Designing a stylish bathroom is exciting, but if it’s not easy to clean, you’ll regret it fast. From soap scum on shower walls to water stains on glass panels, trendy choices often create extra work. My wife has a sharp eye for spotting designs that may look great in magazines but quickly turn into cleaning nightmares. Here’s what she recommends to keep your bathroom sleek and low-maintenance.
🚿 The Shower: Say No to Grout and Hard-to-Clean Glass
1️⃣ Ditch Small Tiles for Slabs or Large Tiles
Trendy small ceramic tiles on shower walls may look beautiful, but all that grout means one thing – constant scrubbing. Instead of spending hours fighting mold and soap scum, opt for large tiles or solid slab walls. Fewer grout lines mean less grime, and you’ll spend more time enjoying your shower instead of cleaning it.
✅ Best choices: Solid slab walls, large-format tiles
❌ Avoid: Small mosaic tiles with lots of grout
2️⃣ Rethink the Shower Glass Design
Long, floor-to-ceiling glass shower walls look sleek but come with a major downside – they are a nightmare to clean. Water stains, fingerprints, and soap residue show up instantly, making them high-maintenance.
💡 Better alternative: Instead of a giant glass wall, build a small knee wall (about 3 feet high) and install a stylish glass panel on top. This setup keeps the open, modern feel while reducing glass surface area, meaning less water buildup and easier maintenance.
3️⃣ Open-Concept Shower = Less Effort
A curbless, open-concept shower isn’t just a luxury feature – it’s a cleaning game-changer. Without a door or a traditional threshold, there are no tight spaces for grime to build up. Plus, it eliminates mold-prone rubber seals found in framed enclosures.
🚿 Bonus tip: Install built-in shelving or a recessed niche inside the shower for shampoo and soap storage. This prevents water pooling on cheap plastic shower caddies and keeps everything organized.
4️⃣ Smart Placement of Shower Controls
Ever turned on your shower and got soaked in cold water? A simple design fix solves this:
👉 Install the control handle at the shower entrance, NOT under the showerhead.
This allows you to turn on the water without getting wet, and also keeps the control away from constant water and soap exposure, which means less residue buildup and fewer issues over time.
Best layout:
✅ Showerhead positioned near the glass wall
✅ Control handle placed at the entrance
🚰 The Sink & Faucets: Rounded & One-Piece for Easy Wiping
1️⃣ Avoid Square, Sharp-Edged Sinks
The trend of square under-mount sinks may look modern, but they come with one major flaw – they’re much harder to clean! Those sharp corners collect grime and require special brushes to reach properly.
💡 Better alternative: Go for a round or oval sink that can be wiped clean in one simple motion. Even better? A one-piece integrated sink and countertop – no seams = no grime buildup!
✅ Best choices: One-piece integrated sink, round basins
❌ Avoid: Sharp-edged, square sinks
2️⃣ Stick to Rounded Faucets for Quick Cleaning
Square, angular faucets may match modern aesthetics, but they’re dust magnets and harder to wipe down. Rounded, smooth faucets allow for a quick swipe with a cloth and won’t require scrubbing inside crevices.
🚫 What NOT to get: Matte black faucets – they will peel over time and show every single water stain and soap residue.
✔ Better choices: Stainless steel or oil-rubbed bronze fixtures if you prefer dark colors – they last longer and hide buildup better.
🛑 Bathroom Flooring: No Slipping, No Extra Scrubbing
1️⃣ Avoid Glossy Tiles – Unless You Want to Slide
Glossy tiles may look high-end, but the moment they get wet, they turn into an ice rink. If you don’t want to risk slipping and breaking something, choose matte or textured tiles for better grip.
✅ Best choices: Matte or textured tiles for flooring
❌ Avoid: Glossy tiles – especially in large wet areas like showers
2️⃣ Use Large Tiles with Darker Grout
Just like shower walls, floor grout gets dirty fast. Choosing larger floor tiles means fewer grout lines to clean. And when picking grout, go for a darker shade – light grout will stain and turn an ugly, uneven color over time.
Final Thoughts: A Low-Maintenance Bathroom is a Smart Bathroom
When designing your bathroom, think beyond the trends. Aesthetic choices should also be practical – because a home that’s easy to clean is a home you’ll love for years to come.
By following these tips, you’ll create a bathroom that’s low-maintenance, stylish, and built for real life.
🔔 Stay tuned for Episode 2 of “Tips From My Wife” for more practical home design advice!
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