In most years, August and September mean back to school for kids—and a relief for parents. As much as you love your children, the shift in routine often means a break from the hard use that your house takes in summer. Usually, living rooms get a bit less chaotic, kitchens take a break from those midday snacks that leave counters a mess, and bathrooms get a rest from being used as—well, bathrooms. Usually, water bills drop with kids gone from 7:00 – 3:00, or, at the very least, there might not be so much water slopped on the counter, so many towels left on the floor, or so many mysterious sticky spots appearing on the surfaces.
But in 2020, the return to school has looked very different. While some students have returned to full or part-time in-person learning, others are in remote or online school. Homes that might have been offices all summer have now become workplaces and classrooms, as well as the living spaces they were designed to be. Which means that the bathroom has now become something of a school bathroom—and who’s ever heard praise for a school bathroom?
So how can you stay sane during an already chaotic time? What can you do if the mess your kids are making in their bathroom—or a shared family bathroom—is making you crazy and adding stress to an already stressful situation? This article breaks down some suggestions for making kids’ bathrooms more manageable!
Tips For Sinks and Counters
If countertops are covered in hair brushes, deodorant, toothpaste tubes, and other unmentionables, they probably won’t get wiped down and disinfected. When countertops aren’t wiped down, they get messy with soap, water, hair products, makeup, and more. When countertops are a sticky mess, putting things down turns into a precarious game. And before you know it, someone’s knocked something over, or dragged their sleeve through some toothpaste, and a peaceful morning has turned into frustrated chaos—and your family doesn’t have an escape.
The solution? Get things off the countertops. Add storage—even in small bathrooms, there’s often more space than you might think! Corner shelves can provide a place to stack extra essentials, or each family member using the bathroom can be given a shelf. And behind-the-door organizers for the bathroom door or a cabinet under the sink might help provide some extra space.
Clearing and rearranging drawers can make extra space, too—especially if they’re redone with some dividers that make it easier to keep that organization going. Starting new habits is always hard, but getting things off the counter is one worth starting—especially since it’s more important than ever to keep counters clean and sanitary.
Tips on Tubs and Showers
Shower time can mean arguments—who needs to take a shower or who gets to shower first can be points of contention, and it might make you crazy to hear water running for ages or music blasting through the door while you’re trying to work. Then picture this: just as you unmute yourself on a Zoom call; immediately there’s the loud crash of shower products being knocked over and hitting the shower floor.
There’s always going to be an interruption when working from home, but this is one you can avoid. Installing a corner shelf for the shower and assigning each person using it a shelf may help corral the shower products. If that’s not an option, shower curtains with storage pockets, or individual shower caddy totes for each person using the shower might help keep the mess in check—and again make the tub and tile safe and easier to clean.
Assigning places for towels—like labelled hooks or racks on the door—might help keep things neat, too. For younger kids, putting bath toys in baskets or hanging mesh organizers can get them out of the way. And these might provide visual reminders to little ones about where to put things.
This organization might help protect surfaces, too. While porcelain or cast iron tubs are designed to take a lot of use, a falling shampoo bottle might crack or chip the tub—it’s better to avoid that possibility. But if it’s already happened, don’t despair—bathtub reglazing can repair damage!
Tips on improving bathroom appearance!
If bath time is a struggle with younger kids, you might consider making some quick but big-impact changes to how the bathroom looks. A bright wall color, a complementary shower mat, some well-chosen wall pieces, and a fun shower curtain can go a long way towards making a space more enjoyable to be in. Consider shower curtains or soap dispensers with your kids’ favorite characters, or choosing favorite colors for mats or towels.
Wondering how a bathroom geared towards kids might impact your home value? Buyers actually tend to like bathrooms that are adaptable for kids—especially those with two sinks. While it might not be time to commit to that hot-pink tile, fun-shaped tiles can be a great way to make a bathroom fun if you’re working on a larger remodel.
If you’re looking for less-expensive but big-impact aesthetic changes, then bathtub reglazing may be for you! This quick procedure can update the color of a dated bathtub, shower, or sink for a fraction of the cost of replacement. A clean-looking tub can make the whole room look better.
Where can I find bathtub reglazing near me?
With kids not headed back to school, it’s more important than ever to take action if your bathroom isn’t working for your family. For some, that might mean reorganizing or adding storage. If for your family, it means taking bigger steps to update colors or repair damage to make a space look modern or clean, we’re here to help! In addition to providing bathtub refinishing Memphis residents—and residents of the greater Mid-South region—love, we can update tile, sinks, and countertops in the bathroom or kitchen. If it’s time to get started on your home project? Give us a call at 901-871-8827, or use our convenient online form, and get your bathroom looking and working great!
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