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Bathrooms can function as a practical place for you to get ready for the day and a sanctuary where you can unwind after a long day. With a few changes or upgrades, you can enhance the look and ambiance of these rooms. Whether you plan on making changes to a powder room or a spacious master bathroom, keep the latest trends in mind.
Bold Powder Room Walls
Powder rooms might not offer the same amount of space as regular bathrooms, but the right decor can dramatically improve their appearance. One of the latest trends this year for powder rooms is sprucing them up with darker paint colors on a backsplash or wallpaper that has an eye-catching, decorative design. Using one of these options for your powder room can give it a bold yet elegant new look.
Travertine Floors
Marble floors have been the standard choice for luxury bathrooms in recent years, but this is changing with the latest trends. Travertine is taking over as the favored material for bathroom floors due to its rich tones and durability. These floors come in a wide range of styles, cuts and designs in hues that can add warmth to your rooms.
Freestanding, Deep Tubs
Having the right tub can make baths or a relaxing soak more comfortable. This year’s trends include freestanding, deep tubs that offer plenty of room for soaking or bathing while also giving bathrooms a more upscale look. These tubs are available in numerous shapes and styles. Whether you prefer a modern, streamlined rectangular shape or a softer rounded shape, you’ll find a number of options to consider. Tub trends for 2020 also include black, freestanding tubs that act as a focal point in bathrooms that are mainly white or neutral in color.
Elaborate Lighting
Sconces and other traditional types of bathroom lighting can add a decorative touch to bathrooms, but the trend for this year is chandeliers. These hanging light fixtures add luxury and a striking appearance to bathrooms while also providing plenty of lighting. Chandeliers come in a variety of sizes and designs, so you can find the ideal type that enhances your bathroom’s look.
Waterfall Showers
Waterfall showers offer a way to add visual appeal to your bathroom shower while also making it feel more like a spa. You can pair these features with light, natural stone accents or white lighting to create a more natural-looking waterfall in your shower.
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Your bathroom can be a considerable source of energy use in your home. The Department of Energy states that water heating accounts for up to 18 percent of energy bills, which is the second largest expense in your home after heating and cooling. Showers and baths aren’t the only reasons for high energy use in bathrooms, though. Lighting and exhaust fans also add to this amount. The good news is that you can make your bathrooms more energy-efficient with the following tips.
Limit Hot Water Use
Since water heating uses up so much energy, finding ways to use less hot water can add up to significant energy savings. You can do this by taking showers instead of baths, which use up more hot water. Taking shorter showers, such as limiting them to about 10 minutes or less, also helps reduce the amount of hot water you’re using on a daily basis. Installing a low-flow shower head and using cooler rather than hotter water can help you save even more energy.
Use Your Exhaust Fans Efficiently
Bathrooms have exhaust fans to help reduce the risk of mold and mildew growth from moisture. While it’s important to run these when you shower or bathe, keep in mind that they use up energy while they’re on. You can lower this energy usage by only keeping exhaust fans on for about 15 minutes after getting out of the shower. Switching to a more energy-efficient exhaust fan can also help you use less energy while still keeping your bathroom safe from mold and mildew.
Consider Your Bathroom Lighting
The lights in your bathroom can use up more energy if you’re using incandescent bulbs, especially if you have several vanity lights around or over your sink and mirror. Switching to compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) or LED bulbs cuts down on your energy usage when your bathroom lights are on. These bulbs also typically last longer than incandescent bulbs and produce less heat, making them safer and more cost-effective. Installing motion sensors for your bathroom lights can also save energy by ensuring that they’re not accidentally left on for long periods of time.
Unplug Curling Irons and Hair Dryers
Leaving curling irons and hair dryers plugged in when they’re not being used might not seem like a big source of energy use. However, these devices keep drawing small amounts of electricity the entire time they’re plugged in, even if they’re not turned on. You can save on your bathroom energy usage on a regular basis by getting into the habit of unplugging these devices when you’re not using them.
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The bathroom is, indisputably, the grossest room in a house to clean. Since your bathroom has so many sources of water (sink, toilet, tub, and steam from the shower) that leaves a lot of opportunity for the growth of mold and mildew, and the spread of all kinds of bacteria. As such, cleaning the bathroom thoroughly and often is one of the most important chores you can do in your home.
Unfortunately, the bathroom is also a room that takes a long time to clean, in spite of it usually being one of the smaller rooms in your home. Luckily for us, there are several cleaning hacks that will help you save time scrubbing away in the bathroom and help you save money on expensive cleaning supplies.
If it's your turn to clean the bathroom, read on for a list of helpful tips to save you time and money when cleaning the bathroom.
- Grout cleaning. The grout between your tiles can get pretty filthy. To make it shining and white again, combine baking soda and vinegar (not too much vinegar; you want it to form a semi-thick paste). Then use an old toothbrush to scrub the grout and rinse it dry with your shower head.
- Shower head. Speaking of the shower head, is it getting brown or "rusted" looking? Mix equal parts vinegar and water into a plastic bag. Place the bag over the shower head so it's fully submerged in the solution and wrap a rubber band around it to keep it in place. Forget about it for an hour or so then wipe it off in the tub.
- Toilet scrubbing. After you scrub your toilet bowl clean, pour some extra cleaner into the bowl and submerge your scrubber in it for an hour. Then rinse and let it hang dry. For added cleanliness, pour some disinfectant in your scrubber holder.
- Drain cleaning. Straighten out a metal wire hanger and then bend a small (about 1in.) hook into the end. Fish around in your pipe and remove any hair or buildup. Then, pour 1/3 cup baking soda into the drain and add vinegar until it foams to the surface. Let this sit for a half hour and then rinse it down the drain.
- Toothbrush holder. Toss it in the dishwasher. If it isn't dishwasher safe, add a drop of dish soap and let it soak overnight, then rinse.
- Curtain liner. Many are washing machine safe. Wash them with a couple hand towels and be sure to use a cold, gentle wash setting. To avoid mold growth, wipe them down with a towel after you shower.
- Ceiling vent. Rather than trying to reach your vacuum to the ceiling, use a can of compressed air to blow any dust and buildup from your vent.
- Chrome fixtures. It seems impossible to keep the chrome fixtures on your sink clean and free of water marks for long. After you wash them, let them dry and then polish with plain baby oil to help them shine longer.
