Week Four:
Every week on FRIDAY for one (1) more week, I'm going to post one challenge related to either organizing, cleaning or general house improvement. Each week will focus on a different room/area of the house. Once the five weeks are up you'll have completed just five small tasks, but your house will be cleaner and more organized; just like that! Magical really.
For "Week FOUR" we are going to focus on the bathroom, specifically the vanity or medicine cabinet, your choice (not everyone has a vanity and not everyone keeps their medicines in the bathroom for various reasons).
I'll make this week's challenge explanation concise.
First, completely empty the cupboard(s)/drawer(s) you have chosen. After it is/they are completely empty, give it/them a thorough clean with a vacuum (if needed) and wipe.
Second, go through everything you took out and toss anything that is expired (medications, shampoos, creams, make-up, etc.) and anything you haven't used in a year or more (that bright orange lipstick you bought 5 years ago - when it was the "in" thing). Be ruthless, the more you get rid of the easier it will be to put everything back and keep tidy!
Third, sort the items you want to keep into groups that make sense to you. Some groups might be 'cold/flu', 'pain relief', 'elastics', 'lipstick', 'hair care', etc. Choosing groupings that make the most sense to you and that will enable you to find what you are looking for quickly is most important. Some people might prefer to just have all hair items together, some may prefer to separate into smaller groups.
Fourth, keeping the groupings of items you made in the previous step together, find homes for each group in your cupboard(s)/drawer(s). If you want to keep your make-up together, but you don't have enough room in the cupboard/drawer you chose, go through your pile again and get rid of items one at a time until they all fit into their new space. Accept the space you have (or be creative and come up with more space if its important to you) and fit your items into that space (fit, not cram!). Make the space you have work for you! Here are some ideas to make the most out of the space you have:
These are just a start; there are so many creative ways to store your bathroom items. Just search for bathroom organization and you'll come up with thousands of creative ideas. I have a few ideas posted on Pinterest, so feel free to take a look! www.pinterest.com/chakey
Good luck, have fun and you can do it!
I'll make this week's challenge explanation concise.
First, completely empty the cupboard(s)/drawer(s) you have chosen. After it is/they are completely empty, give it/them a thorough clean with a vacuum (if needed) and wipe.
Second, go through everything you took out and toss anything that is expired (medications, shampoos, creams, make-up, etc.) and anything you haven't used in a year or more (that bright orange lipstick you bought 5 years ago - when it was the "in" thing). Be ruthless, the more you get rid of the easier it will be to put everything back and keep tidy!
Third, sort the items you want to keep into groups that make sense to you. Some groups might be 'cold/flu', 'pain relief', 'elastics', 'lipstick', 'hair care', etc. Choosing groupings that make the most sense to you and that will enable you to find what you are looking for quickly is most important. Some people might prefer to just have all hair items together, some may prefer to separate into smaller groups.
Fourth, keeping the groupings of items you made in the previous step together, find homes for each group in your cupboard(s)/drawer(s). If you want to keep your make-up together, but you don't have enough room in the cupboard/drawer you chose, go through your pile again and get rid of items one at a time until they all fit into their new space. Accept the space you have (or be creative and come up with more space if its important to you) and fit your items into that space (fit, not cram!). Make the space you have work for you! Here are some ideas to make the most out of the space you have:
- ice cube trays for small items
- turntable/lazy susan in cabinets for easier access
- shelf over bathroom door for additional storage
- shoe holder or spice rack on inside of cabinet doors for additional storage
- baskets and pretty containers to neatly corral items
- tension rod to hold spray bottles
- adding plastic/wire shelving and drawers inside cupboard
- using pretty jars on the countertop or a shelf to hold items that normally might be kept in a cupboard or drawer
- towel bars with hanging baskets to create additional storage
- magnetic strips
These are just a start; there are so many creative ways to store your bathroom items. Just search for bathroom organization and you'll come up with thousands of creative ideas. I have a few ideas posted on Pinterest, so feel free to take a look! www.pinterest.com/chakey
Good luck, have fun and you can do it!
Below is my 'before' picture. As you can see there is nothing in my cupboards at the moment because our bathroom is a construction zone (as you can obviously see). We're replacing our tub and getting a new surround. I'm hoping that it will be done soon so I can have my bathroom back (most of it anyway, there are still a couple more projects needing to be done) and complete this week's challenge in time!
I'll be sharing what my bathroom cabinet looks like below once the week is up! Please feel free to share how YOU did either my emailing me or using the comment section below! I'd love to see your before and afters!