How to Prepare Your Bathroom for Overnight Guests

When getting ready to host overnight guests, we tend to focus on washing the bedding, jazzing up the spare room and fully stocking the fridge. And while all those tasks are important, prepping the bathroom often gets overlooked.

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Whether you have a separate bathroom or will be sharing your own, there are a few things you can do to make your visitors feel completely comfortable in the loo. Here are eight tips and some of our favorite bathroom toiletries to boot.

1. Plenty of Basics

A basket stored discreetly near the toilet keeps extra toilet paper out of sight but easily accessible.

Courtesy of Casa Tres

First and foremost, make sure your guests can easily access the essentials. At a minimum, this means having extra rolls of toilet paper in a prominent spot, extra boxes of tissues, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, conditioner plus shaving gel and a new razor. You might want to consider providing hand sanitizer and a natural room spray.

Yamazaki Acrylic Tissue Case

Gesundheit! Sneeze in style with a transparent acrylic tissue case—either in crystal clear or smoky translucent black—that rescues you from garish cardboard tissue box designs. The box is two pieces—the slotted top rests on your tissues and lowers into the rectangular base as the tissues are used and the stack gets smaller. It fits standard-sized tissues (up to 9” long and 5” wide). Photo Courtesy of Food52

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Diptyque Moonlit Fir Room Spray

A limited edition, Moonlit Fir is available as a home fragrance, in a brand new spray format. In a single gesture, an iconic holiday scent fills the air: the essence of Siberian and Canadian fir trees sparkles under icy notes of eucalyptus and peppermint. An aromatic woody scent mixed with pine notes.

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2. Yummy, Plush Towels

Dedicate a few complete sets of Parachute’s Classic Towels for guests’ use only.

Photo: Parachute

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We can all agree that having a beautiful set of guest bed linens is a must, but are your guest towels up to par? A freshly laundered stack of bath towels, easily accessible hand towels and a few extra washcloths go a long way. Make sure you also have towel bars and a hamper accessible so they know where to hang and then toss their used bath products.

Parachute Classic Turkish Cotton Towels

Our exceptionally soft, quick-drying towels are made using innovative Aerocotton Technology. Plush and absorbent—these luxe bath linens will leave you feeling fresh and clean.

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Parachute Waffle Towels

These lightweight, minimalist towels textured with a honeycomb weave will make your bathroom look and feel like a fancy spa.

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Parachute Classic Turkish Cotton Starter Bathroom Bundle

The easiest way to upgrade your bathroom, this bundle includes our most popular bath items in one simple set.

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3. A Luxe Robe

Go the extra mile and provide a robe for your guests.

Courtesy of Roomed

One of our favorite things about staying in a luxury hotel is the sumptuous white robe waiting in the closet. Go the extra mile and purchase one or two bathrobes for visitors, then hang them on wooden hangers in their room.

Parachute Classic Bathrobe

With two slouchy front pockets, a snug waist tie and cozy shawl collar, this is the ultimate relaxation wear.

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Allswell Stonewashed Waffle Bathrobe

Wrap yourself in luxe, courtesy of this five-star-hotel-worthy robe. Its waffle-weave texture is extra-absorbent when it comes to after-bath duty. Plus, our special stonewashing process makes it so soft, you’ll be reaching for it on the regular. It comes in three sizes to accommodate every body. Our robe is pre-shrunk so it will remain the same size you originally bought, because true luxury should be truly carefree.

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4. Soy Candles

Two candles and a small plant make a lovely vignette.

Courtesy of Pencil and Paper Co,

Adding a softly scented natural candle to your bathroom is another thoughtful touch. Choose a candle with a more neutral smell for guests who might have a sensitive olfactory system. Keep some matchbooks nearby (we suggest vintage books or matches from nearby establishments you love). Light the candle right before your guests arrive—they’ll feel less shy about reigniting it later, maybe for a bath.

Parachute Scented Candle

Set a relaxing mood in your home with a fragrant, clean-burning candle housed in a minimalist concrete vessel. Available in two natural scents, one for day and one for night.

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5. Special Extras

Fresh blooms and a fancy toothbrush will make your guests feel welcome.

Courtesy of Anna Hepfer Designs

To offer your guests a truly exceptional stay, invest in a few toiletries and cosmetics they’ll likely need but might not bring. Keep them on the bathroom counter so visitors know to help themselves. We’re talking special extras here, like these:

  • Toothbrush 
  • Make-up wipes
  • Body lotion 
  • Hairbrush 
  • Sunscreen
  • Travel packs of common medications

6. First Aid Kit

A clearly labeled first aid kit is an essential in every bathroom.

Courtesy of Domino

A first aid kit is one of those items that you don’t really think about…until you desperately need it. While it’s not necessary to have this out in the open, you should definitely store one (perhaps under the sink or stylishly on the wall) just in case.

7. Bubble Bath

Display an assortment of bath accoutrement near the tub for guests to indulge.

Courtesy of Jessie Webster

If you have a nice bathtub (claw foot for the win!), keep some sustainable bubble bath or DIY salts on hand for use. Display these items together in a basket next to the tub for easy access.

Herbivore Coconut Milk Bath Soak

Herbivore products are truly natural, vegan, and cruelty-free. They contain no synthetic ingredients— this includes no dyes, no fragrances, and no synthetic preservatives. Additionally, they are concentrated blends containing no fillers and using the minimum amount of ingredients necessary to achieve the maximum results.

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Osea for Parachute Sleep Time Bath Salt

We created this ultra-relaxing bath salt in collaboration with OSEA, the plant-based skincare brand free of toxic, synthetic ingredients. Treat yourself to a warm bath before bedtime for your best sleep ever.

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8. Inspiring Magazines and Easy Reads

We love how this bathroom’s ample reading material doubles as statement decor.

Courtesy of Decoist

Keep a curated selection of recent magazines and a few books in the bathroom as well. If you know your guests’ preferences, place those on top. For example, if you have a foodie friend in town grab the newest issue of Gather Journal. Also keep a few design books that are enjoyable to browse: Justina Blakeney’s The New Bohemians is a crowd pleaser.

Usefulness in Small Things

Everyday, low-cost, and mass-produced items gathered from around the world showcasing innovative design. This book presents a delightful collection of mass-produced objects that provide insight into the things that surround us. Common items such as nails, plugs, toothbrushes, soap, gloves, and sweets have their own function and differ in design from country to country and region to region. Some are examples of good and practical design, while others fail to fulfill their function. The collection shows an appreciation to detail by revealing how things are made and a sensitivity to the tasks people carry out, all the while keeping in mind the basic utilitarian design of these inexpensive everyday objects. The items come from a range of countries, including the United States, Japan, France, and Thailand, and were purchased from small local shops. More than design souvenirs that celebrate local culture, they all involve an idea about function—and in most cases the "designer" is unknown. The book is designed by Graphic Thought Facility and illustrated with over 150 newly commissioned photographs by Angela Moore. The objects are organized thematically, with concise captions that clarify the individual function of each item, exposing what is not always apparent from looking. Publisher: Rizzoli Photo courtesy of Rizzoli

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Bon Voyage: Boutique Hotels for the Conscious Traveler

From a remote lodge in the Namibian desert made from shipwrecks that protects endangered wildlife, to a restored hotel in downtown Hong Kong that draws on local tradition, or a guesthouse in Beirut where Lebanese women teach cooking and pass on family recipes for local dishes: no matter where or how, all these hotels combine the highest standards of hospitality with the smallest ecological footprint. Bon Voyage gives insight into the shift towards eco-conscious getaways. Relax, enjoy and make a positive impact while you travel! Combine excellent hospitality with a sustainable journey, plotting your way with this expert guide. Hardcover; 2019, gestalten. Publisher: Gestalten Photo Courtesy of Gestalten

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Almost 100 Chairs for 100 People

A little book redesigning the shape and the role of the chair, adapting it to different people, personalities and body features. Interior design, illustration, comics and sociology all in one book. "It all started, with a beige Moleskine in a bookshop in Rome. It's curious how many designers design chairs, so many chairs, but nobody seems to think about the characters who are going to use them. I liked the idea that by slightly modifying the legs, backrest, seat, I would be able to fit it to the person who'd sit on it."

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