Some of you might have seen those ASMR bathroom videos introducing Korean bathroom gadgets that make the bathroom more functional than just decorative. Or you might have come across Parisian bathrooms that have extraordinary beauty in them. It is no surprise that both of these unique bathrooms receive wide acclaim. However, I still believe that every bathroom should have a sense of calm, which can be achieved through decor and convenience, which can be achieved through the use of functional items. The balance is a key, which particularly fits when it comes to functional decor. Hence, today, we are transforming our bathrooms through the use of bathroom essentials, giving them a complete makeover according to functionality.
Why Should You Trust This List?
Maybe you are wondering why a bathroom essentials list is needed in the first place. So, let me start from there. In my opinion, bathrooms are the most significant areas of the home because we start and end our days from there, and hygiene starts with them. Creating this list is imperative since many of us might not even know what would be the best option for our bathrooms. Also, many of us might be moving, so a good checklist with all the best options is significant.
The next question might be why trust me or this list? To get a detailed answer to this, I will refer you to the previous reads on Kitchen Essentials, Best Bed Frames, and Best Couches. However, if you are looking for a quick answer, I put myself in your place and picked only the necessary items and the best products in their category.
The Only Bathroom Essentials You Need.
1. Shower Curtains.
When it comes to choosing shower curtains, I feel the only thing to take care of is fabric and size. Among the fabrics of shower curtains, there are three most common options- plastic, linen, and bamboo. Now, the only problem with the plastic is that it gets wrinkled easily, and you have to dry it off, especially if your bathroom is damped and dark as it forms a mold. But you need a plastic liner anyway on the inside so the water doesn’t get splashed over the bathroom floor. Linen and bamboo are cheaper and sustainable. The best option would be to get either a plastic shower curtain or a plastic curtain plus linen or bamboo for decoration if you have good ventilation in your bathroom. And if you don’t, then go for the plastic or polyester ones. However, do know that none of them is mold-proof, so you can always use bleach and detergent to clean them.
Don’t buy an overly long shower curtain since it will puddle at the bottom of your tub or shower pan where the curtain follows. Therefore, always trim an inch or two off the hem. To wash them, use clothes detergent and a quarter cup of bleach in the hot water, and they will come clean every time. Always make sure you dry off the shower curtains in sunlight for hygiene. You can also buy shower curtains cheaper at Ikea, Homestore, or Walmart nearby. However, for all those who are quite cringy about buying offline, I have perfect options for you in the low and high range.
| Price Range | Products |
| Low | Maytex, Hookless |
| High | Crate and Barrel |
2. Bath Mat.
Bath mats usually come in a variety, but trust me, they are the most difficult bathroom essentials to pick. Some of them have less padding, which is not comfortable, and others might get damaged in fewer months due to less durability. The best bath mat will be durable, have plush carpeting, so that it feels like you are standing on something, and have a non-skid backing. One significant thing to note is that don’t ever buy bath mats with rubber backing because they break down pretty fast. Another new option in the market is the earth-hard mats, which are pretty good at feet and absorb water faster, but they can’t be washed easily; the only thing is to wipe and spot clean.
| Price Range | Products |
| Low | Ikea |
| High | Lavish Home Store, Clara Clark, TOSORO, Dorai |
3. Toilet Plunger.
Toilet plungers are significant for unclogging a toilet, but they come in three categories. The first one is a cup plunger, which is actually for sinks and tubs or any drain, which is on a flat surface. Then comes the Flange plunger, which looks like a cup plunger but has an added piece at the bottom, allowing it to form a seal around for uneven drains. It works for flat surface drains but not sinks or toilets, more like a Kitchen plunger. And finally, the bellows or accordion plunger, which is a toilet plunger. You can always choose to have a plunger stand, and for God’s love, clean it properly after every use with bleaching powder and alcoholic cleaner with warm water. And make sure if you are buying from the offline market, they have a good material, not letting them leak from a single point otherwise, there will be a literal shitstorm.
| Type | Products |
| Cup Plunger | Korky |
| Bellow Plunger | Korky, JS Jackson |
4. Anti-Smell Spray.
The use of anti-smell sprays is helpful when a bathroom is shared by two or more people. There’s a problem with many anti-smell sprays, as they literally mix with bathroom odors and create an odd smell or their floral essence can be too strong. So, choose a really good anti-smell spray. In comparison to many other brands, Poo-Pourri is a good choice, but there is a problem – it has a strong floral essence, so when you leave the bathroom, you will still have a scent.
| Type | Products |
| Unscented Anti-Smell Spray | MediChoice |
| Scented Anti-Smell Spray | Squatty Potty |
5. Cleaning Essentials.
Every bathroom needs good cleaning essentials, which include a toilet cleaner, an all-bathroom liquid cleaner, a marble toilet brush, and a toilet pumice. In each case, I am giving the best and multi-performer bathroom essentials for cleaning so that you don’t bother having so much or less than needed.
| Type | Products |
| Toilet Cleaner | Clorox |
| Bathroom Tile Liquid Cleaner | Lysol |
| Multipurpose Cleaner | PINALEN |
| Marble Toilet Brush | HAMITOR |
6. Laundry Basket.
Bathrooms can have many laundry baskets, like the granny’s wicker baskets or plastic laundry baskets with lids. Now, wicker ones run for long periods and are sustainable, so even after you discard them, they can be easily composed, but they don’t hold moisture quite well, and clothes might get split from their ends. At the same time, plastic laundry baskets are a good option when it comes to retaining moisture or durability.
| Type | Products |
| Laundry Basket With Lid | Rubbermaid, Seville Classics, WOWLIVE |
| Woven Laundry Basket | Kenvc Store |
7. Towels and Toilet Paper
I feel that towels must be soft and most importantly, durable for years. Hence, there are many kinds of towels available in the market, and I must say that the Costco ones are pretty durable and amazingly soft. Other than them, the Ralph Lauren towel collection is really good. Some of the customers found that they were durable for more than ten years and they are feathery smooth but a bit pricey (worth the money though). Other than these towels, which come under a budget range, are American Soft Linen towels. Besides, do have a Turkish cotton towel, which is super soft and kind to your skin.
For the toilet paper and wipes, I am linking the best option. Besides, Bidet is certainly a better option as toilet paper clogs the toilet. But for all those who need super soft toilet paper, go for Kirkland tissue paper.
| Quality | Product |
| Best Toilet Paper | Kirkland Signature |
8. Mirror.
Before you buy a mirror for your bathroom, take the appropriate size you need and make sure whether you want a colored frame that blends well into your bathroom or just a plain one. Now, you can always choose mirrors from the Homesense or IKEA collection, which are cheap, but they are quite plain and modest. The best option for bathroom mirrors is to switch over the mirror light and make sure that the bulbs are not yellow and have the right brightness. It will change the entire appearance of your mirror, or you can get the trim made from bamboo or something similar to make your mirror look more finished or custom.
| Price Range | Products |
| Low | NEUWEABY |
| High | West Mirrors |
9. Bathroom Vanity.
To store everything you need for your bathroom, such as extra toilet paper, towels, cleaners, tampons, pads, etc., you must have a bathroom vanity. You can always choose to have stock cabinets, which are fairly easy to modify if they are too deep. And for a tiny bathroom, you can choose a double vanity with a sink over the top. For a large space bathroom, you can always have full-height 24” or 30” wide cabinets with a short cabinet next to the toilet like an end table. You can always try Ikea, but opt out of Wayfair as they are overpriced.
10. Shelf.
There are different uses for floating shelves in a bathroom. And you can always find a corner for them if you are not going for vanity or you still want extra storage. But, while choosing a shelf, one of the most significant things to note is to always go for the ones that can’t be damaged by moisture or water. However, if you still love wooden shelves in your bathroom, you can always choose to coat it with a Thompson’s water seal, so that nothing breaks away due to moisture. But you have to take extra care of them.
| Quality | Products |
| Best Floating Shelf | Richer House, MBQQ |
11. Soy Candles.
While some days might be incredibly exhausting and frustrating, a single pack of fragrant soy candles can completely change your mood. Trust me, once you try them, you will never take a shower without them again. Why Soy candles, because paraffin wax burns faster and leaves a black cast upon burning. If you’re looking for a completely different fragrance, such as butter rum or apple cinnamon, you can find it here. If you love to experiment and make your candles, get this DIY kit for you. Once you perfect making them, you can start buying things separately. Below, I am adding a few best options for aromatic candles. Also, you can always reuse candles by adding a new wick and a few drops of essential oil.
| Price Range | Products |
| Low | YINUO Light, FBK |
| High | Marie Hunter |
12. Bathtub Caddy.
A bathtub caddy is the best thing which you can give to yourself for a perfect me-time. Truly a bathroom essential, choose a bathtub caddy that is of high quality and durable. Try to choose a bamboo or plastic caddy, which isn’t bothered by the water splashes. The best bathtub caddy is one that has a little book or tablet holder, a cup holder, a wine glass holder, and a soap dish and is not too compact. This is the best bathtub caddy that you can buy.
| Quality | Product |
| Best Bathtub Caddy | ROYAL CRAFT WOOD |
13. Glass Dispenser.
Talking about glass dispensers, they are pretty standard bathroom essentials. However, they come in plastic, glass, bamboo, ceramics, etc. Plastic dispensers are cheap, but they don’t look good. Then, glass dispensers are pretty expensive and beautiful. One DIY tip, which is trending and is obviously good is to turn your alcohol bottles into soap, lotion, or shampoo dispensers.
14. Bath-Robe.
Personally, bath robes must be extremely soft, fluffy, lightweight, and comfortable. There are a few best options on the market, but I am unable to find cheaper options due to the lower quality and durability of their products.
| Category | Products |
| Bath-Robe for Men | L.L.Bean |
| Bath-Robe for Women | UGG |
| Unisex Bath-Robe | Hammacher Schlemmer |
15. Toilet Dustbin.
I feel toilet and kitchen dustbins must be of the same quality and the material must be rigid and smell-proof. So, I am adding the same options as I did in my kitchen essentials article a few days ago.
| Price Range | Products |
| Low | Rubbermaid |
| High | Rubbermaid |
16. Glass Apothecary Jars.
Glass Jars are best for keeping bathroom essentials like earbuds, cotton balls, reusable razors, and bath bombs. Just make sure that their lids adhere tightly to them so that they don’t fall and break, and you don’t have to worry about them.
| Price Range | Products |
| Low | Amolliar |
| High | Infinity Jars |
17. Moodlights.
Dimmable lights are beautiful as they are ideal for a relaxing bath. There are many options for using mood lighting in the bathroom like LED fairy lights, salt lamps, or flameless candles. Among all the options, the LED neon strip is also a good one, which is waterproof and thermally balanced with a nice diffusion, though they can be a little bit pricey. Even red Halloween lights can give you a relaxing bath aura. However, these are just seasonal choices as there must be a permanent solution to making the bathroom a little bit cozy. So, I am giving you the best kind of mood light.
| Price Range | Products |
| Low | Bliss Lights, ROZATO |
| High | Philips |
18. Bathroom Fan.
Bathroom fans are necessary for ventilation and create an airy atmosphere in the bathroom. There might be hundreds of options but irrespective of the price, I am giving you the most trusted and best option, which is Panasonic. It even has a heater and dimmable light needed for your bathroom. Don’t just look at its price, as it is worth every penny and is the best option you can get. Another good option in the same range which just acts as a ventilator and maximum airflow regulator is Grainger.
Final Words.
In my list, I have included only bathroom essentials rather than over-hyped or decorative items that don’t fit into the home improvement category. The bathroom decor can however be enhanced by adding a plant that acts as a humidifier or simply by adding a funny quote. Furthermore, there will be always personal items like lotions, razors, and skincare items that you can keep in your bathroom. But I am certainly not going into that range because that is not my niche. So, I hope you will find this list helpful.
Frequently Asked Questions.
A bathroom accessory is a must-have essential to make your bathroom experience more enjoyable. It includes a variety of things, from shower curtains to the vanity and mirrors. Here is a bathroom essentials list, that you can check out.
Anyone can turn their bathing experience into a romantic one by using bare minimum items. It includes lighting the hot-spiced fragrant candles, a bathroom caddy for wine and eatables, and soft music. Of course, you can add more leisure through fragrant soaps, hot showers, flowers, and cozy bathrobes.
The bare minimum things needed for a shower are bath sponges, scrubber, liquid soap, shampoo, shower curtains, and a quality shower head with good pressure. You can always enhance the shower experience through candles, dim lights, essential oils, etc.
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