In many homes, the bathroom is an afterthought – a sterile place to do your business and leave. But if you want a more pleasant experience, there are several upgrades that can make your bathroom more comfortable and cozier.

Ideas to Upgrade the Bathroom

These are some of the best ways you can upgrade your bathroom:

  1. Install a bidet. Cleaning yourself with toilet paper can be an abrasive experience, not much better than antiquated methods involving foliage or sticks. Even if you splurge on the best toilet paper available at the store, you’re still going to be agitating some very sensitive parts on each bathroom visit. If you want to make things more comfortable and give yourself a more thorough clean in the process, install a bidet. Modern bidets are easy to install on your toilet seat, and they’re inexpensive – meaning there’s no reason not to make the purchase.  
  2. Invest in a seat warmer. How often do you have the experience of sitting on a cold toilet seat in winter? It’s not a pleasant feeling. Fortunately, there’s an easy workaround that doesn’t require you to crank the thermostat; you can invest in a seat warmer. It uses only a little bit of energy and can keep you in even the coldest weather.

3.       Paint the walls. Don’t underestimate the value a fresh coat of paint can bring to a room. Applying paint gives you a chance to totally change the feel of the environment – especially if you also include a strong accent color. It also makes the environment feel novel, cleaner, and fresher (ideal for a bathroom).

4.       Splurge on better towels and mats. Even if you’re traditionally frugal, you should know that high-quality towels and bathmats are almost always worth the money. Getting bigger, softer, more absorbent towels can make your after-shower experience worthy of a professional spa – and better bathmats can keep your toes comfortable and warm in any condition.

5.       Get moisturizing hand soap. Don’t remain content with the cheapest soap on store shelves. Spend a bit more to get moisturizing hand soap (with a scent you personally enjoy). It’s especially helpful in winter if you have persistently dry skin.

6.       Control (and mask) odors. The bathroom can get smelly, as we all know, so put together a plan to combat common bathroom odors. Simply placing a candle in the bathroom and lighting it regularly can go a long way to reducing odors. Installing a ventilation fan (if there isn’t one) or investing in other odor control tools can make the environment even more comfortable.

7.       Upgrade the showerhead. A better showerhead can instantly give you a better experience when showering. Depending on the specs of the device, you can usually get access to better water pressure, different spray options, and more flexibility. Showerheads are also inexpensive and easy to install – so there aren’t any real obstacles in your way.

8.       Add more storage options. Better storage options can make your bathroom look cleaner and tidier. Extra shelves and drawers can make your most commonly used items more accessible, and small storage improvements (like toilet paper holders) can make the most of even the smallest spaces.

9.       Include some plants. Did you know that plants have the power to boost your mood? Including a few houseplants in your bathroom can instantly make it feel brighter and more alive – and start your day better when you’re getting ready for work. If you don’t like the idea of taking care of living plants, don’t worry – you can get many of the same benefits by investing in high-quality fake plants that resemble real ones.

10.   Do a surface clean every day. Nobody likes to use a dirty bathroom. If the shower is crusty, the sink is full of hair, and the bathmats haven’t been washed in weeks, you’re going to be uncomfortable, even with all the other upgrades in this guide. That’s why it’s important to do a surface clean (at minimum) every day.

Get an Outside Opinion

If you’re not sure about a specific upgrade, or if you’ve run out of ideas for how to improve the bathroom, get an outside opinion. Talk to your family members about the things they’d like to see change, or pay attention to the bathrooms of friends and relatives to get other ideas. This doesn’t have to be a one-time project, so you can continue making improvements over time.

With these improvements (and others), your family will thank you, you’ll have a more pleasant personal experience in the bathroom, and your guests will feel more at home. Best of all, these upgrades won’t set you back much – so you can tackle them even with a small budget.