Bathrooms

Some people claim to be cluttery, but still be *clean*. (I use that line all the time.) That just isn't possible in a bathroom. The clutter hides the dirt, grime, mold and cooties so that you don't even know it's there. (Has the word "cooties" actually ever been printed in the Estes Park News?) Clutter is a breeding ground for yuckiness.  

The first goal with the bathroom is to have nothing on the surfaces. Clutter makes surfaces difficult to clean effectively. Bare surfaces will make scrubbing down the bathroom that much quicker, easier and convenient.

Everything else needs to be able to fit under your sinks or in your cabinets and drawers. You can also add shelving to the walls or above the toilet if you are lacking in storage.

Purging items from our bathrooms should be pretty easy if we follow these rules:

• Purge all items that are not going to be used. That sounds pretty obvious, but I am guilty of having a lot of these. I have that "special" cucumber-kiwi lotion. It was expensive. Too special to use everday, and yet so special that I never got the chance to use it. I think it's safe to say it'll never get used. It's too old to use now, anyway, and I just need to purge it.

It's best to get rid of any products that haven't been used in six months, even if they're still unopened. If it's really something you need further down the line, you'll replace it. Let's face it - hair gel is just really not that expensive. But, chances are that you won't feel the need to replace it if you're not using it already.

• If it's old, purge it. The FDA requires that all beauty products have an expiration date, but does not require the date to be printed on the package. Lotions and creams are only good for about a year. Perfume is only good for three years. Cosmetics are typically only good for six months, except mascara which is only good for two to four months. Toothbrushes are only good for six months. Visit the House Purge Web site for a more detailed list of product shelf lives.

• Medicine cabinets are clutter magnets. Purge any medications that are expired. Expired medications can be ineffective or even toxic. Purge any medications for ailments you no longer have. If you have to get on the Internet and look up what an old presciption is actually used for, (Guilty!), it's a safe bet that it can be purged. Organize the cabinet with like medicines kept together. I am notorious for thinking we have no Children's Tylenol, so I stock up whenever I'm at the store. When I clean out the medicine cabinet, I find that I have four or five bottles of that same medicine. If the cabinet was organized properly, I'd save myself a lot of money on Children's Tylenol! I'd save myself a lot of cabinet space, too.

There are a couple different ways to organize the bathroom. One way is to give each person a "section". A section can be a drawer, a cabinet, or a drawer in a cabinet. (I have those plastic organization drawers that you can get at Target all over my house, including under the bathroom sinks. They're wonderful. I also labeled mine with my label maker. Label makers are even more wonderful.) One of the benefits to giving each person a section is that many times people have their own set of beauty supplies and toiletries. You can even give each person their own basket to hold the supplies. If you're short on bathroom space, people can carry their "Bathroom Basket" to and from their bedrooms. This could be a good way to get your teenager prepared for dorm life.

The other way is to organize it by zones. A hair product and supply zone, a cosmetic zone, a cleaning supply zone, a first aid zone, and a zone for whatever else you feel you need to keep in your bathroom. Keeping like things together works well when most of the users of that bathroom share those items.