Preparing Your Bathroom for Holiday Guests

The holiday season means more entertaining and more guests in your house. No doubt, you will spend a fair amount of time decorating your home to make it warm and inviting for your guests.  With more guests in the home, your bathroom will be busier than usual.  Follow these simple steps to keep your bathroom feeling fresh and festive throughout the holiday period.

Cleaning

The first step in getting your bathroom ready for guests is cleaning.  You will want your basins to sparkle and shine. The best way to clean your basin is by using baking soda. Pour the baking soda into the basin and make a paste. Be sure to clean around the basin taps as well; an old toothbrush is perfect for this. By the end, you will have a shining basin and no strong detergent smell. If you do not have a designated guest bathroom, gather up all personal items and put them out of sight so the room does not feel cluttered and guests have space for their toiletries. Add scented candles or a reed diffuser to give the room a nice holiday scent.

Keep with your holiday theme

For example, if your home has an all-natural feel, carry the theme into the bathroom as well. Place a decorative bowl filled with pinecones, nuts, or even oranges (they will add a nice subtle aroma) on a shelf or on the countertop; filling the bowls with ornaments and ribbon also works well. You could consider a wreath on the wall or on the back of the door. Evergreen garlands are perfect for around the bathroom mirror and have the added bonus of giving off a fresh, holiday-like aroma. Fresh flowers, such as poinsettias or white amaryllis, are also a great addition to a traditional bathroom suite.

Dim the lights

Going from a warm inviting room into a brightly lit bathroom takes away from the overall mood.  Consider adding a dimmer switch if you do not already have one, or change any bright bulbs for softer ones.  If you have a full bath, consider filling the tub and adding floating tea candles if you are entertaining in the evening. Alternatively, you could recreate this using a large clear bowl instead.

Pamper your guests

Finally, remember to lie out fresh plush towels. You may also consider replacing you regular hand soap with a special scented one and also include some seasonal hand lotion as well.