Tips for Making Your Bathroom Guest-Ready – There’s one room in the home that cannot be missed when planning for company. Here’s how to make your bathroom shine and leave a lasting impression on your guests!
Is it just me or is anyone else shocked at how quickly this year seems to be going? It feels like summer just flew by, and now, here we are, finishing yard work, packing away our shorts and swimsuits and beginning to prepare. . .for the holidays. Spoiler alert – Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner.
The weather has cooled down, our trips up north to the cabin have ended and, just like every other year around this time, I’m finding myself spending much more time inside the house than what was the case a few weeks ago. You’ve heard me go on and on about how we love to entertain up north at the lake. Well, come fall and winter, we still entertain, but we move the party from outside. . .to inside. And that means, making sure the house bathrooms are ready for guests.
When we were building our home, our basement was unfinished. We left it that way for quite a few years until Josh came up with a design we both loved. Today, our lower level is used for three things: office space, storage and entertaining.
I would say that 80% of our time is spent on the main level of our home. Our lower level doesn’t really get that dirty, but when we are expecting guests, there’s one room that always gets my full attention, and that’s the bathroom.
We don’t use our lower level bathroom as much as the other bathrooms in our home, and that’s reason #1 why it needs focus. Have you noticed that even the toilets you may not use often in your home get grimy? They just do. And how about the clutter that tends to gather on the counter? Beyond that, the hand towels turn “stale,” the flat surfaces attract dust and the mirror and faucet lose their sparkle.
Even Belle, our golden, agrees that there’s some work that needs to be done here. 🙂
Today, I’m going to share some tips for making your bathroom guest-ready! My philosophy is, if your bathroom is ready, you’re ready for guests! Just think about it, it’s the only room in your home where your guests are completely alone and have time to closely inspect everything they want to. . .in private. It’s just what people do. From your hand soap to your floors, they are observing and taking in every last detail. Okay, so with that being said. . .where do we start, you ask? From the bottom. . .up.
Clear the Room
Start by clearing the room. Take everything out of the bathroom that is sitting on the floor – garbage can, rugs, decorative items, etc. and then focus on the floor.
Sweep the Floor
Grab a broom and sweep all of those dust bunnies out of there. Pay close attention to around and behind the toilet. So many people forget to clean back there! I literally get down on my hands and knees and use a hand broom and dustpan. If you’d rather stay upright, use a normal broom, but be thorough, and don’t forget to sweep or dust the baseboards!
Declutter
Remove all unnecessary items from the counter. If you have glass shower doors like we do, remove all bottles, bath toys, etc. so things look clean and organized.
Clean
Now it’s time to clean. Focus on the:
- Shower and tub
- Toilet
- Countertop
- Faucet
- Sink
- Vent cover (this is something that often gets overlooked but collects lots of dust)
When it comes to cleaning, you know I’m a big fan of Viva Towels. Whenever I’m cleaning counter tops with lots of grime, or faucets that have lost their shine, I grab for Viva Vantage. Viva Vantage has a scrubby texture, kind of like a terrycloth. Perfect for scrubbing toothpaste off bathroom counters and shining up mirrors.
Scrub the Floor
Believe it or not I use Viva Towels for scrubbing the floor too because they’re so strong and durable. Use a multipurpose floor cleaner and apply some extra elbow grease for sticky spots and dirt.
Freshen Up
If you have rugs in your bathroom, don’t forget to shake them out good before putting them back in the bathroom. Add some fragrance to the room with deodorizers or oil warmers. If you’re looking for something a bit more subtle, place a dryer sheet at the bottom of an empty garbage can before guests arrive.
Replenish and Replace
Fill your hand soap container, put out a new roll of toilet paper (have another roll ready to go in the cabinet), and change out the existing towels with fresh ones. Personally, when guests come over, I keep out my decorative hand towels, but then I put out a little basket with some disposable finger tip towels. I just feel like it’s more sanitary, especially in the cooler seasons, you know?
I just fold a Viva towel in half and place several of them in the basket. It’s much more affordable than purchasing disposable finger tip towels from the store and Viva Towels have a signature soft and smooth texture, delicate enough for hands.
Pretty perfect if you ask me.
So there, you go, the bathroom is ready, and we’re ready for guests! How do you prepare your bathroom or home for guests? I’d love some of your most brilliant ideas!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Marlene Schlegel says
October 26, 2016 at 8:48 amGreat tips! Thanks for sharing!
joannerambling says
October 26, 2016 at 4:12 pmHell yes great tips indeed, something more people should read and know about so I am sharing on Facebook and Twitter so others can get to read this.
Sara says
October 26, 2016 at 10:12 pmThanks so much for sharing, Joanne! And thanks for being here each and every week!!
Builder says
May 1, 2018 at 10:05 amGreat Tips! To make the bathroom stylish for your guest.
Makayla says
October 9, 2018 at 2:50 pmThe tips helped me a lot when I was expecting important guests. I cleaned the bathroom and re-organized it. The visitors were delighted and impressed with my bathrooms.