Spring is the perfect time to declutter and organize your home. One area that often gets neglected is the medicine cabinet. Tidying up the medicine cabinet not only frees up space and makes your bathroom look neater, but it also ensures medicines and toiletries don’t expire before you get a chance to use them. Here are some tips to help you tidy up the medicine cabinet for a clutter-free spring.
Take Inventory of What You Have
The first step is to take everything out of the medicine cabinet and sort through it all. Make three piles:
- Keep – items you use regularly or occasionally that are not expired
- Toss – expired or unused items you no longer need
- Donate – unopened items you won’t use but are still good
Go through each item and check expiration dates. Be ruthless and get rid of anything that is expired, even if it’s just by a few months. Expired medicines can be less effective or even unsafe to use.
Don’t forget to check prescription medicines too. If you have any pills left over from an old prescription, they need to be disposed of properly. Contact your pharmacy to find out the best way to do this.
Organize What You’re Keeping
Once you’ve sorted out what you’re keeping, it’s time to organize it neatly back into the medicine cabinet.
Use Baskets or Shelving
- Install extra shelves or stackable bins to divide up categories of items. For example, you could have:
- a shelf for first aid items like bandages
- a bin for cold and flu medicines
- a basket for prescription medications
- a shelf for toiletries like cotton swabs and dental floss
Group Like Items Together
- Put all pain relievers together, all cold medicines together, etc. This makes it easy to find what you need.
Stand Bottles Upright
- Store bottles vertically so you can easily read the labels. Use risers or tiered shelving to make the most of the vertical space.
Put Frequently Used Items at Eye Level
- Keep everyday items you use often, like toothpaste and face wash, at eye level for convenient access.
Maintain with Regular Purges
To keep your medicine cabinet stay organized, do a quick tidy-up every few months.
- Toss any expired medicines
- Get rid of duplicates or medications you no longer need
- Wipe down shelves
- Reorganize items that have gotten out of place
Also take a few minutes whenever you grab or replace something to check expiration dates and rotate stock. Put newer items in the back and move older ones to the front.
Proper Disposal of Medications
It’s important to dispose of expired or leftover medications properly to avoid harming the environment. Here are some safe disposal methods:
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Take advantage of pharmaceutical take back programs – Many pharmacies and police stations have programs allowing you to drop off medications for safe disposal.
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Mix with unpalatable substance – For pills/capsules, mix with used coffee grounds or kitty litter before throwing in the garbage.
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Dilute liquid medicine – Mix with some dirt, salt, or flour before pouring down the drain. Make sure to run water down the drain for a few minutes.
By tidying and organizing the medicine cabinet, I can reduce clutter and waste while also ensuring my family has safe and effective medicines on hand when needed. A few minutes of maintenance every so often will keep it clean and functional.
