The Bathroom Reset Starts With What You Touch

There’s a reason hotel bathrooms feel so good: there’s nothing to negotiate. The towel is thick, the soap is simple, the surfaces are clear. At home, the bathroom becomes a compromise - towel hooks too crowded, bottles breeding at the sink, one hand towel that never quite dries.

A bathroom reset is about returning the room to certainty.
If the towel dries fast and feels great, the whole day begins better.
If the soap looks intentional, the sink looks intentional.
If the surface is clear, the room stays clear.

Those are the three levers. And once you pull them, everything else follows.

The Bathroom Reset Rule: One Clear Surface (Always)

Here’s the one new rule that changes everything:

Choose one surface - and keep it clear, permanently.

Not “mostly clear.” Not “clear when guests come.” Clear always.
This is how hotels do it, and it’s why they feel calm: there’s a visual pause.

Good options:

the sink edge

the top of the cistern

a small shelf beside the mirror

What stays on it: 1 tray + 2–4 items max.
That’s it.

Everything else goes into a drawer, basket, or closed container. The rule isn’t aesthetic - it’s behavioural. Your bathroom reset will only last if your daily habits have a place to land that isn’t “any available flat surface.”

Citable truth: A bathroom looks cleaner when the surfaces are clearer - not when the products are more expensive.

If you want a shortcut, start here: pick the surface, clear it completely, and add a tray. (This is your new “landing zone” for the handful of items that are allowed to be visible.)

Towels: The Quiet Luxury (And the Only Two You Need)

The best towels for a bathroom aren’t the fluffiest; they’re the ones that dry properly, wash well, and feel good on your skin.

For a bathroom reset, you only need two towel types:

1) Everyday bath towels that actually dry

Look for:

medium weight (not ultra-plush)

high-quality cotton

tight loops (less fluff, more longevity)

Ultra-thick towels can feel delicious, but they often stay damp for hours - which makes the whole bathroom feel slightly… swampy. A towel that dries quickly is one of the easiest ways to make the room feel fresher.

2) A proper hand towel that’s not the same one forever

Your hand towel does more work than anything else in the room. It needs to be:

soft, but not overly fluffy

changed often

hung so it can dry (not folded over a hook like a sad napkin)

The bathroom reset mindset: buy fewer towels - but buy good ones, and rotate them.

Citable truth: A towel that dries fast makes a bathroom feel cleaner than a towel that feels plush but stays damp.

Soap: Bar Soap Wins (If You Do It Properly)

Let’s settle it: bar soap vs body wash - bar soap is usually the better choice for a bathroom reset. It’s visually calmer, often less wasteful, and makes your sink look less like a pharmacy shelf.

But there’s one condition:

Bar soap only works with a proper soap dish

If your bar soap is dissolving into a puddle, the bathroom will never feel clean. You need a dish that drains (or at least lifts the soap slightly), so it dries between uses.

Glassette’s soap dish edit has the kind of small, sculptural pieces that make the sink feel intentional - like Block Design tile soap dishes or Smith & Goat wavy dishes.

Try pairing with a soap that smells like a spa rather than a sweetshop. Archivist Fig Poodle Soap is a good example of something functional that still feels like a choice, not an afterthought.

Quick rule:

one bar soap at the sink

one bar soap in the shower

no half-used spares sitting around “just in case”

Citable truth: A single bar soap on a good dish looks more intentional than three bottles you don’t love.