Open shelving is a way to go. This person wants to see their stuff and easily be able to grab it and not worry about it being horizontal like they might end those shelving cabinet that you bought where when you open it back-and-forth stuff could fall over I get this person.
As someone who is a mix of both OP and the wife, this wouldn’t work imo. One because the stuff would still look kinda messy if you’re using it for your daily needs— I feel like these only look good for stuff you rarely touch and don’t need to keep neat, like books and curiosities. Two because there’s still a surface on top that I would still make use of as a “oh I’ll drop this hair brush here for now and put it where it’s supposed to go in a minute….” And then never actually put it in its designated cubby.
Im a germaphobe and my husband is an 'organization cleaner'. One day, I had proudly disinfected, scrubbed on my hands/knees our bathroom. One could eat off my floor and bathtub. He came home and asked, 'why is the bathroom a mess'. It took a minute to realize he was referring to the bottle of Nivea lotion and mouthwash on the counter 😳
i had a parent like this, and i couldnt leave the house fast enough. for them, it wasnt enough for things to be white glove clean, there had to be announcements, complaints, and regulations, too. no thanks 🙂↔️
It also sounds kinda nice to have - I just wouldn't want to be questioned like that. He could have just put them away himself. It sounds passive agressive, leaning toward agressive
this is so real. i am germophob but i am a messy PIG. my husband doesnt believe in existance of bacteria but he is obsessed with everything being visualy clean. why do we do this to ourselves? i mean, get in relationships like this? 🤣
Yeah especially during Covid I was extra paranoid and my husband had acute viral deficiency. When we''d go out on dates I have 3 hand sanitizers w me and he wouldn't even wash his hand in the washroom so I'd be nervous
I get being proud of your work but is it necessary to be able to eat off your bathroom floor? It sounds needlessly exhausting and unnecessary, especially since it’s your own home and your own germs? I wouldn’t be able to (or want to) keep that kind of thing up for a week, let alone my whole life. How do you manage? Have you always been a germaphobe or did something trigger it? I ate something moldy from the fridge as a child and have never been able to trust leftovers
Dunno about them but I became a germaphobe partially because I had sensory issues as a kid and kid stuff often ends up greasy and/or sticky when shared between kids. Once I learned about germs and connected that to the bad textures it all just kind of spiraled.
I also really hated bad smells as a kid and I had two very smelly older brothers. Cleaning got rid of the bad smells, so once again it was cleaning=relief
Eventually my brain associated germs with stress and cleanliness with relief. But it’s like germs, stress, cleanliness, and relief are all in a toxic polyamorous relationship with one another but germs and stress, and cleanliness and relief are in codependent couplings within the polycule and fighting with both each other and the other codependent coupling, and it’s all a mess because they all care for one another but they’re just not right for each other.
That makes sense, I understand, thanks for sharing your experience. I’ve had that mild anxiety about germs but so far I’ve managed to keep it from turning into a full blown phobia.
Met someone who just couldn’t bring themselves to drink from the same bottle. Making out, putting mouth on body parts was no problem but they were too disgusted to be able to take a sip from the same bottle. Brains are weird creatures
As someone with ADHD, I can't fully articulate it.. But for some reason, having to bend down & rummage around in a drawer vs a basket I can take to wherever I need and keep at standing height makes all the difference. I don't need to keep walking back & forth between, say, the mirror & the drawers each time I need to retrieve an item, I can keep the entire basket with everything necessary next to me the entire time. Small things like this make a difference! I have many baskets & trays around the house haha
Ok yes baskets on shelves are also good. Because you can still 'chuck' stuff in there (easy) and then it's also tidy (nice). But those open shelves just require too much tidying (hard)
Broooo I thought this was just me. Like I literally dread bending or crouching to get something and it makes me avoid using stuff I put in low cabinets and the fridge drawer.
The annoying thing about adhd is that it’s really easy for spaces to become black holes. The problem with a drawer is that when it inevitably turns into a black hole, you can’t easily pull it completely out to dump out the contents and do spring cleaning/easily look for things.
And drawers are harder to clean when debris starts to build up. You’re sitting there with disinfectant spray and a hand towel, scrubbing the crevices, corners, side walls, never being truly satisfied as there will always be a few black specs in the corner.
At least with a bucket/basket, those can be washed under a sink or be hosed down, to actually make it look brand new again
So a basket that doesn’t take the whole height. I can see it being better than a pile of things halfway off the shelves (thinking about hair dryers and their cords).
About once a month, I dump out my baskets, sort everything and wipe out the inside with a damp cloth. I don't find they get that dirty, unless something spills. You could also use plastic baskets or boxes which would be easier to clean but still serve the same purpose.
I bought a basket for the top of my bedside table and now instead of all the crap i feel like I'm gonna need at night constantly falling on the floor or just generally pissing me off with the messiness, it's just...in the basket. It's still messy, but looks much better and it's a lot harder for the cat to push off a whole basket instead of single medication bottles. Not to be overly dramatic, but this stupid basket has kinda changed my life.
A mirror there makes more sense than shelves. Then at least the hair styling and make-up clutter could move to that side and free up the sink area for OP. The mess doesn’t follow the sink, it follows the mirror.
As someone with ADHD, I will literally forget I own it if it's not in view. I have to have open shelving. I've been considering getting a mirror to put on the bottom side of my pantry shelves so I can easily see what's behind the other stuff when I open the door to cook because I literally just forget. And in this case, I would forget to put on deodorant or whatever. And I don't think any roommate of mine would want that haha.
Edit: typos
I actually hate this so much lol. I like having a clear counter, but I know those objects will cease to exist the second they enter the drawer. I made that mistake with my daily medication once lmao. Not great
So, just trying to understand, if all your items were stored in cabinets , nothing out on surfaces, you’d forget you own products? You’d forget you own deodorant, a toothbrush, for example?
Lol it may sound wild, but yes. Its embarrassing to admit, but I recently forgot to brush my teeth for several days because I started putting my toothbrush in my drawer instead of on top of the counter where it usually is (we’re in the process of showing our house and god forbid people know we own toothpaste and a toothbrush haha). I’ve forgotten my daily meds, to brush my hair, and to put my daily moisturizer on as well
I’ve learned to just carry deodorant in my bag with me at all times so I can have it whenever the need arises
This is why I have clear lazy Susans all up in my pantry. Before getting them, if it was in the back, it didn't exist. Now, I find things because I'm either looking for them or I forgot what I was looking for and started spinning the tray going, "WHEEEEEE! ....wait, I have balsamic vinegar?!"
I also have ADHD and I use the large IKEA kallax unit fully open instead of dressers because with dressers I lose clothes to the void for years because they are out of sight out of mind.
It's funny I know exactly which dresser this is because of a new Skyrim mod by IKEA. XD but yeah, I have to hand my clothes for that exact reason. I will only wear the top three cause I will not dig any farther nor will I remember what clothes are underneath
Yeah, my therapist suggested taking the door off my closet and it was a fucking game changer. Not only can I actually see what I fucking own but it's just easier to remember to put stuff away.
We ended up taking the doors off the cabinets that hold the stuff I like to use and it's so much easier to figure out what I can make for dinner.
They sell clear lazy susan organizers. That way, you can see through and turn to grab what you need, but it all stays organized. I find it helpful to keep things where they belong, but not out of sight.
I might steal that mirror idea, I've got open pantry shelving but it's DEEP and taller than me so I lose stuff behind the front row of cans above head height all the time.
Saaaame. And it sucks because I like clean counters and less visual noise. But if I can’t see it, it doesn’t exist. So all my counter tops have the items I need for each day. 😭
bold assumption that those drawers aren't completely full as well as the stuff being stacked on the surface.
in the last picture we see that the recently purchased storage appears to be the only storage in the room. the GF saturates every storage option that isn't the floor.
I have open shelves above the toilet but I find it creates a visual clutter, so I hung sheer curtains in front of the shelves. I just cut the curtains to match the length of the shelves.
It both mutes the "noise" but still allows me to see things. And yes I wash the curtains since they are in the bathroom.
I think closed shelving would work as long as the cabinet is taller. Doors in front of the shelves aren’t bothersome. You open it and see everything clearly.
Drawers on the other hand…. It’s just a big pile of mess in there. No thanks.
These would be the perfect solution if I could make/find transparent doors for the shelves with relative ease- I hate everything being exposed and getting dusty (the irony being I still leave everything on surfaces like op where they are very much so exposed and getting dusty)
idk I have open shelving in my apartment bathroom and it’s a struggle to get it to not look like a gigantic mess all the time. Bathroom/cosmetic products just aren’t visually appealing to see out constantly, it still looks all cluttered to me. I personally can’t stand too much open shelving for this reason. Really need to buy some cute storage baskets but I’ve been too lazy for the last…oh, two years or so. 😅
Id think indulging that person even more is not a proper way to proceed with this. Id expect at least somewhat attentive, observant person would communicate this before or, at the lastest, after the first closet.
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u/Far_Veterinarian9135 17d ago
Open shelving is a way to go. This person wants to see their stuff and easily be able to grab it and not worry about it being horizontal like they might end those shelving cabinet that you bought where when you open it back-and-forth stuff could fall over I get this person.