Creating bathroom bliss

Crispy morning dog walks in the frost, chilly evenings around bonfires with mulled cider in hand, under clear autumnal skies; it's all very beautiful down here in South Somerset at this time of year. After enjoying the great outdoors, there's nothing nicer than soaking in a warm bath or luxuriating in a steamy shower. Find time for yourself and space in your head within a calm space, which you can easily create with these simple steps.

Check your medicine chest

Medicines are of course a crucial part of family life and often stored in the bathroom. Have a look through and see if there's anything missing to start - plasters, cold/flu tablets can be useful to have in stock. Ensure anything that's been open a while, like antiseptic creams, are probably worth replacing. If there any prescription medicines, check the 'use by' date and don't just bin them if they're too old to keep. Pop to a pharmacy, Boots or GP and they're often able to dispose of them safely. Don't forget to keep everything safe, high up or locked away, from little fingers and furry friends.

Decrease the excess. Check if you have duplicates of things that you don't really need and could donate or, if they're nice, even make into Christmas stocking fillers. If you have half empty products, think if you're going to really be use them up before they go off. It could be worth also considering your packaging and perhaps opting for soap bars and shampoo bars rather than plastic bottles. It can quickly reduce clutter as well as your carbon footprint.

Make-up is easy to accidentally hoard if you're anything like the Orchards girls! If you've not used it in recent memory, it's probably time to get rid of it. Be careful storing these things in the bathroom too as the powders, brushes etc, can spoil quicker in the damp environment. This can easily lead to bacteria growth so much better to get rid and then store in a bedroom or dressing room.

Cleaning products and cloths are useful to have in the bathroom, easy to hand, however double check you've not got duplicates. Perhaps select one or two you don't want to be without and the others can live in under the sink or in a utility room. You can then bring them to the room when needed instead of having them cluttering the space the rest of the time.

Hotel toiletries can be easy to haibutally throw in your suitcase as you leave. But do you really need them? It is again excess plastic and they quickly accumulate without being used. If you've got an old collection languishing, maybe have a sort through and decide if you're going to use them, or bin them, or repurpose the bottles.

Children's toys are what make a bath time so much fun for little people. However, they can be a nuisance to bigger people! Take some time to sort through and be honest, if something's not flavour of the month, pop it in a different place. You could then even rotate toys to keep them clean and more interesting. Limit the number of toys allowed in at any one time and help keep the clutter to a minimum.

Have a towel audit. Cut down on the number of towels you own and store. Make sure each family member have two each - one to use and one to wash - and a couple for guests. If they're tatty or faded, repurpose into dusters or animal towels and store elsewhere. Keep that bathroom clear.