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When guests stay with you, they’re in a place without any of their go-to items.
They could pack their entire bathroom, vanity, and linen closet, OR they could rely on their host to have some of the basics!
Before I have guests stay, I run through a checklist to ensure they have everything they could think of (plus things they never knew they needed 😏). This is what the goal of being a standout host is all about – anticipating their needs!
And chances are, since you’re here, you want to make sure your guests have a memorable stay! And that you go down in the books as one of their favorite hosts.
I’ve split this post into three sections:
- The Good Host (The Basics)
- The Great Host (The Upgrades)
- The Above and Beyond Host (Hosting Hall of Fame)
Let’s dive into the best bathroom items for guests.
What to Put in a Guest Bathroom?
How do you know what the best toiletries are to provide in your guest bathroom?
Put yourself in your guest’s shoes! Easy enough – think about when you go to stay at someone else’s house… What do you expect?
When you have to ask your host if they have an item, it can feel a bit awkward, even if you’re close to them! Especially when you’ve all said your goodnights and gone your separate ways, the last thing you want to do is knock on their bedroom door asking for TP lol.
RELATED POST: Where To Put Toilet Paper Holder In Small Bathroom – Genius Ideas!
Your guests should have no trouble finding the essentials they need. There are plenty of adorable ways to display guest bathroom essentials (I’ll cover how you can do this later). But if they open a vanity or bathroom closet (which you should expect them to do) it should be self-explanatory without much searching needed.
What can make your guests feel a lot more comfortable is simply giving them a high-level run-through of where things are. Open cabinets, drawers, or closets to show them where the goods are.
This shows them you’re okay with it, and gives them an idea of where to look for items in your guest bathroom when needed. Otherwise, they’re going to awkwardly do it themselves later!
Just keep the guest bathroom essentials tour brief. 😉
Clean Your Guest Bathroom Before They Arrive
First and foremost before you think about the necessities for your guest bathroom, clean everything!
From the shower to the toilet, sinks, and mirrors, your guests should be walking into a sparkling clean, and good-smelling guest bathroom. Just because you cleaned it months ago and haven’t used it since does not mean you can check this off your list (that would be nice though lol).
RELATED POST: How to Keep Your House Smelling GOOD All The Time (15 Secrets to Freshness)
A fresh clean is much appreciated by guests and something they will notice!
One last thing before we move into our guest bathroom essentials list, clean the towels you’ll be providing your guests!
The Good Host: Guest Bathroom Essentials
A good host isn’t going to leave their guests hanging without the basics.
That’s why “The Good Host” is a list of the absolute guest bathroom must-haves. No guest bathroom is complete without these items! Chances are, you already have most of these – you just need to ensure your guests have easy access to them.
Use this checklist for your guest bathroom to make sure you have it all!
- Bath towels
- Washcloths (or loofahs – I’ll talk about why these are my fav later)
- Hand towels
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body wash
- Feminine products
- Toilet paper
- Tissues
- Plunger
- Hand soap
- Vanity mirror
- Bath mat
- Trash can
- Fragrance spray (Febreeze, room spray, etc.)
- First-aid kit (Band-aids, ointment, etc.)
At a minimum, you should include these essentials in your guest bathroom. But you should also make sure that you are stocked up just in case!
Make sure the shampoo, conditioner, hand soap, etc., are full enough to last through your guest’s stay.
Here are a few good things to consider from this essentials list:
- Two bath towels per guest, especially if they have a long stay!
- For shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, stick with a universal product. No need to get fancy with it or buy something with strong fragrances that may be your cup of tea, but not your guests!
I stick with the Native brand (specifically Almond and Shea Butter shampoo and conditioner, and Cucumber and Mint body wash). They smell good but aren’t overpowering, and everyone likes them.
- Always have a plunger and fragrance spray in your guest bathroom. This can be one of the more embarrassing moments guests DEFINITELY don’t want to ask you for!
RELATED POST: 42 Extremely Thoughtful Guest Room Essentials That Will Make Your Guests Never Want To Leave!
The Great Host: Guest Bathroom Essentials
“The Great Host” is going to have everything that “The Good Host” would have, plus a few upgrades that will have your guests saying “Wow, I’m so glad they thought about that”!
Being “The Great Host” is about expecting the unexpected. Your guests may need these guest bathroom items, but they might not. Some of these items are good backups if they forget to pack them, or they can just be nice-to-haves.
- Toothbrushes
- Toothpaste
- Dental floss
- Disposable razors
- Shaving cream
- Hairdryer
- Heat protectant spray
- Dry shampoo
- Tylenol or Advil
- Tums
- Q-tips
- Cotton balls/rounds
- Face wash
- Moisturizer
- Makeup remover or wipes
- Nail clippers
- Lint roller
For things like toothbrushes and disposable razors, stick to inexpensive packs that give enough for future guests as well! No need to buy a hundred-dollar electric toothbrushes or razors for each of your guests lol.
When it comes to a lot of these guest bathroom items like Tums, Advil, etc., you can find tiny little bottles usually in travel sections of stores. My favorite store is Target, and they have an aisle dedicated to travel sizes of almost everything you could need for a guest bathroom.
Don’t worry about getting large bottles of face wash and moisturizer since it’s not guaranteed that your guests will even use them.
Speaking of face wash and moisturizer, a super safe brand that I always have on deck for my guests is Cerave. Their products are relatively gentle, which is great considering every person has different skin – they may appreciate the option if needed. Plus, they come in cute travel-size bottles! 😊
The Above and Beyond Host: Guest Bathroom Essentials
Do you do this for a living? Or are you trying to get into the hosting hall of fame? Because your guests are pretty lucky to get a host with your attention to detail.
“The Above and Beyond Host” is a host that accounts for everything and leaves no stone unturned. This host thinks about even those guest bathroom essentials that your guests never knew they needed!
You’ll have a good chunk of the items The Good AND The Great Host will have, plus the following guest bathroom amenities!
- Makeup mirror
- Bathrobe
- Slippers
- Deodorant
- Mouthwash and disposable cups
- Candle
- Contact cases and solution
- Facemasks
- Eye masks
- Body scrubs (body butter, etc.)
- Speaker (for music and a bit more privacy)
- Bath caddy
- Hair towel wraps
- Curling iron
- Straightener
- Manicure/Pedicure kit
- Lip balm
- Bath bombs or salts
- Sunscreen
There’s providing toiletries for your guest bathroom, and then there’s absolutely spoiling your guests.
If you’re aspiring to be the host of the year, you don’t need everything on this list. Even if you have a few of these, you’re still providing more than any guest would ever expect out of their host.
Want more ideas for a spa-like guest bathroom experience? You could go the extra two miles (since we’ve already gone the extra mile at this point 🤣), and put together a toiletry basket for your guests.
Pull inspiration from the above must-have list as well as my self-care basket post!
The One Guest Bathroom Item My Guests OBSESS Over
Loofahs – as funny as that may seem, a lot of my guests have their first run-in with loofahs at my home. 😂
I always buy loofahs before guests stay with me, specifically this pack on Amazon. They can then take it home with them after their stay and use it for months to come.
It cracks me up, but those small, inexpensive touches can go a long way for your guests!
Side note: They are SO much better than a washcloth haha.
How to Organize Toiletries for a Guest Bathroom
What do you put on your guest bathroom counter? And what do you hide in your vanity or bathroom closet?
Display on the counter
This is where you get to make things all cute for your guests! Display toiletries on your guest bathroom counter that they will most likely need at some point during their stay.
I found an adorable little countertop shelf from Target that can display smaller, narrower items (that can be found in the travel-size aisle). It is very small, which is why you may see bad reviews. It’s not the most practical by any means lol.
But I was able to find products that fit perfectly in it, and my guests always love it! And I just can’t get over the cuteness overload.
Remember to always pay attention to the bathroom organizer’s size and measure to ensure you have the space!
Here are some other larger, adorable guest bathroom organizer options from Amazon for displaying toiletries for your guest bathroom. These may be a bit more practical so that you can fit even more goodies for your guests!
I also recommend displaying apothecary jars that hold toiletries such as cotton balls, Q-tips, and cotton rounds.
Store in the vanity or bathroom closet
These are the guest bathroom essentials that your guests may need, or as I like to call them, the backups.
Extra toothbrushes, extra razors, or anything of that nature, I like to store in a drawer of my vanity.
That way, if guests make the realization that they forgot their toothbrush while they’re standing at the vanity, they can just reach into the drawer and thank me later for saving the day. 😉
Extra toilet paper, a hair dryer, and larger items I keep stored in the doors of my vanity.
Friendly reminder to not leave your guests hanging with the TP situation in your guest bathroom. I have a post all about toilet paper placement and options for a small bathroom that you should definitely check out!
How to Display Towels in a Guest Bathroom?
My answer to this question is actually the opposite – I recommend displaying guest bathroom towels outside of the bathroom and in the guest bedroom.
A lot of times, you may not have the space in your guest bathroom to display towels. And when the towels are neatly placed in their bedroom, the guests will know they are nice, clean, and ready for use!
I have baskets in each of my guest bedrooms. I will roll up their towels, standing them straight up in each basket. Then I place their loofah on top of each towel, almost like a bow on a gift – like I’m giving the gift of showering lol! 🤣
How Many Towels Do You Need in a Guest Bathroom?
Two bath towels per guest is the golden standard.
That way, when one gets dirty, they have a backup waiting for them! And if your guests are staying for a while, like a week, then it’s easy to do some laundry and have fresh towels again for them!
Want an insight into the best, softest, and most comfortable towels you can buy? They are expensive, so you’ll want to spoil yourself first before your guests, but when you think about purchases that are WORTH IT…these are at the top of my list.
The Sonoma bath towel by Serena & Lily is truly the best of the best. Aside from owning this set myself, these make great gifts for your family and friends.
Stick to white towels – it’s classic and just feels fresh. It’ll give you that spa-like feeling each time you step out of the shower.
Set Up Your Guest Bedroom for a Great First Impression
Before your guests even get to see the bathroom with the essentials, they will drop their things off in the guest bedroom.
Don’t crown yourself host of the year just over the guest bathroom. Make sure you’re hosting game is unmatched by providing the same level of detail when it comes to the guest bedroom.
Check out the posts below to ensure your guest bedroom is 5-star status!
Want more guest bathroom inspo?
Don’t stop at guest bathroom essentials! Additionally, there are so many other details that can make your guest bathroom stand out from the rest. Be sure to check out these other posts about getting the design of your bathroom just right!
Win host of the year with these guest bathroom essentials!
These ideas for toiletries in your guest bathroom will have your guests in awe of your attention to detail. Whether you’re going for the good, great, or above and beyond host, you cannot lose!
Just a friendly reminder that you do not need every single item on these lists to be the best host. Your guests are going to be grateful that you provided what you did, and that’s all that matters!
Happy hosting!
Great tips! We feel like we got a lot done that we wanted to for our incoming guests, including carpet cleaning in carson city nv. But this bathroom checklist is also a huge help! Thanks for sharing this.