We’ve been in thousands of San Diego bathrooms, and seen the best (and the worst) of human ingenuity. Today we’re going to focus on those eureka moments where we saw something so unique, so smart, so simple, that it only made sense that everyone should be doing it. These are our top 4 life hacks for your bathroom. We’re sure you’ll share them with your friends – don’t worry, we won’t tell.
Emergency Toilet Paper Roll Storage
We’ve all been there – rushed to the bathroom narrowly escaping a major catastrophe only to find an only slightly catastrophic situation – no toilet paper. Sure, at that moment you want to strangle the last person who used it and left the empty roll there. After all, how hard is it to replace the roll? Really? But lashing out doesn’t help, because you’re stuck on the pot with no paper in reach.
The solution – keep an emergency roll of toilet paper nearby, but don’ make it so accessible that everyone will use it instead of loading up a new roll. So, forget about the additional roll holder (you’ll just be 4 times as mad when there are four empty rolls instead of 1) and go for something unconventional. As plumbers, we suggest placing a roll of two on your plunger handle since it is probably crammed in a corner right next to your toilet. If you don’t want the bottom role to touch the rubber, cut a small hole in a plastic bag and slip it over the handle first. You can tie the bag at the top to prevent dust from gathering on your TP. If you need the plunger, slip the bag containing your extra toilet paper off and set it to the side.
Too see how genius this really is, check out a patent of this concept right here.
No need for this type of advertisement – that roll will be gone in a day!
Organize with Spice Racks
If you’re sink looks like a personal grooming catch-all, with lipstick leaning on a tube of toothpaste surrounded by floss, a toenail trimming kit and a misplaced Q-tip, you could use a bit of organizational help. One of the cleanest, minimalist solutions we’ve seen is the use of spice racks. Yes, spice racks. Mounted to the wall, they give the perfect amount of space to store everything from toothpaste tubes to detangling sprays.
Ditch the Towel Bar
Do you run into a problem with space on your towel bar? As a member of a family of 5, I do all the time. My wife actually figured this one out before I saw it in another house, so I have to give her credit. Instead of that standard two foot bar, we installed 5 coat hooks. They can hold a towel and washcloth for every member of the family, no overlapping necessary. Here’s a really classy looking version from an upscale boutique store. You can get your own hooks from Lowes or the Home Depot for $10 bucks or so.
Get a Second Shower Rod
I don’t know about you, but I’ve dropped a full bottle of shampoo on my toes more than once. Nothing ruins the calm, refreshment of a shower like that throbbing pain. Of course, for every time it hit my foot, the shampoo bottle or one of the myriad of other things that get stacked on the shelves fell in at least a hundred times. I’d never had any luck with the suction shelves anyhow. Then I saw a brilliant idea in a starter home in Santee. The husband said his wife wanted him to buy an extra shower rod for the main bathroom. He couldn’t understand why, but he did. She proceeded to put it up on the backside of the shower and hung see-through baskets from it to hold shampoo, razors, bars of soap, scrub brushes and anything else they needed. Totally brilliant.
Do you have any life hacks that our readers in the San Diego area might want to know about? Share them with us. We’re always looking for ways to make life just a little bit easier.