Take On These 41 Easy Bath Upgrades Yourself

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6 days ago

Slap a "frame" onto your bathroom or wall mirror with a roll of wood grain tape that'll make your space feel a bit more intentionally designed — even if you inherited a bunch of someone else's design choices.
Promising review: "Where do I start? I absolutely LOVE this product. I wanted to replace our bathroom mirror, but due to the size, it would have cost a lot! I came across this on Amazon and decided to give it a try. The application process was super easy and applied without bubbles as long as you go slow and rub it down as you go. I kid you not. It looks like wood and feels like it, too! You can feel and see the 'wood grain.' It's absolutely stunning and looks like I bought a whole new mirror." —TaylorGet it from Amazon for $7.98.
Remove all sorts of stubborn rings that've been staring at you every time you're in the washroom using a pumice stone toilet bowl cleaner. Nope, you do NOT need a new toilet. Your OG just requires some zhuzhing.
Promising review: "OMG!!! It works!!! After having this toilet buildup I gave up on everything, but I saw that this product 'worked' and decided to give it a try... with a little elbow grease and some music blasting in the background I managed to remove it all!!! I can't believe it. I'm so happy, I was so embarrassed when company came over and would see that, not no more... yay!!!" —Asdrubal OrantesGet it from Amazon for $11.
And keep it looking brand-new with a miraculous automatic bleach toilet-cleaning system, because you can't enjoy the first Saw film without thinking about cleaning. This gadget will send cleaner into your bowl with each flush!
It's super quick to install, and one cartridge can last up to three months!Promising review: "This is an excellent invention for keeping the toliet bowl fresh without a tablet that harms the flush seal. I was frequently replacing the seals in the tank but with this setup the seals last and last." —Awesome GuyGet it from Amazon for $9.97.
Put in a fresh new set of switch plates that'll help 'em blend into your walls, even if the landlord painted the switch plates to match (YOU CAN STILL TELL). Can you screw in a screw? Then you can handle this transformative swap.
If your hair dryer plug keeps falling out of the bathroom outlet and you're starting to wonder if you need to pay for an electrician to get involved, try a set of Snug Plugs. These little contraptions make a snug fit between outlets and plugs to keep 'em where you want.
Try out a tile and stone repair kit in case your floor has some unsightly cracks, marks, chips, or gouges you tend to fixate on whilst atop the toilet.
Promising review: "I was skeptical about being able to conceal hairline cracks in our bathroom tile that is marbled. After matching the base color, filling the cracks and waiting for the areas to dry, I honestly had a hard time finding the cracks again to apply the clear lacquer. Wish I had found this product sooner. Will recommend to all my friends." —Aileen G.Get it from Amazon for $23.05.
And if grout is the issue, invest in a grout pen so you don't have to stare at the stained grout and imagine what it used to look like. Grout takes up a teeny bit of space but, as you can see from the pics, makes a huge impact!
I've used this in my own rental bathroom several times. I find that it stays put for about a year on my tile floor! It's easy but a bit tedious, depending on your tiled floor design. Just put on a podcast episode and get to work. Promising review: "We moved into our new home, and the shower had a really yellow grout. Cleaning didn't do anything, and I saw this grout pen online. What a saver! Otherwise, I would have just hired someone to replace my shower. I used this grout pen, and my husband was so impressed :D The tip loses its shape fast, but just pull out the TIP AND FLIPPED IT OVER, and you'll have a new tip." —jenniferGet it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in two sizes).
But if you'd prefer to start from scratch-ish, consider some peel-and-stick floor tiles. These beauts are a 1/2-inch thick vinyl so they'll hold up to foot traffic. And even better news for your bathroom, they're water-resistant and washable!
Each box has 10 12" x 12" tiles. Promising review: "Best purchase ever, love that it brightened and give my bathroom a new fresh look. Easy to put together and only took about two hours." —BillyGet it from Amazon for $12.90.
Employ a rust stain-removing gel to remove rusty stains and discolorations from the previous tenant that bleach hasn't cut through just yet. It's time to feel like you're ACTUALLY clean after a shower.
Really elevate your windows with some cordless, no-drill Roman shades that'll be a breeze to install.
*Easily* install curtains with NoNo Brackets, aka curtain rod brackets that fit onto your existing blinds so that you don't have to fool with drilling any holes and having to spackle them later or (!!!) get charged when you move out of your rental.
Or if you feel like curtains would crowd your space but don't already have blinds, gain some renter-friendly privacy with a window film. It'll still let in SO much light. I did this to my bathroom window and congratulate myself for it every day.
Promising review: "I have a weird skinny window in my house where no normal window covering works. People walking on our community trail can see up into our upstairs bathroom when the light is on and it's dark outside. Not a good plan at all. So I used this window film and cut different-sized circles and placed then on this window to interrupt the view into the house. Worked perfectly! Very easy to use." —MarsgardGet it from Amazon for $9.98+ (available in 14 sizes).
If you've got water stains (or stains from other liquids) on your bathroom cabinet, try out a watermark–removing cloth. The reviewer below said it even worked on dribbled nail polish!
Use some wood polish and conditioner that'll revive all sorts of wood surfaces and furniture in your home with some patient rubbing, including bathroom cabinetry! Then once you've tackled that, you can use it on front doors, kitchen cabinets, wood floors, wood furniture, and just about any other wood surface.
Get to know this marble lookalike of self-adhesive film because maybe a bath remodel is not in the stars but you can fake a new countertop on the cheap. All ya' need is this and a bit of patience. It's also great for kitchen countertops!
Or try out a stone-effect spray paint that'll help transform an extremely '80s bathroom vanity. It won't be a 30-minute project, but the price point sure will beat replacing it with a new top.
Promising review (from 2018): "May 2020 Update: The countertop is just now starting to need (slight) touch ups around the sink itself. We had to postpone the remodel until this summer, and this counter has held up like a champ. I couldn't be happier with this product!This paint can be a little tricky to work with until you get the hang of how it applies, my suggestion would be to test it out on a scrap or something prior to applying. Once I had it, this product was a breeze to work with.We recently purchased a new home, and we're not gutting our main bathroom until next summer, and I just couldn't live with that 1980s green another day. So, after reading a lot of tutorials, I decided to go for it and paint the counter. I LOVE how it came out! Once it was dry for 24 hours, I applied several coats of poly and let it sit for 72 hours before I let the counter go back into normal use. It's held up like a dream. I wouldn't use any heavy chemicals on it (but I wouldn't advise those period), but otherwise zero issues with it.(I had done this previously with a different color by a different brand and the outcome was similar, it held up like brand new for several months of daily abuse before I decided to repaint because I didn't really like the color).I think this will easily hold up until we remodel, and it looks great too. DEFINITELY better than that '80s green!Side Note: I see a lot of negative reviews on this product because it doesn't hold up for people outdoors. USE A SEALANT. Don't blame a product if you don't use it correctly. It's not rocket science folks." —MistellaGet it from Amazon for $22 (available in six colors).
Borrow a little air space above your go-to outlet with an outlet shelf *just* large enough for your electric toothbrush. If you've put on a regular outlet cover, you've got this!
FYI, it installs like a regular outlet cover. Of course except with the wonderful shelf. Can also be installed so the shelf is below the outlet. Promising review: "I absolutely love this thing! I have much less clutter on my sink thanks to this. If there's anyone not sure if it will fit due to an object, all you need is 1.25 inches of space between the edge of your existing outlet plate and the piece of furniture. I have a GFCI with a standard wall plate." —Amazon CustomerGet it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in four colors).
Optimize your regular old outlets by switching to a SnapPower GuideLight instead of giving up a plug for a night-light. YES, you can swap an outlet wall plate. I swear.
Stick on some rechargeable motion sensor under-cabinet lights so you won't have to turn on your overhead bathroom light didn't a witching hour pee break.
These have a built-in magnet that'll stick on most metals, or you can use the included adhesive tape to tape them onto an existing surface.Promising review: "These lights are so worth it. I have a closet with no light in it, and I installed these in maybe two minutes flat, and it has completely fixed my disdain for the previously dark and disorganized closet. If you think you need these, you probably do." —HDGet it from Amazon for $19.78+ (available in two sizes and in warm or white light).
Or install a motion-activated toilet light so you won't have to fully disrupt your sleep by turning the overhead light on during a pitch-black bathroom trip.
Pop in an expandable under-sink kit that can fit around awkward pipes in the bathroom while giving some sturdy ground to those bottles of cleaner and rolls of toilet paper. No more cabinet avalanches or taking out every single thing except the bottle of nail polish remover you were looking for that just so happened to be in the back corner.
If you YEARN for pretty printed wallpaper, stick on some sweet tangerine wall decals. It's way easier installation and significantly less cash.
Organize your blow-dryer, straightener, and curling iron with a hair tools holder that will neither clutter up your countertop, nor have you giving up on straightening your hair because your tools are too organized and squared away in the depths of your cabinet.
Cover up any chips and marks that seem to follow you around the room like one of those portraits where the eyes look straight forward with a container of touch-up paint. Those portraits ARE fun in The Haunted Mansion, but we don't want to recreate that in your powder room.
DEEP clean that jacuzzi tub with a jetted tub cleaner you simply run through in a bath cycle and just watch the filth EMERGE from the pipes and then wipe it away. Maybe you don't want to revisit that horror show of settling in for a bath in your new-to-you jetted tub only to see some random dirt floating in the water that you KNOW did not come from your body. But, that nightmarish scene *is* what led you to this product.
Close the gap between your shower curtain liner and the cold air of you bathroom with some shower curtain holders to keep water inside the shower instead of all over your bathroom floor.
Give yourself a sturdy hold for entering and exiting the tub with a suction-cup, easy-install safety grip. This is especially great if you can't (because renting) or don't want to commit to a permanent grab bar.
Cover up a "boob light" by popping on a renter-friendly Tulip shade. You simply mount a ring on the ceiling with double-sided tape and put on the magnetic shade.
Create an obscene amount of shower toiletry space with a shower curtain liner with mesh storage pockets where you can stash all sorts of hair mask bottles. I love and will buy for as long as it's a thing I can buy.
Or, swap to a self-expanding shower curtain in case you yearn for more room in the shower and swore that 2025 would be the year you install a curved shower curtain rod — which *is* a great home upgrade! BUT. Swapping to this curtain bumps out the space and keeps your liner from clinging to your wet back, which is always creepy!
And elevate whatever shower curtain you have with some streamlined shower curtain hooks because they're an essential and those regular old plastic round ones don't really do anything for your bathroom aesthetic.
Make a measly vanity drawer work as well as it can for you with a drawer organizer set that'll help you track down the slanted-tip tweezers (NOT flat-tip) because you noticed a weird chin hair while brushing your teeth.
Keep track of a slippery bar of bath soap with a magnetic soap dispenser that sticks to your wall with 3M adhesive tape. Now you won't have to worry about it getting all gooey and gross in a soap dish or traditional holder. Here's to getting the most mileage out of that pricey beaut.
Position a pair of heavy-duty towel hooks *right* where you need them by the shower so you aren't dripping all over the bathroom to reach the towel rack on the far wall. And because they're peel-and-stick, reviewers even put them on their shower surround!
Or add a significant amount of charm with a clothespin towel holder in case you won't settle for a regular old towel rack (and that is completely FINE).
Give yourself some extra peace of mind with a timed safety shutoff plug you simply plug into the wall. After all, your holy grail hair straightener doesn't have an auto-shutoff and you're a tad forgetful.
Tidy up your toothbrush area with a do-it-all toothbrush holder and dispenser might make it feel like you and your outside bones are living in the future. (But, like, not a dystopian future OK?)
If you're willing to take on a big-impact project (for NOT as much effort as you'd think), a can of eco-friendly chalk-like paint will transform a piece of furniture or cabinetry into something fresh and new feeling, for MUCH less cost and effort than pricing out a replacement.
Psst, you don't need a primer OR top coat with this stuff. Plus, it contains no harsh chemicals such as phthalates, formaldehyde, heavy metals, or solvents. Promising review: "First time painting anything in my life, and it was great. No sanding or priming is needed. Beautiful colors; description and pictures are so accurate. Easy to paint and quick to dry. Time-saving! I will always be using this paint." —Samah SafiGet it from Amazon for $14.95+ (available in four sizes and over 50 colors).
Switch to a fancy 12-inch showerhead here for a little daily luxury. And if you've been blasted by a rainfall shower in a hotel before, no worries. This has an adjustable flow that'll give you that or some gentle precipitation. And yes, you can handle installation!
Promising review: "Wished I upgraded my showerhead sooner. Installation was very simple, and it even came with a guide if needed. It comes with an extension arm that connects to your existing water pipe. No leaks whatsoever, and I did not need any other tools. Took less than five minutes to install. It feels really nice standing right under the showerhead, and it covers your whole body with nice pressure and looks nice! Definitely recommend it to those looking for an upgrade!" —Vincent HorngGet it from Amazon for $35.99+ (available in two sizes and four finishes).
Replace your worse-for-wear pail for a super slick motion-activated trash can so you can be all hands-off with your bathroom garbage. Plus, the lid is waterproof!
Reviewers say the motion sensor is the perfect amount of sensitive, meaning your cat or you strolling by won't activate it. Check it out in Julianna Christensen's TikTok video.Note: it's powered by two AA batteries (not included).Promising review: "I love this trash can because no one will ever see the trash I put in my bathroom trash can. When I put my hand above the sensor, it opens so discreetly and gently, and stays open for a few seconds then gently closes. The outside is absolutely beautiful. I know it's just a trash can, but in my bathroom it looks like a cute piece of art." —DawnGet it from Amazon for $22.49+ (available with gold or gray detailing and in two sizes).
And dress up your cabinetry with some black matte-steel cabinet pulls that'll make your bathroom feel like it was remodeled in this century.
Promising review: "Perfect! They were exactly what I was going for! Great quality, very durable, and actually have some weight to them. Great purchase for replacing all of the hardware in my kitchen and bathroom for the camper I am remodeling. Definitely would recommend, especially at such an amazing price. Great value for great quality!" —Summertime Get it from Amazon for $5.95+ (available in quantities 1 through 60 and in black, gold, or silver).