Unseen Health Costs of Bathroom Chaos

Unseen Health Costs of Bathroom Chaos

An unseen cost to being disorganised is the cost of being sick. These unseen health costs of bathroom chaos could be the cause of missing out on things you want to do due to illness and not forgetting the cost of treatments to get back to full health.

Here are some easy tips for keeping those germs in check in the bathroom:

• Colour code or label towels for each family member. When wiping your face in a towel you could be leaving a lot more than water on the towel, this is a very easy way for colds & flus to transfer to others in the household.
• Towels need to be washed at above 60 degrees Celsius to kill bacteria, viruses and dust mites. Consider using vinegar and/or Water Soluble Eucalyptus oil or Tea Tree oil to kill bacteria’s in your wash. I use a tablespoon in the fabric conditioner slot of my machine in each wash.
• Storing and hanging towels after use is another way to spread germs and moulds. Keep towels hanging separately on a rail not hooks to keep moulds away and germs transferring to other towels.
• Toothbrush storage is important for staying healthy too –
  1. Store in an airy quick drying place, the bathroom cabinet may not be suitable if not enough air circulates.
  2. Don’t store on the sink where washing of hands can contaminate your brush and especially if your toilet is in the same location.
  3. Store family tooth brushes separately especially when sick, germs will transfer just by toothbrushes touching. Even using the same tube of toothpaste can transfer germs.
  4. Put your toothbrush in the dishwasher occasionally to kill germs or wash in antibacterial mouth wash regularly.
  5. I would recommend the Lillholmen toothbrush holder from IKEA. Avoid plastic it can harbour germs, a cup is not the best option.
• Make up kept organised away from moist, warm areas will limit bacteria and moulds that can form in. This can lead to some unpleasant skin reactions. Recommended storage temp for makeup storage is 8-12 degrees Celsius.
• If you’ve been sick you can kill some bacteria in your lipsticks by leaving them in the freezer overnight. Check with your brand manufacturer first to ensure you don’t ruin your favourite lipstick.
• Eye creams, liquid eyeliners and mascaras are highest risk to spoil only use for 3mths to avoid contamination. After sampling eye make up for contamination scientist found that 67% contained potentially harmful levels of micro-organisms strains all common in bacterial skin infections! Scary!!
• Godmorgon organiser is a favourite of mine for organising make up and easily makes it portable while the bathroom is steamy or simply keep looking beautiful on your dresser.

A recent study by Journal of Cosmetic Science found that 70% of women used expired cosmetic products – mostly eye makeup. Be aware all cosmetics and personal care products have a use by date. Skin care is also at risk from high temperatures to spoil and grow moulds in the bathroom. Be most careful of storing natural products away from moisture, heat and light to avoid nasty moulds that will cause skin irritations.

So we can have many more reasons to organise our bathroom items than just to save us money and time.

I hope this helps you get that bathroom chaos sorted and remember if you need help just call me.

I’m sure everyone would love to see your bathroom makeovers so feel free to share your success at the bottom of this page.