Bathroom Design
Design an Easy-Clean Bathroom
These ingenious strategies and sleek designs for the sink, tub, shower and toilet help your bathroom practically clean itself
I hate cleaning bathrooms. There. I've said it. I'm not proud, but I'm not really ashamed either. I have better things to do with my time ... well, certainly more fun things to do with my time. Don't you? Not everyone has a housekeeper, so when you are the one who has to do the cleaning, your design choices will make a big impact on you every day. If you implement the strategies below, you can end up with a bathroom that looks and feels like a dream bathroom but cleans as easily as a no-nonsense public restroom.
Just say no to grout. Scrubbing grout lines has to be one of the least favorite chores when cleaning a bathroom. Using solid-surface choices for your walls will save a lot of elbow grease. Stone slabs have few seam lines, and they are very thin.
Caesarstone was used for the brown walls and countertop in this bathroom. You can use it all by itself or in combination with tile to beautiful effect.
Vinyl wall coverings have come a long way. They add beautiful texture or pattern to your bathroom, and you can wipe them down with a sponge.
In areas where your walls don’t absolutely have to be tiled, paint is a great option. Use one specially formulated for bathrooms for its resistance to mildew. Many brands offer these. My favorite is Benjamin Moore’s Aura Bath and Spa Matte Finish. I would love it in this sunny orange. What a great color for revving up your day in the morning.
Tip: Buy the best and most quiet fan you can get for your bathroom and put it on a timer. That may not sound like a design strategy for making your bathroom easier to clean, but it is. If you have a fan that sounds like a jet engine, you’re less likely to turn it on and that will lead to an increase in mildew … and that means more cleaning for you. A whisper-silent one is so quiet that you’ll need a timer so you don’t forget to turn it off.
Tip: Buy the best and most quiet fan you can get for your bathroom and put it on a timer. That may not sound like a design strategy for making your bathroom easier to clean, but it is. If you have a fan that sounds like a jet engine, you’re less likely to turn it on and that will lead to an increase in mildew … and that means more cleaning for you. A whisper-silent one is so quiet that you’ll need a timer so you don’t forget to turn it off.
If you can't eliminate grout lines entirely, then at least reduce the number and thickness.
Large-format porcelain tiles come in sizes all the way up to 24 inches by 48 inches. I had a little fun with the math. If you use a single 24-inch-by-48-inch tile instead of 4-inch-by-4-inch tiles covering the same area, you eliminate 42 feet of grout lines!
Large-format porcelain tiles come in sizes all the way up to 24 inches by 48 inches. I had a little fun with the math. If you use a single 24-inch-by-48-inch tile instead of 4-inch-by-4-inch tiles covering the same area, you eliminate 42 feet of grout lines!
Select a linear drain. See that narrow channel at the base of the wall? That’s a linear drain. Installing one means that your shower floor will have a flat slope in one direction, so you can run your large-format floor tile right on into the shower instead of using little mosaic tiles to accommodate multiple directions of slope. It will set you back around $1,000, but ask yourself how much you hate cleaning grout.
Just say no to glass. I hate cleaning glass almost as much as I hate scrubbing grout. This shower is strategically placed around a corner in a wet zone, entirely eliminating the need for a glass partition. With large-format tiles and a slab countertop as well, this bathroom is very low maintenance.
You can go even more extreme and create a fully watertight wet room. The handheld showerhead lets you hose it down and go. In fact, handheld showerheads are a real help in cleaning your shower even if you have a more conventional-style bathroom. Get one with a nice long hose.
Go frameless. The aluminum frames around glass shower doors are a magnet for gunk. Going frameless on your glass gives you a simple sheet to squeegee clean. There are a number of options for coatings on glass that also help it to repel water and soap scum. Check with your glass shower door manufacturer for factory coating options. Many people recommend manually applied water repellants like Rain-X.
Have your glass shower door professionally installed
Have your glass shower door professionally installed
If you hate cleaning glass and a wet room is not for you, consider using a shower curtain. Toss the shower curtain and its waterproof liner in the washer to clean it. A nice bonus to using a shower curtain is the visual warmth fabric adds to the decor.
Get everything off the floor. You already know I don't like cleaning grout or glass, so imagine my thoughts on cleaning toilets. The number-one disgusting chore in a bathroom is getting on your hands and knees to clean around a toilet crammed into a narrow space with that horrible, convoluted shape on the side.
Wall-mounted toilets are easier to reach all the way around. They also make cleaning the floor easier. Notice that in this bathroom they even wall-mounted the toilet brush. Nice idea! Mounting your vanity on the wall will also make the floor easier to clean. But of course, if you have one with pretty legs like this, sometimes a decorative element is worth cleaning around.
Wall-mounted toilets are easier to reach all the way around. They also make cleaning the floor easier. Notice that in this bathroom they even wall-mounted the toilet brush. Nice idea! Mounting your vanity on the wall will also make the floor easier to clean. But of course, if you have one with pretty legs like this, sometimes a decorative element is worth cleaning around.
If you choose not to install a wall-mounted toilet, then at the very least, choose a skirted model. The smooth sides don't catch as much dust and gunk.
Wall-mounted faucets are a better choice than deck-mounted ones. Gravity is working for you, carrying water and soap residue away from the faucet instead of having it all collect at the base. Wall-mounted faucets also keep the counter clear, making it easier to wipe it down.
Seamless stone and minimalist wall-mounted faucets are easy to clean. If you like to drink red wine in the bathroom, then you might want to choose something other than white marble — but it is pretty popular for bathrooms.
Choose tile placement carefully. I've been showing you lots of bathrooms that stay away from mosaic tile, but If you love the texture and the look, then place it where it will need the least amount of cleaning. This bathroom vanity uses solid marble slabs all around the business area of the bathroom, with the herringbone mosaic placed higher so it's out of the splash zone.
This is another great example of a textural wall tile that would be much easier to clean than a mosaic tile. When you select your textural tile, run your hands over it. If it feels rough and scratchy, it is going to be a bear to clean. Ones like these feel silky and smooth, even though you can feel the high and low spots.
Have a place for everything. One thing that makes it easier to clean a bathroom is to have a spot for what you want to put away. No thinking about where to place it or having to organize a messy drawer to make room.
Work with a professional to declutter your home and streamline your space
Work with a professional to declutter your home and streamline your space
If you have the room, a washer and dryer in the bathroom will eliminate a lot of steps to keep towels and bath mats clean and fresh.
Do you share your bathroom with felines? Having a well-thought-out containment area for the litter will keep you from having to sweep up daily.
Tell us: What design strategies have you used to create a bathroom that lets you focus on cleaning yourself instead of grout and glass?
More:
How to Get Glass Sparkling Clean
Magic Solution for Hard Water Stains
Tell us: What design strategies have you used to create a bathroom that lets you focus on cleaning yourself instead of grout and glass?
More:
How to Get Glass Sparkling Clean
Magic Solution for Hard Water Stains