7 Essentials Every Bathroom Needs
When it comes to bathroom products, I’m an essentialist. For better or worse, my brain simply cannot tolerate the extra hand soap, lotion, or fifty-year-old basket of potpourri holding court on the countertop. Just like my kitchen essentials, I stick to exactly what I need: nothing more, nothing less. And given my “less is more” approach to bathroom organization, I like to keep style front and center.
Here are some (chic) bathroom essentials in no particular order:
1. The Toilet Plunger. Let’s say goodbye to the garishly sad toilet plungers that scream, ‘I’m a toilet plunger!!’ I love mine from simplehuman; it’s as sleek and discreet as a plunger could ever be. I keep it even more discreetly nestled behind the toilet. Done.
2. The Hand Soap. While it’s certainly the more sustainable choice, there’s just something about a soggy bar of soap that doesn’t seem…clean? For this reason, I opt for a liquid hand soap for the bathroom instead. I’m loving Homecourt’s Hand Wash in Cipres Mint. It smells like Moroccan mint tea and produces a delightfully delicate lather (move over, Aesop).
3. The Scent. I think every bathroom counter needs a bit of fragrance flair, and for me, my vibe has always been a candle or diffuser. Some favorites: Cire Trudon’s Abd El Kader for a minty fresh moment, and more recently, Diptyque’s “odor-removing” candle from its new cleaning product line.
4. The Toilet Brush. I’ve tried several toilet brushes in my day, and I can attest to the elegance and efficiency of the simplehuman toilet brush. It has a crescent-shaped brush that cleans more surface area at once, so you can accelerate one of the world’s least-enjoyable cleaning activities.
5 The Absorbent Hand Towel. I’m a plush white bath towel kinda gal, but when it comes to hand towels, I opt for a bit of a pattern. Why? They get dirty fast! (I swap mine out every couple of days.) I’ve been loving these brown-and-black checked hand towels from Uniforme.
6. The Easy Breezy Wastebasket. I cannot be bothered to repeatedly open a trash can for dental floss, etc. Instead, I opt for an open waste basket (occasionally lined with a plastic bag if I have one, but fine if I don’t). I discovered this one from Umbra a couple of years ago. The light blond wood is like a breath of fresh Scandinavian air, and it’s super lightweight, which makes emptying the trash a breeze.
7. The Storage Bin. There are a million and one ways to organize your bathroom. My favorite method: the drop-front bamboo bin. Easy. Sustainable. CHIC. These work well nestled in a bathroom drawer or in a cabinet. I use them to store extra toiletries, first aid/meds, or makeup. My favorite solution for corralling the counter clutter!