The One-Hour Fix That Stopped the Bathroom Battles in My Home

Life in Chicago moves fast. Between work, family, and trying to enjoy everything our amazing city offers, keeping your home clean and functional can feel like a constant battle. If you’ve ever stared at a cluttered closet or a chaotic bathroom, wondering where to even start, you’re not alone. Sometimes, the simplest organizational shifts can make the biggest difference in your daily peace.

I’ll be honest—this is a little embarrassing. My job is literally to help people make their homes more functional and organized. Yet, for the longest time, I had this completely empty closet in our bathroom. I’m talking bare walls, with nothing but a bag of cat litter sitting on the floor. This was our main bathroom, shared by my three teenagers, and it was a daily source of stress.

The Problem: A Shared Space Turned War Zone

We used to store all our bathroom essentials—towels, band-aids, toiletries, nail polish—in there. Sounds logical, right? But with three teens sharing one space, it became a battleground. The shouts of “I need a band-aid!”, “Hurry up, I need the shower!”, and “Where’s my extra towel?” were a constant soundtrack. The items meant for the whole family were causing all the fights.

The Simple Solution I Put Off For Way Too Long

The fix was almost laughably simple. All I had to do was move the supplies. I invested less than $100 in some basic shelving for that empty closet, spent under an hour installing it, and transferred all the shared items out of the main bathroom cabinet and into their new, dedicated home.

The result? The fighting stopped. Instantly. This is the core idea of zoning—assigning a specific, logical home for everything. I preach it all the time, but I had totally neglected it in my own house. Now, everyone knows where the shared supplies are, and the main bathroom is just for… well, bathroom stuff.

Ask Yourself: What Can You Move or Declutter?

My story isn’t about a massive renovation. It’s about a small, intentional change with a huge payoff. So, I want you to ask yourself the same questions I finally did:

• What can you move? Is there an item or category of items causing daily friction that could live in a better spot?
• What can you declutter to make room? Clearing out just one drawer or shelf can create space for a more logical system.
• How can you make your house more functional? Often, it’s not about having more space, but using the space you have more wisely.

When a Helping Hand Makes All the Difference

Of course, finding the time and energy for these projects is the real challenge. That’s where a trusted Chicago cleaning company can be a game-changer. Sometimes, you need a fresh start before you can organize effectively.

If the thought of a full deep cleaning help feels overwhelming, consider starting with a reset. A reliable cleaning service near me like Jikas can handle the heavy lifting, giving you a clean slate to implement your new systems. Whether you need fast cleaning services for a quick refresh or a comprehensive plan to clean your apartment from top to bottom, the right support makes it possible.

For many busy Chicagoans, the best solution is to schedule a cleaning with a professional home cleaning team. It’s the easiest way to get your space cleaned thoroughly and consistently, freeing you up to focus on life—and those small organizational wins that make a home truly work for you.

This is embarrassing. I mean, it’s my job. It’s my literal job to make people’s homes more functional. And yet, this closet has been empty with nothing but cat litter. Like, nothing. Not a shelf, nothing. Even though this is our bathroom. And we used to store all of these things in the bathroom. Except I have three teenagers who share that bathroom. And it was always fighting. I need a band-aid. I need an extra towel. Hurry. Get out of the shower. Hurry up. I need the nail polish. nuts. Always constant fighting over the things that were stored for the whole family in the bathroom. All I had to do was move it. Like less than $100 in shelving, less than one hour to install it and move everything over and no more fighting over the bathroom. Like what? This is the whole point of organization and zoning. And I totally didn’t do it in my own house, but now I did. So, what can you move? What can you declutter to make room? How can you make your house more functional