How to declutter your bathroom without Ylang Ylang
One of the easiest ways to experience simple living is to declutter your bathroom. Of all the rooms in your house the bathroom is by far the simplest living space to get that minimalist feeling. The reason for this is because a bathroom has only two purposes. Cleaning and waste disposal.
It seems to me though that this is not really widely known. Bathrooms have become all kinds of things to people. Mainly its a place to put new toiletries or cream or whatever it is that you think is going to solve all your problems. After seeing plenty of bathrooms of plenty of people I’m convinced that some people frequently have existential dilemmas every time they reach the shampoo isle in their local supermarket.
Here is a story of that existential crisis:
An everyday person walks down the toiletries isle of their local shop just in case they forgot something… Out of the corner of their eye they see ‘RADOX with Ylang Ylang – “Are you tired and stressed? Try RADOX with Ylang Ylang it’ll refresh and revive your soul and wash away the stress of modern living”.
Anonymous Person: “Hmmm will that shower gel with Ylang Ylang (replace with any other exotic herb or mineral) really make me feel refreshed and revived?” they think to themselves. No it won’t… “Damn you reason” they quietly say to themselves in their heads “I’ll bet it smells great though”, “Nah I’ve already got shower gel” (Their current shower gel probably has ‘honey and oatmeal’ and quite frankly, it’s not working…) “Then again Ylang Ylang sounds exotic, I wonder what the hell it is?” stupefied for a moment the hand reaches out “Ag I’ll just get it, I wanna feel exotic”.
Whether that story is actually about a cream or a shampoo or a whatever, the real problem of cluttered bathrooms is that our anonymous person has totally forgotten that bathrooms are for cleaning ourselves and so that we don’t leave piles of steaming crap lying around our houses. Now don’t get me wrong I don’t mind smelling like a burst of orange and sunflowers nor do I mind having minty fresh breath. I don’t however need more than one shower gel, cream or whatever. So here are my tips for decluttering your bathroom.
- Finish the soap, shower gel, shampoo, cream, shaving gel, toothpaste before you buy the next one. (Throw the empty one away!)
- Pack stuff you have sitting on the edge of the bath, edge of the sink, cistern of the toilet away so all the surfaces don’t have something on them.
- If you must put something there make it a nice big candle. They make for good baths and also are already where they need to be if the power goes out.
- If you have a bathroom mat, wash it regularly.
- Use the big towel to dry your hands.
- If you must have a magazine there, at least make sure it’s recent, not a National Graphic from 2010.
Doing these things will allow you to get out that shower and actually be refreshed and revived, not because you smell like Ylang Ylang but because your environment will reflect how you feel.
Great post John – very humorous – and very apt. A few thoughts. Another benefit of the bathroom is for relaxation/destressing – either in the shower, or a long soothing bath. This experience is also enhanced by a clutter-free environment you recommend. And, indeed, a lovely candle perfectly enhances the experience. (or 10 candles, and flower petals from the garden strewn on the water – and then enjoyed s-l-o-w-l-y). The bathroom is also the place (most of us) store medicines and first aid stuff. Recently I did a drastic clear-out and was shocked and rather embarressed to discover copious jars and bottles of vitamins, eyedrops, contact lens solution, ointments, pills, and unidentifiable strange-looking liquids that were expired – some up to three years ago. So, I reckon your tips apply to these items as well. Oh, and a last soapbox shout-out – instead of throwing away the empty plastic containers- how about recycling.