DAY THREE: CONTAINER FUN!
What
can I say? Putting things away in an organized fashion is a great joy
to me. I think about the time, money, and energy my clients are going
to save and it truly makes me happy.
As you
organize, work in two phases. First, put related items into the
containers or drawers, or onto the shelves, you feel are the most
convenient. Next, make decisions about your backup supplies. If you
have a large bathroom with lots of storage space, it makes sense to
have all such items here. If you need to use a hall closet or the linen
closet, keep one thing in mind: As a product gets to the end, you want
to transfer the backup supply in a few days early. (Standing soaking
wet in a shower is not the time to remember you need the shampoo that’s
down the hall in the linen closet!) If you are using a guest bathroom
for storage you still need to be mindful of your waning products in the
master. Knocking on the door and waking Grandma because you need a roll
of toilet paper isn’t the best way to start any day.
Over
the course of about a week, you may move your categories around a bit
in order to find the perfect placement. Be sure you keep whatever is
stored under the sink in containers. Why? On that inevitable day when
you need a plumber, it’s going to be a breeze to take out a few
containers rather than a chaotic mound of products. Your plumber will
be impressed. By the way, were you able to put in a shelving unit in
the garage for paper products? Overflow of sanitary supplies, toilet
paper, and bathroom cleaning supplies can be stored here before they
have to migrate upstairs. Be consistent with your placement and you
will always be in charge.
GRANDMA, HOW LOVELY TO HAVE YOU HERE! WHEN ARE YOU LEAVING?
Whether
it’s Grandma, Auntie, a cousin, or your best friend, if a guest is
sharing a bathroom with Baby, you need to set parameters. What, for
example, happens if Grandma or Grandpa gets up frequently in the night?
If the baby is in your room, there’s no problem. But if he’s in his
room and it took two hours to get him to sleep, you don’t want flushing
or fumbling to wake him. The ideal solution is for your guests to use
the entry powder room at night and during the day when Baby is asleep.
As a last resort, your bathroom is the likely target. It’s concerns
like these that will help dictate how much live-in family help you have
and for how long.
KEEPING IT CLEAN
It takes as little
time to refold a towel or put it in a hamper as it does to toss it on
the floor. It takes less than a minute to wipe off a counter with a
sponge so that any sticky residue from a beauty product won’t cake on
the counter. It takes no extra time to place your products where they
belong rather than toss them willy-nilly on the countertop.
Some
tasks each person using the bathroom must do. Most of my clients, for
example, use a squeegee on the shower glass just before they exit the
shower to keep the soap scum under control. Here is a list of bathroom
maintenance tasks each person can do to keep this room pristine between
cleanings:
• Wipe off the counter with a sponge or a pop-up cleaning wipe as you prepare to exit.
• Squeegee the shower when you are done.
• Rinse the bathtub to avoid a ring around the tub.
• Check the garbage. Does it need to be emptied?
• Put products away.
• Fold your towel or put it in the hamper.
•
Spray the mirror and wipe off the spray of toothpaste and other debris
that inevitably collects on the mirror just above the faucet.
If
this seems like a lot, remember that you don’t shower or take a bath
every time you are in the bathroom. Neither do you take out all of your
products during each visit. Very few things are done each time. These
small actions make the bathroom an inviting place for you and for your
partner. If one of you habitually leaves towels on the floor, you have
a choice. Either that partner grows up and acts like a responsible
adult or the other person becomes the maid or the butler. Which of
these do you want to offer your baby as an example of the ideal way to
share space? Let me close with this bit of advice: Never leave the
bathroom knowing that there are two squares of toilet paper left on the
roll. We’ve all been there. I rest my case for this week!
