How can an entire family share a single bathroom and stay sane?

___

Published Date 11/28/2023

Considering the world has evolved from outhouses to indoor plumbing to multiple bathrooms, you’d think seeing one family share a single bathroom was something third-worldly. But you’d be wrong.

All over America, entire families find ways to share a single bathing/necessary facility. And with interest rates still on the wrong side of affordability, many homeowners with growing families aren’t able to trade up for a bigger abode right now. Instead, they’re making do with the tight square footage in the too-small homes they already own, according to Realtor.com’s Jennifer Kelly Geddes.

“For some folks, this means putting up with a single full bath for four (or more!) people,” says Geddes. “Sure, some of these dwellings also have a half-bath with a sink and toilet, but this isn’t always the case.”

So Geddes did a bit of research to offer families alternatives to the morning “bathroom line” — where personal care products abound and wet towels start the day.

Idea #1: Fixr’s Adam Graham suggests putting each family member’s name on a section of a shelf or cubby. “Try assigning personalized cubbies to each person in the home, so they can keep their items organized,” Graham says. “This will reduce clutter in a single bath and also make sure everything’s visible and accessible.” A row of nooks in a built-in should do the trick. You can continue this method in the shower stall with caddies or a set of hanging baskets. “Each individual can store their essentials so they don’t get mixed up or used by others, because there’s nothing more frustrating than finding your expensive shampoo open with water seeping in,” adds Graham.

Even better? Each person can store their caddy in their room, ensuring the bathroom isn’t overflowing with products.

Idea #2: If the bathroom population includes little ones or teens, Urban Clarity’s Amanda Wiss has a solution for kids who need to get to swim practice before school or fix their hair. “Now is the ideal time to enforce your kids’ bedtimes and daily schedules so that if one child leaves an hour before the other in the morning, he or she shouldn’t dawdle in bed,” she advises. She says a schedule can work at night, too, since varying the shower times can work. Might not be popular at first but she insists “it’ll help develop a routine that everyone can eventually stick to.” Okay. Learning curves abound.

Idea #3: Maximize your wall space with extra shelves or divide the space under your sink with separate baskets or wire containers for each person. If your vanity has drawers—clean them out and give one to each family member. That spot above the sink is also a deal winner. Swap a plain mirror for a recessed medicine cabinet to add extra space.

Idea #4: The 2-sink bathroom. May sound patently useless to families who rarely all need one bathroom at the same time. But it can be pure gold to bathroom multi-takers. There are two schools of thought regarding adding a second sink in a family bathroom. Wiss believes more space is fine, but it’s not necessarily a good fix. “You may be saving yourself teeth-brushing fights, but you’re also creating another drop zone for bathroom clutter,” she notes.

Another expert Geddes consulted contends, however, that if you have the space and budget, adding that second sink is probably a good move. “Installing an extra sink will cost around $600 and significantly increase the bathroom’s functionality, if you have to share it with other people,” he says. If two people can shave, make-up, and wash at once there should be fewer fights during blow-dry sessions.

If ever there were a winner in the bathroom efficiency category, promote to captain as many hooks as you can tolerate. Towel bars lost this one. Towel rails are great for quick drying, but hooks are more efficient when it comes to space. Just be sure to hang them at the appropriate height for each family member, both the tall and the small.

And lastly, Idea #5: Consider adding an on-demand hot water device. Who wants to be the one stuck under a cold shower? Investing in a tankless water heater may put you out around a few grand, but you’ll make that back in water bill savings and screams when the cold water hits. Tankless water heaters heat up only the water to be used instead of storing it in the tank. The result is near-endless hot water, no matter how many people are in line ahead of you.

Realtor, TBWS

---

• < Prev
• Next >

All information furnished has been forwarded to you and is provided by thetbwsgroup only for informational purposes. Forecasting shall be considered as events which may be expected but not guaranteed. Neither the forwarding party and/or company nor thetbwsgroup assume any responsibility to any person who relies on information or forecasting contained in this report and disclaims all liability in respect to decisions or actions, or lack thereof based on any or all of the contents of this report.

This communication (including attachments) is for information purposes only, is not an offer, solicitation, recommendation or commitment for any transaction or as a confirmation of any transaction. 

Bobbie Jo Haggard, NMLS 92472; 
Licensed to do business in Washington & Oregon. 

Heartland Mortgage, Inc. NMLS# 3205; Office(509) 529-3280
NMLS Consumer Access website: (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org)

Bobbie Jo Haggard

Loan Officer / Mortgage Specialist

NMLS: #92472 - Washington & Oregon

Heartland Mortgage Inc.

30 S Palouse Street, Walla Walla WA 99362

Company NMLS: #3205

Office: 509-301-1661

Cell: 509-301-1661

Email: BobbieJo@HeartlandMortgageInc.com

Web: https://www.WallaWallaMortgage.com