Day three of the Spring Fling, and it’s time to get serious … Let’s clear out the bathroom!
I’m not so worried about your sentimental attachments in the bathroom. (“But I can’t throw away that bottle of Axe Body Wash! I have to keep it — it was the last time my son smelled good.”)
But if you are anything like me, your bathroom can easily get filled with “just in case” items.
I am a worst-case-scenario kinda girl.
“What if we run out of money and I can never buy shampoo again. I don’t want to regret throwing out that six-year-old bottle of Head and Shoulders my cousin left here.”
What if I lose my job and I can’t buy lipstick again. Even though this color makes me look like an extra on the Walking Dead, it’s better than nothing, right? I should hold on to it.”
I get it. I’m a sick, sick woman.
Those things in the picture? Those were all from my kids’ bathroom.
No kid has lived here in over a year. But I kept it all — just in case.
Did I mention that I’m a sick, sick woman?
I bet you may have had some of these thoughts as well. Otherwise, why would you have six containers of foundation and only use one?
It Gets Better
One of the best things you can do to reduce clutter in your bathroom is become brand loyal. If you are a product junkie, always trying out new lipsticks, hairsprays, etc., it’s easy to keep six different kinds of mascara around because you’re never quite sure which one is the best. Find a product that works for you, and when you start to run out, buy another one. But stop buying products you already have.
Instructions:
– Set up your three boxes/totes and two bags.
– Start with one drawer or one shelf.
– Do NOT pull everything in your bathroom to sort it out. Take it one drawer, shelf, or basket at a time.
Bonus:
Want to stay Clutter Free in your bathroom? Commit to using up what you have. Only buy a new bottle of shampoo once you’ve used up the rest of the shampoo you have on hand.
You say, “But I would never use that old bottle of Head and Shoulders!”
Then throw it out. Only keep what you will actually use. This goes for makeup as well. When you run out, you can buy a new bottle, tube, or jar guilt free. Not only will this save you space, it will also save you money.
Share Your Fling
After you fling, either tell us about it or share a picture in the comments. Remember, each day (at the end of the Fling) there will be one winner, randomly drawn from the comments, who will receive a copy of The Cure for the Perfect Life from Kathi Lipp and Cheri Gregory. So share below and tell us about your fling.
So we moved about a year & a half ago. Moving is hard, and moving with clutter is even harder. Storage space changes, organization systems need to change and then so does my routines. I had these 3 boxes of random bathroom-ish items that were still hanging out and not unpacked. And I’ve moved them from the Master Bath to the Master Closet & back again as I’ve cleaned and decluttered the various spaces and they’ve been picked thru as needs have come up. My 20+ items came from those 3 boxes and I rehomed a handful of items, that I was then able to shed one box. 2 boxes are still taking up real estate in my Master closet but I am all that much closer to them being gone.
Under the bathroom sink went from crazy chaos to almost nothing! Aaahhhh freedom!
Just had my bathroom totally gutted and redone a few months ago and flung soooo many items then that I thought I had nothing to get rid of BUT I forgot about my makeup I store in my bedroom! So out the door with 25 expired or sample sized items!
I cleaned out under my sink and tossed 20+ products that I never use. I have had them for years and always think, I might need them some day. It feels so good to clean that cabinet out! I even showed it off to my hubby. 🙂
Loving this Spring Fling, did the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, I found baby thermometers and baby chest rub (my youngest is 17 years old)
I’d gone through my bathroom recently so was doubtful I would have much more to get rid of. To my delight, I ended up “flinging” a large bag of items to donate to the women’s shelter, several hand towels, 5 sets of sheets, a bag of misc. and 2 bags of trash. Excellent time spent decluttering this evening!!
I totally thought that I wouldn’t have much to fling from my tiny bathroom, but I was so surprised at what I found! I recycled or got rid of a bunch of stuff that’s never used. No wonder it was so hard to store toilet paper, there was no room, but I never saw it!
Did this about 6 months ago in our master bath, so I labeled and organized better in there. Moved on to the hall bath and flung my little heart out. Half-used semi-gooey tubes of kids toothpaste–gone. Phew.
Bathroom. I only spent 10 minutes but I did manage to throw out 15 items and found 3 tools that did not belong and 6 items for the donation pile.
woohoo! Filled up the trash can, washed off some shelves and while I was there I cleaned the sink, mirror and toilet because sometimes even that goes by the wayside I’ll be brave enough to admit.
3 bags full of stuff gone from my bathroom. I’m only 1 person, I don’t need 4 brushes. LoL.
I have touched several areas recently, but not the linen closet. Only had time today to fill one box of donations for the church pantry. I seem to be addicted to buying Pantene on sale at CVS 3 for 7 and with a $2 man coupon and $2 CVS coupon. So, donated all that excess and also got rid off several cleaning product bottles and threw out old make up. Total of 34 items. Still have work to do there.
Done! The best part found 5 pairs of old glasses. Was able to go online and print out a mailing label to donate them!!! Praying God uses them to benefit someone else!!!!
OH. MY. GOODNESS!!!! You and I have the same sickness. I hold onto everything in the bathroom–the facial cleanser that my 15 year old daughter doesn’t like but I might try someday (as if her 15 year old skin and my 50 year old skin need the same type of cleanser), the shampoo and conditioner that my college daughter didn’t really like all that much in the first place (the same college daughter who has spent 2 weeks at home since last August…and has an internship in another state for this coming summer), the foundation that makes me look like a corpse, the long-expired poison ivy treatment (cause when you live in a rural area and you get poison ivy, expired cream must be better than suffering while you drive out to the closest–meaning not very close at all–drug store).
Today’s fling is definitely for me. Wish me luck!
I actually did the bathroom fling a couple weeks ago and it is amazing how much stuff like you mentioned that we keep. All of those little half used bottles of shower gel that no one even likes any more!! Thanks for the reminders that it is okay to FLING!
Hi, just a quick little idea for those little bottles of shampoo etc.. I donate mine to a school that has low-income families, and the health-aide gives them to kids who get lice or look like their hair doesn’t get washed as frequently as needed.?
Found an almost empty bottle of windex hidden in the back of my under the sink cabinet. In an effort to use it all before tossing it, I cleaned my outside windows! First time in way too long.. Who knew that decluttering the bathroom would lead to clean windows? 😉
Kathi – I got two emails this morning (Days 2 and 3). Bathrooms won’t be hard – but closets are another story. Do I get an extra day to catch up? Love that we are doing this … Hugs and Love!
Just recently I decluttered my bathroom, so I wasn’t able to fling 20 items today. But I did get rid of a ton of stuff the last time. I had so many lotions and half used products that went bye bye. 🙂
Working on my bathroom closet now and can’t believe how many brushes we have and I only use one. And not buying anything else till we use up all that we have in lotions, toothpaste, shampoos, etc.
Kathy, I understand that you want to generate interest to the blog, but is there any way after the email goes out you could post a link to the daily blog post on the Facebook fling page? I have been getting so many of those notifications, it would be so easy to check it out there while already there. ?
Glad I’m not the only one having trouble not getting the emails.
Sorry. Just trying to get your posts again. Haven’t received them in the past couple of days. Thanks
Yes! I already tackled the bathrooms over the weekend! I think I’ll get started on the three kids’ bedrooms because there’s no way I’m getting through all those in one day!
I am signed up to receive blog updates, but for some reason did not receive this one or yesterday’s, just day 1…what should I do?
Hi Mandy. Check your spam or junk folder. Sometimes they wind up there even if day one made it to your inbox. If they are not there, let us know by email at info@kathilipp.com
Thanks for the info, traci, but they are not in the “promotions” folder. (On day 1 the first email went there, but nothing since then).
Same here