimalist). If you do share your bathroom with others, and they have a lot of clutter, consider having a gentle talk with them to see if you can get them on-board with some of the ideas above. If not, don’t push it and just bask in the satisfaction of your own hard work. I know that shared rooms in larger families can be incredibly frustrating if you’re a minimalist, but refrain from nagging or shouting at them about their ‘mess’, as all you’ll succeed in doing is creating an air of hostility. They may even cling more tightly onto the things they do have. More on living with other people’s clutter in another post.
I hope you find this post useful, and as usual, if I’ve missed anything out or you have something to say, leave a comment.
Minimalist Moments 