bathroom organizing & cleaning make-up brushes

by | Jan 15, 2019 | All Things Home, Decorating, Organizing | 24 comments

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Just like everyone else in the world, January has me itching to get organized.  I am a driven person and that can be a positive thing when it comes to a to-do list, but it can also be a detriment when faced with an entire house to organize and purge.  I want to get it all done all at one time, which just isn’t possible unless I neglect everything else in my life for a week.  So, I’m reigning in that desire and am forcing myself to tackle the house in bite-sized tasks.  When I was sick last week, it was just one drawer in a day.  When I was feeling better, it was one closet or a grouping of drawers.

In general, this is a good way to approach organizing, so it’s not overwhelming and you can fit it in around the rest of your life (that doesn’t come to a halt just because you want to organize!)  You’re more likely to do it if you set small, attainable goals.  And that small taste of victory leaves you craving more.

One of the bite-sized projects I took on this week was the drawers in my bathroom.  These are the drawers I go into every day to put on makeup, wash my face, brush my teeth, style my hair, etc.  And all of that putting things in and taking things out resulted in a jumble of toiletries and cosmetics…not to mention the eye pencil shavings and broken compacts that made the drawers a mess, too.

So, I took about an hour, emptied each drawer, cleaned it out along with all of the contents and organizers, and put back only what I use and need.

My drawers weren’t even that out of control, but I still managed to discover four pairs of tweezers and four boxes of floss…both were items I bought repeatedly simply because I couldn’t find the one (or two or three) that I already had.

I was also brutal with cleaning out my makeup.  I’ll sometimes buy a product to try it out, but I always used the products I already love, so I only used about half of the cosmetics I had.  I pitched everything I didn’t use regularly.

I also put the pencil sharpener in the bottom half a little cardboard jewelry box, so the shavings would be contained.  I cleaned off all of my make-up containers using some make-up remover, so now they are all nice and clean.  With less stuff in the drawers and the pencil sharpener separated, they will most likely stay clean.

I sorted through all of my bobby pins, hair ties, and clips and purged any hair products I wasn’t going to use.  I have a few bottles of products that do similar things, so I need to use those entirely before I buy anything new.

While I was cleaning out the drawers, I also took the time to clean my makeup brushes…

It might surprise you, but I use the brush soap carried with the MMS Milk Paint line.

Yep, it’s not just for paint brushes!  In fact, I use this soap for so many things.  I use it to pre-treat laundry stains and to wash the oil paint out of my non-painting clothes that I wear to paint in any way!  I’ve also used it to get Sharpie marker out of my white duvet cover.   It has gotten out stains that other stain treaters didn’t even touch.

I just wet the soap, wet the brush and rub it into the soap.  It removes all of the oils from contact with skin as well as the make-up.  As with paint brushes, it not only cleans, but conditions the brush, so it dries nice and soft.

I wash the brushes I use daily regularly, but this was a good time to give them all a good washing.

I still have a few more bathroom drawers to go through, but I did get the linen closet cleaned out and washed all of the linens as well.

My next bite-sized organizing tasks will be finishing the bathroom, working through the two other linen closets, and starting on the kitchen cabinets.  Some of them are still a mess from when we moved in!

It’s going to take me a few weeks to get through the entire house, but it feels good to make some progress…

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    24 Comments

    1. Mary B

      This is a question unrelated to this post on your blog…. I saw on your recent IG post where you were varnishing your painting… My question is why/what is the purpose? And do you do this on all your paintings? What kind of varnish do you use. I probably should have asked your IG post. Sorry.

      • Marian Parsons

        No problem! Yes, I varnish my paintings with Gamvar Gloss. The purpose is to give the painting a uniform gloss level (since some paints are glossier than others) and to bring out the richness of the dark colors, just like varnishing a piece of furniture. It also protects the paint.

    2. Jackie

      Wow, now I really feel like a slacker, you clean even when you are sick? I wish I had your zoom!
      I agree bite off small pieces of a bigger task and eventually you’ll get something accomplished. I’m always surprised how much dusting I can do while talking on the phone with my Mom!

      • Marian Parsons

        Well, I organized one small drawer! 🙂

    3. Elizabeth St

      Now that you’ve organized the drawers in the bathroom so nicely, what’s your secret for keeping them that way? In my home, some spaces seem to revert back to a chaotic state awfully quickly.

      • Marian Parsons

        Well, they will eventually get untidy and need to be cleaned out again, but I have resolved to not buy new products until the old ones have been spent. That will help with the clutter, anyway!

    4. Mary Ellen Eckels

      What a great idea. Clicked the link which brought me to Amazon, but they were out and not sure if or when they’d get more. Other source for this? thanks.

    5. Stacey Arps

      I was just thinking the same thing! You clean when you’re sick?? Driven? I think that might be an understatement…

      But yes to small bites of a large task. I just finished cleaning out and reorganizing my storeroom which needs to house everything from firewood to framed family photos to Christmas stuff and kitchen stuff. It had been seven years since I’d started filling it and by now I was cramming things in there any way they’d fit. I broke it up into categories and attacked them individually. Even so, it was torn apart for nine days before I got it all put back together, aaaagh!! But hallelujah! It is done! With color coordinated totes even! Is it weird to ask my guests to check out my storeroom, lol?

      You amaze me, lady! You inspire me and you sure as heck motivate me! I’m off to clean my makeup brushes with your brush soap. (Why didn’t I think of that?)

      • Marian Parsons

        It’s not weird at all to ask people to check out your hard work! That sounds like a huge task. Well done. 🙂

    6. Pam

      One can clean makeup brushes w/ Castile soap, too. I found a bar w/ other bar soap at Big Lots. ?

      • Marian Parsons

        I haven’t tried that one, but there are certainly other soaps that would do the trick!

    7. Anna Belle

      Periodically I wash my makeup/hair trays in the dishwasher. Cleans better than I do.

      • Marian Parsons

        Brilliant woman!

    8. Rowena

      Awesome love the containers. I really try to keep mine organized all the time. I procrastinate on washing my brushes more than anything. I also have so many samples of perfume that I have had for many years. UGH!! Thanks

    9. Shannon

      Hi! Where can you buy the brush soap? Also, what do you store the soap in?
      Thanks for the tips!

    10. MaryLisa

      Great job…I do a task a day following Peter Walsh and Marie Kondo and they have helped me stay organized.

    11. Debra Lloyd

      I just checked the amazon website and the MMS brush soap is no longer available. It also says they don’t know if or when it will be back in stock. Will it be back in stock on amazon? If not, where else can I purchase it ?

    12. Debbie

      Hi!! I feel like we’re friends! I’ve been following you and MMS for years and I love everything!! My question is, I’m thinking of painting my small motorhome cabinetry. Can you please advise me one way or the other?
      Thank you so so much!!
      Debbie

    13. r

      ahh, the art of homewifery!! we are all on the same wavelength. i always start on my desk in early January, next is my master bath, which took me the last two days, but is super clean top to bottom. but doesn’t it feel so good, and hilarious how we all sneak back for peeks ! Now, you may have already done a post on this, but I would love to know some of your fav beauty products. you know…as long as we are sharing, just like junior high slumber parties…it never gets old. Thanks for always being so inspiring, and still remaining real!

    Hello!

    Marian Parsons - Miss Mustard Seed

    I’m Marian, aka Miss Mustard Seed, a wife, mother, paint enthusiast, lover of all things home and an entrepreneur, author, artist, designer, freelance writer & photographer.  READ MORE to learn more about me, my blog and my business…

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