Inventory Time

Now is the time to take a look around your bathroom and make a quick note of which parts need to be de-cluttered and reorganized the most.  It is completely normal for you to have things on your counters and shelves, but when there is so much that your surfaces become obsolete then it is time to make a change.  Your clutter did not arrive in your bathroom overnight, but if you buckle down it could be gone that quickly.

The average bathroom space, counter, or shelf is usually filled with the following typical things:

• Our everyday favorites (the things we use to “get ready”)
• Old, ineffective, or expired beauty products that we don’t want to just throw away
• Basic styling supplies such as brushes, combs, hair dryers, water picks, etc.
• Towels and wash cloths
• Robes and/or bathing implements
• Dirty clothes (and often even some clean ones)
• Tissues, sanitary napkins, and other disposable toiletries
• Expired breakfast food, coffee cups, dishes, or wrappers
• Trash cans or clothing hampers
• Ashtrays (if you are a smoker) – something that could become a fire hazard in a cluttered home
• Outdated magazines or other reading material s
• Decorations
• Stock of household supplies for later

It may seem like organizing all of this would become an overwhelming task, but if you know some basic tips you should be able to complete it quickly and without losing your patience in the process.  De-cluttering any space begins and ends with designating those three main spaces that were discussed earlier in the book – the piles for keeping, selling, or tossing.

Once you get done with that easy step, you then need to follow these five general organizational guidelines:

1. Go through and throw away anything that you don’t need anymore.
2. Separate the things that are left into three main groups:
   1. Group 1) Items used regularly
   2. Group 2) Items used every now and then
   3. Group 3) Items you never use but are not garbage
3. Organize the items that you will use regularly (Group 1) into a workable and accessible space upon your main counters and shelves, while putting the items from (Group 2) into a cool, dry, and safe place that can be accessed easily as needed.  It may be a good idea to designate an area for these things before you begin, or at least develop a concept of how you would like your finished bathroom to look.
4. Take the things from (Group 3) and place them into a box marked Sell/Donate.  You can add it to your pile for that rummage sale you’ve been planning or give it all to someone who has little in the way of bathroom supplies.
5. You need to do a test run of your bathroom to check for efficiency.  Can you reach your towels after a shower?  Do you need to scoot some things around a bit?  Now is the time to figure that out so that you don’t fall back into the same habits that originated out of convenience.

Remember how important the condition of your bathroom is to your overall wellbeing.  Keep that in mind as you organize and de-clutter it.  Since bathrooms are usually one of the smallest rooms in the house, it should not take you very long.  If you develop good habits and implement a workable layout for the room, you should be able to enjoy a clutter-free space for years to come.