5 Simple Products that Cure Bad Bathroom Feng Shui

Previously, I talked about some good habits that’ll help improve the bad feng shui of your restroom. The problem is, making these habits can be hard.

For instance, I know how important it is to keep the lid closed when flushing the toilet because bacteria from the toilet can travel six to eight feet in airborne water droplets. Also, we know how important it is to keep the restroom door closed, just so the bad Qi and foul smell can be kept within the restroom.

To be honest, I don’t close the lid every time I flush the toilet. Well, to be really honest, I rarely do so.

And even though I have the habit of closing the restroom door after use, I’ve noticed that my roommates are having a really difficult time making that a habit.

Thankfully, human inventions are here to help. For those of you who couldn’t really make good feng shui habits, here are five products that can remedy and improve your bathroom’s feng shui without requiring much effort on your part.

1. Door Curtain or Drapery

What it is: There are many types of door curtains. The one that I’m referring to is a piece of cloth that is installed right on the door, sometimes split in the middle for easy entry and exit when using the door. Shown below is the kind of door curtain that I’m talking about.

If you’ve ever visited a Japanese restaurant, you may have already seen one that’s similar to the one shown in the image above.

Habit Replaced: Having a door curtain is almost similar to having the restroom door closed all the time. Installing one makes up for the bad feng shui habit of not closing the restroom door after use.

How it helps: When installed on the restroom doors, the door curtain’s function is to block the smell and sight of the restroom, both of which can affect the comfort level you have in your home.

This is especially important when your restroom is close to your kitchen, dining area, and where food is involved.

We know good smell can affect our appetite. Experiements that link smell and hunger suggest that people’s inclination to eat more or less food could be directly linked to their sense of smell, according to French biomedical scientists in the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM).

In another study conducted by French researchers, white wine was colorded red with odorless dye. They then asked a panel of wine experts to describe its taste. The connoisseurs used red wine descriptors to describe the taste of the white wine, suggesting that our visual perception actually influence taste.

Most restaurant owners understand that the sight of restrooms negatively impacts our appetite and dining experience, which is why we commonly see door curtains (or some other type of visual/smell blockade) installed in restaurant restrooms.

On a side note, the use of the door curtain is not limited to restrooms. It can be used on any restrooms that is affecting the comfort level of your living space.

Suggested Product: I like door curtains that are long enough to cover the sight of the toilet when I walk by. Here’s one that I personally like:

Tips on Use: When using a curtain, remember to wash it at least once a month (or more for restrooms that are used more frequently). This is because the curtain are constantly in physical contact with our hands, which is one of the places on our body where germs mingle most.

2. Air Freshener

What it is: Air freshener brings a pleasant scent and improves air quality. It can be installed on the wall and is also commonly used in restaurants to keep the whole dining experience as pleasant as possible.

Habit Replaced: Because the air freshener covers up whatever smell you have in the restroom, it can trick you into thinking that your restroom is extremely clean even when you fail to clean it. You may end up cleaning your restroom less frequently.

How it helps: If smell bothers you, or if you’d like to add a pleasant scent or cover up whatever smell you have in your restroom, then this product is the way to go.

Scent has the ability to affect people’s productivity and emotions. According to an article published by Rachel Herz, an assistant professor of psychology at Brown University, scent affects people’s performance and mood because of conditional responses. In other words, it’s how we associate a scent with a real experience we have in our lives.

For instance, the smell of rubbing alcohol brings me negative emotions because it makes me think of a doctor’s visit, flu shots, blood samples, and needles.

Suggested Products: If you have space on top of your toilet tank (like mine), you can use solid air fresheners, which are quite durable and affordable:

If space is a luxury for you, you can install the air freshener on the wall or on electric outlets (if you don’t want to mess up your wall).

Tips on Use: Most air fresheners are made of chemicals, and some of us will get headaches from constantly smelling it. If possible, pick air fresheners that use natural ingredients.

Also, pick a smell that you like or find one that reminds you of a pleasant experience. If you’re sharing a restroom with others, I suggest that you get the approval of others before purchasing any air freshener because others may not like the smell the same way as you do.

Unless you run a commercial or public toilet, you don’t need those wall-mounted air fresheners that automatically spray fresh scent every 15 minutes. The smell can easily get overwhelming and repulsive.

3. Toilet Bowl Cleaner Tablets

What it is: It is a simple tablet that you drop into the toilet’s water tank that colors the water blue (or no color, depending on the product). The tablet adds bleach, antibacterial formula, and a fresh scent to the water so the toilet bowl is cleansed every time you flush it.

Habit Replaced: Closing the toilet lid when flushing the toilet.

How it helps: This product is for those who thinks it’s too much work to to close the toilet lid everytime you flush the toilet (like me).

In my previous post about restroom feng shui habits and tips, I mentioned why it’s important to close the toilet lid when flushing the toilet. If you don’t remember why, here’s a video to remind you:

With the automatic toilet bowl cleaner, your toilet is disinfected from harmful bacteria, such as E. Coli, every time you flush the toilet. However, instead of spreading bacteria, you might be spreading the chemicals used to disinfect the toilet bowl. How harmful they are to our health is another question.

Suggested Products: I personally prefer automatic toilet bowl cleaners that color the water blue because I know I have to replace the tablet when the color starts turning clear.

However, depending on the water quality of your region, the blue coloring can sometimes create stains and residues in your toilet tank and bowl. Thus, tablets without coloring are also highly preferred.

Tips on Use: Because the disinfection strength weakens over time, you will need to set a regular schedule to remind you to put a new one into the toilet bowl. If you use the one with blue coloring, just add a new tablet when the water starts turning clear.

For those that prefer using a tablet without coloring, you can use your smartphone or Google Calendar to setup a recurring event with email or pop-up alerts to remind you to change the tablet.

4. Motion-Sensored Trash Bins

What it is: A trash can where the lid opens using motion sensors and closes after several seconds. This is the solution for those who wants to avoid physical contact with the trash can and visual contact with the trash that’s inside.

Habit Replaced: Physically touching the restroom’s trash can with your hands or feet.

How it helps: Even though the garbage bin is only ranked 14th in top spots for bacteria at home, the physical contact with the bin is what spreads the bacteria, and you can easily get infected if you rub your eyes or have a cut/wound on your hand. That’s part of the reason why you need to wash your hands every time you use the restroom!

Whether you want your trash can to have a lid cover with motion sensor is totally up to you. However, I do recommend that you have one because it eliminates physical contact and covers both the smell and sight of the trash (similar to how the door curtain covers up the sight and smell of the restroom).

Suggested Product: I personally like trash cans with stainless steel. The one I use is the Nine Stars Touchless because it comes in both large and small sizes at a reasonable price:

Tips on Use: The only downside is that it takes a little more effort to take out the trash along with the occasional need to replace the old batteries.

For the touchless trash can in the bathroom, try to place it away from the shower so water would not accidentally damage the electronic motors and sensors.

As for the larger trash can, make it a weekly habit to take out the trash if you dispose food in there. I’ve had experience where disgusting mini-maggots grew just at the bottom of the lid. The smell of the rotting food was contained inside the trash can because of the lid, and the maggots were feasting and multiplying without me knowing. Don’t let that happen to you!

5. Dehumidifier

What it is: It is a machine that removes moisture in the air.

Habit Replaced: The dehumidifier is a remedy for restroom humidity. It’s good for those who doesn’t have the habit of opening the restroom window or ventilation after taking a shower or bath. It is extremely useful in bathrooms that doesn’t have a window or proper ventilation.

How it helps: The main purpose of getting rid of humidity is to prevent black mold from invading your bathroom. I know someone who wipes clean all the water in a shower stall after use – just to keep the shower clean and to prevent black mold from growing.

Need I remind you, mold can bring serious health consequences, and the degree of harm varies among individuals. Respiratory responses such as coughing, sneezing, and irritations to the eyes, nose, and throat are just a few mild symptoms.

Prolonged exposure can have more extreme symptoms and are more dangerous for people who have an impaired immune system, such as a person who is undergoing chemotherapy or fighting a cold.

Suggested Products: If you are the only one using the bathroom, a small dehumidifier will suffice.

Tips on Use: You can use a small dehumidifier even if you have a large bathroom, assuming that you are the only person using the bathroom. To make up for its small size, keep the dehumidifier running for a longer time. Just remember to dump the water out frequently, because I’ve had experience of mold growing in there too!

Conclusion

Keeping the restroom clean can take a lot of time and effort. Thankfully, modern inventions and products are here to help.

Although many of these products can improve and contain your bathroom’s feng shui, they can only do so much. The best way to create good feng shui in your bathroom is to keep it clean, which still requires your physical labor. There are no shortcuts until we invent robots that can labor for us.

Have you used any of these products? Do you know of any other products that can improve the feng shui in your bathroom? Please comment and share your thoughts!