Classic Style in the Bedroom. . .

 A terrific Art Deco style bedroom, but it could use a few books on the bedside tables and a bathrobe or dressing gown tossed over the chair to give it a slightly more lived in look.

Not quite what you thought, right?  Nope, the point of today's post is simply this.  

In the bedroom and bathroom, keep things neat, clean, and picked up.  Make your bed in the mornings, change your sheets and towels once a week.  Body dander, dust mites, stench, and worse collect on these very quickly.  Be sure too to toss dirty clothes in a hamper out of sight (NOT on the floor or in a chair!), hang garments you will wear again in the closet or wardrobe and shut the door, or fold and put them back in the dresser.   It's not hard to do, it takes just a few minutes, and living in a space that is kept straight does wonders for your own mental and emotional well-being.  Not enough people are aware of that particular, and very real, benefit.

Be ruthless about clutter, in both areas, especially in the bathroom, taking great pains to keep the counter top around the sink clear and wiped down.  Same thing for the corners of the bathtub/shower where squeeze bottles of shampoo, conditioner, those nearly empty body wash containers, and tiny remnants of soap bars seem to congregate. Likewise, keep the tub drain free of hair and body gunk.  Clean your toilet, tub, and sink once a week with the appropriate cleansers.  If there is any doubt in your mind about whether something needs to be wiped up, washed, cleaned, or thrown away, then there is no doubt.  Get it done! 

Don't forget to empty the waste cans once or twice a week either,  There are fewer things more offputting than a bedroom or bathroom trashcan that is overflowing with used tissues, Q-tips, dental floss, old banana peels, and the like.  It's akin to unincinerated medical waste piling up in the corner of your bedroom and next to the sink in the bathroom.  Are you perpetually 12 years old?  Ick!

In short, make ding dang sure to keep these shared -- yet intimate -- areas clean, spotless, and free of clutter. . .  for yourself, for your partner or spouse, and other family with whom you share your living space. . .  or for that special guest who might spend the night once in a while.  Know what I mean?  A good rule of thumb is to keep your bedroom and bathroom clean and straight enough, so you would not be embarrassed for your grandmother to see them were she to turn up and ask to join you for lunch or supper.  

And when it comes to the romance department, there are very few quality people who will stick around for long if your room, apartment, condominium, or house resembles a slimy, smelly garbage dump.  It's no laughing matter.  Average guys who realize the very real need to kick up their everyday style several notches, and who make a concerted effort to do so, should keep that point in mind.  Are you listening Tyler, Austin, and Connor?

-- Heinz-Ulrich

An interesting take on an art deco style bathroom from Better Homes and Gardens.