Chapter 6

Bathroom

Totally (Rubber) Ducky

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Anyone who thinks heaven is not hot water behind a locked door has forgotten what it means to live.

—Lucy Frank, Two Girls Staring at the Ceiling

Lounging in a hot bath may seem like the height of luxury and a relatively modern indulgence, what with the proliferation of bath bombs, bath oils, bath salts, bath pillows, and bath mats. Oh, and let’s not forget the revelatory bath tray, which simultaneously keeps your book dry and your wineglass handy.

But think again: Luxuriating in a bath goes back thousands of years. How do I know? Frankly, I’m a bathing expert—in fact, I take a bath every day, just like the ancient Romans. But my bathing ritual pales in comparison to theirs.

Those Romans, from all walks of life, really knew how to bathe. First, they’d oil up their bodies to loosen the dirt accumulated during their workday. Then they’d exercise in a palaestra, basically a gym, working up a sweat before scraping off all that oil, perspiration, and dirt with a handheld metal tool called a strigil. Next came the fun part: moving—often via tunnels—from room to room, including the oleoterion (massage room), the laconicum (sauna), the caldarium (hot bath), the tepidarium (lukewarm bath), and the frigidarium (cold bath). This practice could take hours.

Throughout this process, they hung out with friends, held business meetings, got their makeup done (with cosmetics made from charcoal, ground oyster shells, honey, rose petals, and more), got their hair tweezed (both women and men), and even dined on takeout food. For bathers at more expansive facilities, they might have whiled away their afternoons in additional rooms, including a solarium (sunbathing room), a sudatorium (steam room), a library, a reading room, a lecture hall, and more. All this complexity makes our bathing routines—even those of the most privileged among us—sound pretty basic, huh?

But wait—there’s more: The largest and most elaborate Roman baths accommodated thousands of people and featured high ceilings, large windows, extravagant frescoes and mosaics, bronze and silver faucets, outdoor swimming pools, and enormous gardens with statuary and fountains. I marvel when I realize that all this was built two thousand years ago. Sounds like a place you’d like to go? Me too.

Of course, all of this activity was communal. Today, most of us prefer to do our bathing in private, but we still want our bathrooms to be places of rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation. And that’s why we can take our inspiration from the ancient Romans.

Getting Inspired

For the first bathroom I ever decorated, I had some of the Roman ideas in mind—on a minuscule scale. The room had a sixty-inch cast-iron bathtub, one window, and little storage. In contrast to the Key lime palette I used throughout the rest of my apartment, I painted this bathroom a rusty orange, hung a flowerpot on a wrought-iron hanger to hold all of my toiletries, and sewed a wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling shower curtain from inexpensive muslin, which I tied back with a black ribbon whenever needed. Truly, taking a bath in that enclosed space felt like stepping into a caldarium.

Today, my bathroom differs greatly from that one twenty years ago, although I still have a claw-foot tub—this one is original to our building and seventy-two inches long. The tub’s interior is white, but its exterior is painted green-gray to match our slate shower tile. The rest of our fixtures are white as well, plus we have white wooden shutters to spruce up the window, and the ceiling and trim are painted a white semigloss. A silver lamé shower curtain adds a splash of bling.

The space is beautiful, but it’s one of two rooms in our house I have regrets about. I should have added a heated floor in our entryway, and I should have created the bathroom I’d dreamed of for years. My vision? To install a black-and-white hexagonal tiled floor; to add white tile up the walls to picture-rail height of roughly seven feet; to apply Martinique, the banana-leaf wallpaper made famous by the Beverly Hills Hotel, above the tile; and to paint the ceiling blue. The tile would have been period correct for our neoclassical home, and that wallpaper would have been a likely choice for someone remodeling our house back in the 1940s. In addition to those changes, I would’ve swapped the shower and commode locations.

Why didn’t I follow through? After purchasing our home, we spent a summer remodeling before moving in, but we ran out of time to source everything, so I gave up on these changes. Still, I wish I’d gone with my gut. Given the chance for a do-over, I’d also install floor heating in the shower and create a wet room, adding a divider between the tub and shower and the rest of the room.

Is there anything about your bathroom (or bathrooms) you’d like to change? Or perhaps many things, like me? If so, where do you find your inspiration? In addition to recognizing the genius of those venerable Romans, I often find insights in restaurant bathrooms. Now, bear with me—no, not those washrooms found down long, dark hallways or those generic lavatories located at the back of fast-food joints. I’m talking about beautiful, thoughtfully designed bathrooms created by people who want the entire experience of visiting their restaurants to be wonderfully memorable.

Have you ever been dining out when a friend returns to the table and announces, “You’ve got to go see the bathroom!” That’s what I’m talking about: places like the century-old Drake Hotel in Chicago, whose lush, garden-themed Palm Court ladies’ room features private suites with personal makeup tables; the Ivy, a high-tea destination in Bath, England, whose bathroom ceiling is richly festooned with silk flowers; or Buca di Beppo, a kitschy Italian restaurant chain whose men’s bathroom walls are covered in pictures of Roman water fountains. They make me laugh every time I’m there.

HL Tip: Yes, adding lavender to your bath is a lovely way to prepare for sleep. But how can you oomph your morning shower to prepare for the day ahead? Just add two or three drops of a citrus essential oil—clementine, grapefruit, orange, or tangerine (or mix a couple)—onto the floor of your shower. Turn on the warm water for a few seconds and then step in. The energizing scent will start your day off right. (If you’re stuffy, use eucalyptus oil. Or tie a bunch of eucalyptus to your showerhead. That’s what I do all winter long.)

In fact, many of the ideas I wish I’d implemented in my bathroom were inspired by a palatial old house and special-events venue in Shelbyville, Kentucky. For a while, I co-owned a floral-events service, and I was lucky enough to design flowers for a few weddings there. Tucked under its grand staircase were two powder rooms. The men’s (I never did pop my head into the women’s) featured a black-and-white-tiled floor and sheets of marble up the walls to picture-rail height. It was such a beautiful and easy-to-clean design choice that I never forgot it. Plus, above the tile, the walls were painted burgundy—adding personality via color.

I asked my coauthor, Karin, about her favorite public bathroom and she vividly remembers being gobsmacked as a child when she visited the twelfth-floor women’s lounge at Dayton’s, a former department store in Minneapolis. As Karin walked in, she discovered a red-carpeted hallway lined with mirrored makeup tables and upholstered chairs on which beautiful women were powdering their noses. (It brings to mind that dressing room scene in the 1939 film The Women.) Beyond the hallway, she entered a round, mirrored room—with sinks all around and a chandelier overhead. Like she said, as a little kid, she was gobsmacked. And this was after walking through a grand department store. It’s no wonder then that when it came time to decorate her bathroom, she added a decidedly feminine flair.

HL Tip: When you find a towel you love, load up. Then as you wash, dry, and put towels away, rotate them, placing the newly cleaned ones on the bottom of the stack, so your towels wear evenly. No one wants to use that one towel that’s showing more wear and tear than the others.

Can you recall a public bathroom that felt serene? Or made you feel pampered? Or made you laugh? How might that space influence your design choices now?

Time to Freshen Up

There are so many ways you can update your bathroom without ever dipping into your 401(k), grabbing your sledgehammer, or donning some painting overalls. In fact, you can update your bathroom in a single day or less with one or more of the ideas that follow.

Looking good. In your living room, it’s unlikely that you’ve hung a painting of a couch or a chair. In your kitchen, there’s probably not a print of a stove or a refrigerator. Same goes for a bedroom—there’s likely no bed photo hanging over your bed. And yet bathroom art tends to feature water—people bathing, animals bathing, even rubber duckies bathing. You get the picture. And let’s not even get started talking about toilet art. Or framed potty sayings as art. (No, thank you.)

Instead, let’s expand our horizons. Perhaps the art you use to refresh your bathroom is only peripherally water-related—an acrylic beach painting, a photo of synchronized swimmers, or a whimsical mermaid watercolor. Or maybe you leave the theme of water behind and select art based on a hobby, say a peacock print if you’re a bird lover, framed buttons if you like to sew, or a concert poster if you’re a drummer. One nature-loving friend has hung a giant photo of a leaf in her powder room—the size of the frame is both surprising and sophisticated.

In contrast, rather than traditional art, you might hang woven baskets or vintage hats. In my bathroom, I’ve got an antique wrought-iron gate hanging for most of the year on my one available wall. In the winter, I switch it up with a feathered wreath.

Or maybe you love being surrounded by your favorite travel-related souvenirs. In a friend’s bathroom, she’s hung a colorful island print purchased on a cruise plus a whimsical angel head made from a coconut shell in Guerrero, Mexico.

Or consider hanging a quote that inspires you, motivates you, or makes you laugh. I love pretty much anything that Oscar Wilde ever wrote, for example: “I can resist anything except temptation.” Or how about framing a Mindy Kaling quote from her hilarious and honest memoir Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?: “Sometimes you just have to put on lip gloss and pretend to be psyched.” What’s your favorite quote? I bet it would look great framed.

And speaking of frames, both metal and wood ones work just fine in the humid surrounds of a bathroom. Just be sure to protect your art by having it sealed on the back (professional framers always do this) and use your exhaust fan or open the windows during showers and baths.

Pushing daisies. Introducing a single philodendron plant or a virtual jungle to your bathroom looks great and literally adds life to your space. Plus, plants create more oxygen for you to breathe via photosynthesis and help purify your air, absorbing other gases and airborne toxins through phytoremediation, transpiration, and stomata—all related processes.

Need another reason to add a plant to your bathroom? Plants are scientifically proven to boost positive emotions and decrease negative ones. Spending time in a room with plants can actually make you feel “happier and more satisfied . . . more peaceful and positive,” says Lala Tanmoy Das (“What Science Tells Us About the Mood-Boosting Effects of Indoor Plants,” The Washington Post, June 7, 2022).

As you select plants, consider your bathroom’s light, humidity, and fluctuating temperatures:

In my bathroom during the winter, I keep my pride and joy, a lime tree I named Brian Jones after the fashionable founder of the Rolling Stones. Plus, it’s fun to live in the north and have a lime tree. He sits out on our sunny deck all summer and then retreats to our bathroom the rest of the year. And, yes, I get to harvest a lime or two a few times a year; I use them in my gin and tonics. (My ultimate desire? To have an orangery—a fancy greenhouse added on to my house that would let me grow and harvest all kinds of citrus fruits plus tomatoes year-round.)

Creating a soft spot. Bathrooms tend to be full of hard surfaces—mirrors, countertops, cabinets, tiled walls and floors, and, of course, bathtubs and toilets. To soften up your bathroom, you can stock it with thirsty towels, of course, but what else? Rather than a vinyl shower curtain, consider having one made of fabric, either ready-made or one you’ve made yourself. Natural fabrics—like cotton, linen, and hemp—offer a sophisticated look and are easy to wash. Just use a high-quality shower-curtain liner. And speaking of curtains, the same natural fabrics look lovely as bathroom window curtains. More softening ideas include topping a bathroom stool with a terrycloth pillow or cushion, adding a textile wall hanging to the room, suspending a plant in a crocheted hanger made for that purpose, or adding a small pouf for a seat.

As for rugs, don’t feel hemmed in by fluffy monotone bath mats, although their rubber backings make them smart choices. Bath rugs today come in every fabric—from cotton to sisal to wool (yes, wool works great in the bathroom); every color—from whites, grays, and pastels to brilliant bold and colorful neons; every shape—from rectangle, round, and oval to floral, emblematic, and animal hide; and every style, including Oriental, Persian, patterned, and overdyed. Some are textured or tufted, feature pom-poms or tassels, or are even reversible. Got company coming? Flip that reversible rug over to its unused, pristine side, and no one will be the wiser. Keep in mind: You can use any rug in a bathroom; just be sure to place a nonslip pad beneath it if it doesn’t have a rubber backing.

Going full-on spa. If you’re not enjoying your bathroom, something is off. A modern bathroom, after all, is designed for “me time.” Like I said, I take a bath every night. Most nights it’s a twenty-minute affair with lavender-scented Epsom salts. They put me in the mood for sleep so I can drift off as soon as I crawl under my black cotton sheets. (No, despite what it says in Laundry Love, I don’t sleep on black satin—truthfully, I’m just not that interesting.)

Thanks to my waterproof smartphone (an absolute must for a professional laundry dude), I catch up on social media, read the newspaper, or flip through a favorite magazine while I’m soaking. Other times I just think—I often get my best ideas in the bath. Depending on the night, I may be sipping hot tea or a cold cocktail. I have even, on occasion, enjoyed a facial.

How do you treat yourself in the bathroom? And I do mean treat yourself. The more hectic, busy, or chaotic your life is, the more important it is to take time for you. Splurging on yourself with a few special products in your bathroom can make a huge difference as you get ready in the morning or wrap up your day before sleep. They can also make your bathroom feel serene, even like you’re at a spa.

To really get the look, consider tucking away extraneous items so your countertop stars a lovely hand soap, a rich body cream, and a scented candle. Then, in the bathtub or shower, rather than display a hodgepodge of products, buy your body wash, shampoo, and conditioner from the same line. Spas, for example, almost always use one line of products. A friend takes this idea one step further, matching her family’s two bathrooms—one green and blue, the other pink and gray—to bath brands whose packaging coordinates with each bathroom. That may sound over the top, but the color coordination only adds to the tranquil look.

How else might you make your bathroom seem more like a spa? You don’t need to purchase caviar-infused eye cream and facial serums flecked with 24-karat gold—unless you want to. But perhaps you feel wonderful whenever you spritz your hair with rose-infused spray, treat your face to a manuka oil facial mask, remove your makeup with cold-pressed camellia oil, or shave your beard with a patchouli-scented shaving cream. Whatever you choose—peels, exfoliants, creams, polishes, oils, butters, or scrubs be sure it’s something that makes you feel special.

Even brushing your teeth can boost your mood. I already mentioned my love for Crabtree & Evelyn toothpaste back when that was a thing. Today, my go-to is Marvis, the beloved Italian toothpaste brand known for its intense flavors like aquatic mint, ginger mint, and Amarelli licorice. But there are plenty of other luxurious toothpastes, including Linhart with its signature minty anise flavor and Opiat Dentaire in orange-ginger-clove. A 3.4-ounce tube typically lasts well over a month, so fifteen bucks isn’t too crazy indulgent. Besides, a fun flavor just might have you brushing better and more often.

The same holds true for floss. Given plain-Jane, no-flavor string or, worse, floss that tastes like pickles (yes, some minty floss tastes strongly of dill), most people do the deed just once or twice a week. (Granny Dude would be horrified.) I vote for fun-flavored floss any day—orange, strawberry, or coconut, anyone? Or take better care of the planet and buy compostable bamboo floss.

Ah, the Linen Closet

Just saying the phrase linen closet aloud elevates my home, even if it’s momentarily messy. Having a linen closet means you’ve got linens—bedding and towels—that are cleaned, pressed (maybe!), folded, and awaiting use by a guest or, better yet, you. The sheer luxury of it all!

But you don’t have to stop there. A linen closet is a great place to store items that your household members share: the iron and ironing board, extra pillows, extra blankets for chilly nights or spontaneous kid sleepovers, a fan, a humidifier, a heating pad, a neck massager, even essential oils. If you’ve got the space, other items to store in the linen closet, particularly if it’s close to your sleeping space, include boxes of tissue, lotion, light bulbs for lights on that floor, extra batteries for your bedside flashlight, a lint brush if Lexi sleeps on your bed, a couple of extra microfiber cloths, and a spray bottle of 50/50 vinegar-water solution.

Finally, the linen closet is the perfect place to use shelf liners, to tuck sachets in between towels or sheets, and to hide candy on the top shelf. (Note: This last tip doesn’t work if you share your household with someone who is taller than you.)

HL Tip: Need to reorganize your linen closet? A good first step is clearing out old, faded towels and bedding that you know (deep down) you’ll never use again. But don’t throw them away. Rip up the old towels and use them as cleaning cloths. Or use old towels to wipe off Rumi’s paws and belly on muddy spring and fall days. Or donate used towels and bedding to a local humane society, animal rescue organization, or veterinarian, any of which can use them to care for pets. Just call ahead before donating.

Time to Clean Up

Welcome to the bathroom, the second-germiest room in the house. The kitchen is the big winner, but this room too can offer a pile of viruses and a bevy of bacteria—stuff like Campylobacter, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Streptococcus. Not good. We don’t need to go into all the deets, but just know this stuff can make you sick. Understanding this is likely all the motivation you need to get cleaning. Need one more reason? Getting yourself clean in a bathroom that’s clean just makes sense.

HL Tip: Rather than buy plastic containers designed for your medicine cabinet, consider using ramekins. I use a bunch in my cabinet, dedicating each to a different item: swabs, cotton balls (or reusable cotton cloth rounds), tweezers, and more. Or use baby food jars, garlic jars, or juice glasses. You can even label the contents—say, safety pins—with etching cream. Best of all, just throw them in the dishwasher when they need cleaning.

FIVE CLEVER TOILET-CLEANING TRICKS

  1. If you have hard water and tend to get lime stains in the toilet bowl, place special toilet magnets (chemical free!) into the tank to attract all those minerals, preventing stains in your toilet bowl from ever appearing again. (Every so often, take them out and wipe off.)
  2. If you’re cleaning elsewhere in the house with a solution of water and sodium percarbonate and you’ve got some remaining solution, simply pour into the toilet and scrub with the toilet brush. Why skip out on an extra-clean commode?
  3. To empty out the toilet so you can really get at those stains with a brush, pour a bucket of water in one swoosh into the bowl; the toilet will self-flush. Now scrub and flush again, and the toilet will refill.
  4. Here’s another trick: Dump 1 cup of vinegar into the toilet bowl and then add 1 cup of baking soda. More than that famous volcano on The Brady Bunch, this acid-plus-base antibacterial approach will get your bowl squeaky clean—just add the scrub brush and a bit of muscle. Then rinse by flushing.
  5. Here’s my final and perhaps best toilet-cleaning trick: Replace your standard toilet seat with a quick-release version for about twenty bucks. From now on, just pop the seat off the commode and spray or steam clean it in the bathtub. Meanwhile, the rest of the toilet will be far easier to clean as well. No lie: This will change your bathroom-cleaning life.
  • Look up at the light fixture. With the light off, dust it with a feather duster and even give the light bulbs a swoosh.
  • Clear the counter, tucking away any unneeded items under the sink or in the linen closet. (Why do I have three half-empty bottles of hair gel?) Now use a dollop of dish soap on a damp washcloth to wipe down the counter and the sink. You just don’t need all those chemicals. Dish soap is enough. Why do I say never to use dish soap when you’re washing clothes but recommend it for cleaning the sink, tub, and more in the bathroom? Chemistry, my friend. Thanks to its acidity, dish soap is designed to cut the grease. For clothing, dish soap is thus much too harsh, but think about the sink and tub and all those oily products—creams, conditioners, moisturizers, and more—that we use in these spaces. That’s exactly why dish soap works so well. And so, if the sink is particularly dirty, add the stopper to the drain, run some water in there and add a dot or two of dish soap. Then use a towel to give that sink a deeper scrub. And give that faucet a polish as well—everything looks so much better when stainless shines.
  • Next up is the tub—simply pick your adventure: One, if you’re my mom and you clean the tub three times a week, all you need is the vinegar-water solution—just spray and wipe dry. Two, if your tub gets a good cleaning once a week or so, add dish soap to a damp cloth and use some elbow grease. And three, if you’ve got hard-water spots, soap crayons, residue from bath bombs, and more, it’s time to pull out the steamer or the orbital buffer. (See “Three Splurges” for tips on steaming.) If you use the buffer, apply some dish soap to your cleaning pad and buff away all those spots and more. Then just rinse the tub.
  • Someone has got to clean the commode. Just remember that you’re cleaning it for you and everyone who lives with you. First, spray the exterior with the vinegar solution and wipe. Then, drip a drop or two of dish soap into the toilet, scrub with the toilet brush, give it a flush, and you’re good to go—literally. For a deeper clean, every so often, use the steam cleaner on the outside. The first time I did this, I was equally horrified at the who-knows-what dripping off the porcelain (have a rag handy) and thrilled at how clean the toilet became.
  • Next, remove any used towels from the floor plus the bathroom rug and place into the hamper. Now, for a fast clean floor, simply spray with the vinegar solution and wipe with a towel. If your floor deserves a bit more attention, use the dish soap and damp towel approach. But if your floor cries out for major cleaning, pull out that steam cleaner, which works like nobody’s business to sanitize, deodorize, and clean your floor. Even your lint—gone!
  • And now here’s a message to take care of your walls. Every once in a while (but not every week), use a damp terrycloth towel or a microfiber mop to wipe down your walls, top to bottom. If you really want to go all out you can even vacuum them, but that’s probably not necessary.
  • Use a microfiber cloth (a large one for car detailing works great) to clean chrome towel bars, the toilet paper holder, the trash can, and more.
  • Finally, water any plant that needs it, flip the sticks in your essential oil diffuser, replace the towels and toilet paper roll if needed, empty the garbage can, and place a clean rug on the floor (making sure it covers that one annoying cracked tile).
  • Now, since everyone still thinks you’re cleaning the bathroom, take this opportunity to enjoy a long luxurious bath. Just pull out the chilled wine you stashed in your cleaning bucket, light a candle, and you’re ready. After all, from the tub is the perfect spot to admire your work.

SIX ITEMS TO MAKE YOUR HOTEL BATHROOM MORE LUXURIOUS

  1. A super plush bathrobe. If you know that your hotel isn’t the type to supply a dual-layer, all-cotton, long-loop terry robe, pack your favorite or treat yourself to a new one in honor of your trip.
  2. Bath oils, salts, and/or bombs. A relaxing bath after hours of sightseeing or working all day can get you in the mood for sleep in a new place. Bring along your favorites or buy a new scent once you arrive.
  3. A deluxe face and/or hair mask. You want to look your best while traveling, so don’t hold back on the pampering. One caveat: Now’s the time for a tried-and-true brand. Experimenting with a new one might not be the best idea, especially if you have sensitive skin.
  4. A heavenly travel candle. Typically packed in a tin and offering just enough wax for a week or so of lightings, a travel candle (or two) adds instant atmosphere. (Don’t forget the matches.)
  5. Your trusty smartphone. Skip “Baby Shark” and “Rubber Duckie” (even Daveed Diggs’s version), and select the bath-time music you love best—perhaps a spa playlist, nature sounds, or the soundtrack to Pride & Prejudice.
  6. And, surprise, hotel shampoo. If you feel uncertain about the chemicals used to clean the bathtub (and don’t want them mixing with your bathwater), give that tub a quick wipe-down with a washcloth and a dollop of shampoo from that tiny bottle left for you.

The Ten-Minute Clean: Bathroom

Your old friend, in from out of town, just texted: “Are we still on for drinks tonight?” You text back: “Of course! See you at 7.” And then you panic. You completely forgot about your invitation—until now. You’ve got plenty of drinks and snacks on hand. What you don’t have? A clean bathroom. No worries. You can do this in less than ten minutes. And if we’re talking a powder room, you’ll be sitting pretty in less than five. Now let’s get going!

  • First, spray the mirror with the 50/50 vinegar-water solution and wipe it down. Once the mirror is clean, everything will look better.
  • Now turn off the lights and wipe the light bulbs—doing so only takes seconds but will make a big difference in the look of your bathroom.
  • Clear the counter, tucking away any unneeded items under the sink or in the linen closet. (Wait—do I have another bottle of hair gel?) Now use a dot of dish soap on a damp washcloth to wipe down the counter and the sink. And don’t neglect the faucet.
  • Throw any used towels into the hamper or the bathtub. Now just pull that shower curtain closed—out of sight, out of mind. Especially if you’re expecting guests, there’s no need for them to look beyond the curtain. (The wizard isn’t back there.)
  • Next, clean the commode—you and any visitors deserve a clean one. Spray the exterior with the vinegar solution and wipe down the seat and sides. Drip a drop or two of dish soap into the toilet, scrub with the toilet brush, and give it a flush.
  • Sweep the floor or just wipe up the obvious areas that need it with the washcloth.
  • Now for the accessories: Turn any plant so its best side is showing, flip the sticks in your essential oil diffuser, replace the hand towel, empty the garbage can, and make sure that the toilet paper roll isn’t on its last few squares. (It should be pleasantly plump.)
  • Take a deep cleaning breath. You’re ready.

My Ten-Minute Cleaning Playlist: Bathroom (Upbeat)

  • “Crazy in Love” by Beyoncé (3:56)
  • “Chains of Love” by Erasure (3:46)
  • “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton (2:46)

My Ten-Minute Cleaning Playlist: Bathroom (Mellow)

  • “Where Did Our Love Go” by the Supremes (2:39)
  • “Angel of Harlem” by U2 (3:48)
  • “(Forever) Live and Die” by OMD (3:35)

HL Tip: This is an old tip but a good one. If you’ve washed and dried a set of sheets that you plan to tuck into the linen closet, here’s what you do: Make a stack with the bottom sheet, the flat sheet, and one pillowcase. Then slide this stack into the second pillowcase. (If the sheet set is for a twin bed, just slide the folded bottom sheet and flat sheet into the one pillowcase.) That way, they’re all together and ready to be placed on a bed—you don’t have to rummage through a stack to find what you need. If you’re super fancy, tie up the pillowcase with a grosgrain ribbon so the sheets inside don’t slide. (I know you’re thinking: “I’d love to do that, but who has the time?” Me too, but, boy, I really love grosgrain ribbon.)