It's one of those little ironies of life. The room in which you tend to…
6 Tips To a Perfect Bathroom
It’s easy to have a love/hate relationship with the bathroom. On the one hand, it’s the place where you get to clean up and relax or spruce up and feel good. On the other hand, it’s the place you spend a good amount of time while you’re sick. It’s also where young family members leave puddles on the toilet seat. The biggest pain points in the bathroom will, of course, depend on the person, but here are some of the biggest pain points that no one can deny.
Size
It’s okay for a bathroom to be small, but for a bathroom to be small and cramped is almost unbearable. Aside from a full-on remodel, there’s not much that can be done to fix a small and cramped bathroom, but there are some ways to work with what you have.
Use up wall space rather than floor space. Place racks and shelves strategically on the walls to allow for the most floor room possible. If needed, use a decorative caddy or repurposed ladder to hold towels and other bathroom amenities to help reduce the amount of space taken up by elements other than the tub, toilet, and vanity.
Era
Like the size issue, an outdated bathroom may call for a full-on remodel. While the rest of your house may perfectly reflect your personality and style in calm but perfectly accenting hues, an outdated bathroom can take you and your guests on a journey to the past with clashing colors fixtures.
If you don’t have the time or money to invest in a full-on remodel, don’t give up just yet. Visit your local thrift and second-hand stores and keep an eye out for a new sink or faucet. Home improvement stores carry decorative trim that can be installed around vanity doors and drawers to add depth and character. Let’s also not forget the major difference something as simple as new hardware or a coat of fresh paint can make.
Cleanliness
Household messes are perfectly normal and that’s why bathrooms require cleaning once or twice a week; however, over the long-term, wear and tear can build up and cause a bathroom, even if it’s been cleaned, to still seem messy.
Pay attention to the details. Scrub the grout and re-caulk the tub. If there’s any warped baseboards, sand or replace them. If there are stains in the tub or toilet, don’t be afraid to use some elbow grease and a pumice stone. It might surprise you how much of a difference a deep clean can make.
Ventilation
Poor ventilation in the bathroom can lead to a myriad of problems. If not ventilated properly, mold can overrun the room and even the attic, leaving you with a bigger problem than poor ventilation.
If necessary, hire a professional to help fix the ventilation. Re-run vents or install new ones. If possible, open windows in the bathroom before and/or after showers and baths and run fans to help wick the moisture in the air away.
Lighting
Bad lighting can do more than make you look sick; it can tire your eyes quickly. It can also be the cause of accidents including stubbed toes and broken toothbrush holders.
Opt for some new light fixtures that are open and allow more into the room. If you’re happy with the fixtures that you have or aren’t quite ready to buy some new ones, opt for some new lightbulbs. LED or CFL bulbs are more efficient and long-lasting alternatives to traditional light bulbs and may even come with rebates from your power company.
Flooring
Outdated and ugly flooring can bring down the entire bathroom. Worse, if you’re living with carpet, it can be collecting mold, spores, and other contaminants that can cause some serious damage to your floor as well as health issues.
Replace any carpet with hard flooring. If you don’t like how cold tile can be, opt for wood, laminate, or vinyl flooring. If you like the look of tile but want to avoid its uninviting morning temperatures, consider installing an under floor heating element to help keep your toes warm.
Bathrooms can be a great place to wind down and relax or they can be the worst room in the house. No matter what your opinion about yours is, we can all agree that there are some serious pain points that will eventually need to be addressed.
If you’re ready for some updates, but don’t have the time or money or don’t know where to start, consider some of the small and easy changes that you can make right away.
