14 Design Choices to Avoid for a Cleaner Bathroom

Certain finishes and fixtures can make your bathroom harder to clean—and organize.

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When it comes to cleaning and organizing around the home, it’s no secret that bathrooms require extra TLC. From tackling stubborn soap scum to tidying your medicine cabinet, keeping your bathroom chaos-free can feel like a full-time job. But contrary to popular belief, more square footage does not equate to less disorder. “The more space that we have, the more we'll try to store in it,” says Mary Cornetta, professional organizer and content creator. Rather, a pristine powder room is dependent on its design.

Like any room in your home, certain design choices can make or break a space’s functionality. Take it from us, just because a design looks dreamy upon installation, doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to maintain. From a lack of smart storage to hard-to-clean finishes, below are 14 design decisions to avoid for a mess-free bathroom.

While vessel sinks may be architectural works of art, they’re a hassle to maintain. “Anything that sits on top of the countertop is really hard to keep clean because you slowly but surely get that ring in between the countertop and the sink,” says Jessica Nelson, interior designer and owner of namesake design firm. “So, the vast majority of the time we try to install undermount sinks where everything can just be easily wiped down.”

“If clients are really concerned with cleanliness, we also like to do a wall mount faucet instead of a counter mount faucet because they tend to get gunky,” Nelson says. By mounting your powder room’s faucet on the wall rather than the sink’s base, you can more easily wipe the fixture down whenever buildup begins to appear.

Like jewelry, fixtures that are simply metal-coated, rather than made from high quality metals tend to have a shorter lifespan. “There are some metals that age really nicely and there are some that age badly," Nelson says. "If you invest in a little bit higher quality faucet, like an unlacquered brass, that's only going to age beautifully. Cheaper polish brass can flake off over time and age in a bad way. Whereas, if you go with the genuine real brass, you should never have a problem with it.” Investing in high quality plumbing pieces will not only save the aesthetic value of your bathroom, but it will also save you money in the long run.

“For clients who are worried about their bathroom getting kind of gritty over time, we usually avoid small tiles,” says Nelson. Design choices such as penny tiles and porcelain mosaic tiles are super difficult to clean due to their small grout lines that are notorious for collecting dirt, dust, and grime. “The least amount of grout lines you can do, the better,” Nelson says.

While natural stones are adored for their ability to add a chic and sophisticated touch to any space, they’re equally loathed for their tendency to stain. “Natural stones are less scary in the bathroom than in the kitchen, but it can still stain easily with things like makeup,” says Nelson. “If you're a big red wine drinker in the bathtub, definitely avoid marble around that area, in case there's a spill.” Nelson recommends steering clear of both marble and cement in particular if staining is a big concern for you. Instead, the interior designer recommends exploring some ceramic porcelain options.

For a smudge-proof design, swap an easily soiled glass shower door for an easy-to-clean shower curtain. “Most of my clients with small children tend to opt for shower curtains over glass, just because it's so much easier for that age group in terms of keeping it clean and getting them in and out of the tub,” says Nelson. Even if you don't have children, a shower curtain can provide you with more cleaning ease—as many can be thrown in the wash or simply wiped down. Glass shower doors, while they may look sophisticated, can be more awkward to clean—especially sliding doors, which collect debris and mildew in the tracks.

While product organization is key for a mess-free bathroom, getting too specific about your built-in organizers can cause more harm than good. “Everything in a bathroom is usually really tiny, but when you get too detailed, that's where you lose the organization,” says Kayleen Kelly, professional organizer specializing in chronic clutter and ADHD. “This is probably the biggest problem that I see. I always recommend that you go very general with your organization because when something is permanently built into your bathroom for a very specific need, then it’s hard to customize it down the road,” Kelly says.

“Shallow drawers are fine if it's just the top drawer—these should be used for items that you use daily,” Kelly says. “But then, as you go down, you want your drawers to get deeper.” This way, your larger products are not cramped into a bunch of shallow drawers. To maximize space in deep drawers, Kelly recommends investing in store-bought organizers, such as acrylic bins to keep products neat.

While floating shelves may seem like a brilliant storage move, they can actually make your space feel more cluttered. “Unless you really thoughtfully style your open shelves, they can look cluttered very easily,” Nelson says. Hiding your products away in a fashion that maintains organization is key to creating a more calming appearance. Otherwise, your beautiful open shelves can quickly become a nuisance.

“If I had to choose between drawers or cabinets, I would always choose drawers,” says Emily Mass, professional organizer and owner of Spaces By Emily. “Most people only utilize the bottom of the cabinets, and don't think about stacking organizers or drawers within them.” Because of this, cabinets often take up a lot of valuable organization space without actually organizing much. Whereas “when you have drawers, you can create actual categories for your products,” says Mass.

If you're undergoing a shower reno, you should absolutely be thinking about ways to add storage. “I love to recommend niches in showers or tubs to make a purposeful spot for things like shampoo and conditioner,” Nelson says. “I like those niches to just blend away. To do that, we keep the same tile or stone that we used throughout the shower.” By implementing one or more shower niches, you can avoid products collecting in the corner of your shower or bathtub, as well as having to purchase space-consuming organizers. It's time to say goodbye to clunky shower caddies for good.

While minimalist bathrooms are having a major moment in the interior design world, these sleek, open concept designs leave little room for adequate storage. “Open concepts lead to a lot of problems,” says Kelly. “The bare and minimal design knocks out all of the storage, leaving no room for your products or even a closet that could’ve aided with storage.”

“If you are customizing your own vanity, I’d recommend going with a floating one,” Mass says. By incorporating a built-in vanity that does not reach the ground, you can create a more sleek and streamlined look, while still providing ample space for store-bought organizers. “I really like to use that underneath space to store anything, but usually cleaning products in contained bins,” she says.

Contrary to popular belief, “Too much counter space is also a problem,” says Cornetta. “The more surface space people have, the more stuff they pile on it. You start to put things there that you don’t necessarily need out of convenience. To avoid countertop clutter, ditch exaggerated surfaces and go for vertical storage instead.