a clean bathroom

I don't often blog about my bathroom. We only have one in a house containing two adults and four children. It's the place where we all, ahem...well, you know what one does in the bathroom. And with children it all adds up to a general grottiness. Spotty mirrors. Toothpaste splodges in the sink. A ring of ugh around the bathtub. And the toilet? Don't get me started. 

I love the feeling of setting off into the New Year with a more organized home. Today I armed myself with a broom, some window cleaner, and some grocery bags. I cleaned the bathroom shelf by shelf. I scraped out my candle holders and rinsed them with hot water to polish off the soot and wax bits. I dusted shelves and scraped dried toothpaste off of many surfaces you wouldn't expect to harbour toothpaste blobs. I emptied jars of homemade lotions, shampoos, and salves, as they have a tendency to smell rancid after awhile. The smell of this shampoo was indescribable beyond telling you that I actually gagged when I smelled it.

Ah! The joy of a bag filled with emptied shampoo, body wash, lotion, and face cream containers to put in the recycling! Of a basket filled with "man stuff" (shaving cream/lotion, face wash, beard trimmer, deodorant, and so on), and drawer filled with my "lady stuff" (makeup, jewellery, lotions, and so on). Of knowing that the gunge that settles into the bottom of the toothbrush cup and around the base of the toilet has been scoured away!

Cotton swabs and dental floss picks have been replenished and stored in pretty pottery containers. A fresh bar of goat milk soap has been placed beside the sink. Books have been carefully selected to ensure good reading while bathing or doing other things in the bathroom. And the old rake I found in the barn has been added as a point of visual interest.

The plant I keep in the bathroom has not, as of yet, committed suicide out of despair at being neglected which is a triumph in and of itself. I'm guessing this is because the steam from our baths keep it adequately hydrated.

Tomorrow we will celebrate New Year's with a gathering of friends with children. And my bathroom is clean, sparkly, and organized!