How To Create An Easy To Clean Bathroom Design

The bathroom is typically the first room people go to when they wake up and one of the last they leave before heading to bed. People spend hours of their lives in the bathroom, but do you ever consider the time it takes to clean it?

When people think of their dream bathroom, they imagine a relaxing retreat, luxurious shower, and ample storage to hide all those toiletries. There are thousands of articles about improving functionality and creating a beautiful, calming space, but there's seldom much discussion about how to build a low-maintenance bathroom that's easy to keep clean.

If you're planning on undergoing a bathroom design update, or a major renovation consider adding easy to clean features that can save you time and give you a sparkling clean retreat for your daily visits!

Easy To Clean Bathroom Design Features

While how often you clean your bathroom is a personal choice, a thorough cleaning of every surface from walls and floors to the pipes should be done about every two months according to the experts. Consider bathroom features that can make cleaning less of a chore. These include:

• Wall Mounted Appliances

Toilets and Faucets that are wall mounted make it easy to wipe clean the surfaces underneath. Easier access to the entire floor makes mopping fast and easy. The same goes for cleaning countertops. In the bathroom pictured above, even the vanity itself is hung from the wall so that you can clean underneath.

Corian vanity bathroom countertop — This children’s bathroom uses a seamless Corian countertop with integral bowl for easy cleaning. The faucet with has single mounting point that balances style, price, and cleaning compared to wall-mounted or widespread faucets with the valves off to each side.

• Rethink tile

Tile is one of the most popular bathroom features, but it also requires scrubbing grout. Those who have their heart set on installing sparkling white tile might want to consider an off-white or gray grout into your bathroom design, which will look less dingy over time that bright white grouts. Avoiding grout altogether is another solution. Luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and luxury vinyl plank (LVP) can both be installed without grout joints, for an easy-to-clean bathroom floor that can even look like wood. Covering walls with stone slabs instead of tile will cut down on cleaning time drastically.

• Consider Back-Painted Glass

Another solution to grout lines is to replace tile with a single pane of back-painted glass. This eliminates lines or crevices where dirt and grime can accumulate. Back painting the glass allows you to introduce an interesting aesthetic element into your bathroom design as an accent or feature wall.

• All-In-One Vanity

Another area that can reduce the time of your cleaning ritual is using an all-in-one solid countertop. By having the sink built in, you eliminate seams and other areas where dirt and mold can gather. If low maintenance is your goal, stick with non-porous surfaces.

• Invest in Proper Ventilation

master suite bathroom design build remodel construction madison wi-2.jpg — This glass shower wall has a special coating to help prevent water spotting.

A quiet powerful fan or even an open window can work to reduce moisture in the bathroom decreasing the likelihood of mold or mildew. Proper ventilation is a preventative measure that can save you significant time spent cleaning in the long run.

• Suitable Flooring

A properly sloped shower floor will prevent standing water and reduce the chance of mold. Be sure the shower floor is built properly using a waterproofing system such as the ones made by Schluter. You can install this membrane underneath the entire floor, or otherwise use proper underlayment such as AC plywood or cement board.

Plan Your Bathroom Design Before You Build

Taking the time before you renovate to define your wants and needs can save you time and money. If easy cleaning is an important feature to you, consider these time-saving features for your bathroom project. Speak with your interior designer or design build contractor to learn of other time saving features you can add to your project, like self cleaning toilets, or fixtures with finishes that reduce staining and water marks. Your bathroom can not only be an oasis of relaxation, it can be an easy to maintain space that will afford you with years of low maintenance enjoyment!

Additional Articles On Bathroom Remodeling

This article was updated by Abe Degnan on 1/17/2018.

About Degnan Design Build Remodel
Since 1981 Degnan Design Build Remodel has provided home improvement and construction services to customers throughout Greater Madison, Wisconsin. Our goal is to WOW you with a "Designed For Your Life" solution using a process that will transform your home into a beautiful living space, delivered on time, and on budget. We are known for our communication, respectfulness, and a commitment to our customers and our community. Contact us to speak with one of our designers about your home improvement project.

An Above the Garage Master Suite Addition Remodeling Project

We recently completed an addition for our clients, John and Amy, a professional couple with young children living in the Blooming Meadows neighborhood in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Their home featured three bedrooms on the second floor. The existing master bedroom was outdated and impractical for modern living, and with three young children, two needed to share one of the two remaining bedrooms, and all three kids shared the second-floor bathroom. Another problem the family needed addressed was that John needed a private home office, and the one they currently had was a shared space that did not work well for his job.

Let's take a look at our creative solution for this young family!

A New Private Bathroom for the Adults!

One of the major elements on John and Amy's wish list was a private bathroom space just for them. They wanted plenty of space to get ready in the morning, away from the kids, and we delivered! The bathroom features a handcrafted Amish custom double vanity with a tower cabinet in alder wood, stained Carbon Gray. The contrasting Linnstone Quartz Calcutta pattern countertop brightens the space and ties in visually with the elegant tile work in the spacious walk-in shower. We added custom alder wood framed mirrors stained in the same Carbon Gray as the cabinets to complete the vanity. Over each of the mirrors, we installed Quoizel 2 light vanity fixtures to provide plenty of warm light.

In the shower, the 21st Century Tile 12x24 floor-to-ceiling tiles in Tivoli Silver give the room a bright and modern feel, and the low entry shower makes entering the shower safe and easy for the couple. We included a helpful niche in the shower for shampoo and other toiletries and, for contrast, used a beautiful hexagon mosaic accent tile. The glass doors give the space an open feel, making it bright and inviting. The Arbor Hills luxury vinyl plank flooring in timber adds a warm feel, giving the room a natural look with the benefit of waterproof LVP.

The Result

The final result of this second-floor master suite addition is a home that fits John, Amy, and the kid's needs and lifestyle perfectly. John now has the perfect private office space. Since John and Amy now have their private master suite, and each of the kids has their own bedroom giving them their own space to grow as they grow, their home is more comfortable and functional. And on the exterior, you can't even tell there's been an addition!

Are you considering an addition or other home improvement project? Let us help you design the perfect finished space! If you live in the Greater Madison area, call the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel at (608) 846-5963. We can take your home to the next level of comfort, design, and function! Ready to learn more? We're always happy to answer your questions.