Is it large, light and airy with plenty of clean, dry towels on tap?
Or a messy cramped den full of dirty clothes and lost rubber duckies??
Try these space saving tips to bring even the saddest of bathrooms to life!

Hang it
Without overdoing it, use a wall to help you create homes for regularly used items. Hairdryers, electric toothbrushes, shavers and anything that comes with a ‘holder' are perfect for wall mounting.
Hang a quality shower caddy(forget those that will rust) over your shower head.
Ensure it's the right size for your products and that it's the rack/grill variety. Solid shelves are out for wet areas.

Bath
Control kid's bath toys by keeping them in a mesh bag and hanging from the bath or shower tap.
If the bath is used frequently, keep all your favourite bath goodies (scrub, loofer, bubbles, candles, salts) in a horizontal rack, hooking over each side of the bath. If baths are rare at your house, keep your goodies together in a ziploc bag in the cupboard. Easy to access when you do get to take a bath.

Under the sink
Leaving under the sink an open space is a smart idea for a modern bathroom, as long as alternative storage is adequate.
If you do have an under the sink cupboard use pull out shelving or containers which slide out easily
Hang a cupboard caddy over the inside of the door
Keep the whole area clear, clean and easy to see everything. If you can't see it you won't use it!

Towels
Make sure every household member has a rack or at least a hook, for their own towel. Yes this includes children. For the extra spatially-challenged, use over the door hooks or a separate rack that lives just outside the bathroom area.
Limit the number of spare towels kept in the bathroom. Keep the bulk in the drier environment of a linen cupboard.

Check & Chuck
It's obvious, but how often do you do it? Check all medicines, make-up, perfume and cleaning products for expiration dates. And if they don't have one and you can't recall when you bought it - Chuck it. Do all the current products need to live in the bathroom? Can your make-up live on your dresser or a dedicated table/surface in your bedroom? Can you limit the cleaning products to one multi-purpose cleaner for bathroom use. Keep any surplus stocks elsewhere.

Do it today! Bring your bathroom to life!

Published in Cairns Post HOME Magazine, 11 July 2009