You have Bathroom Clutter Monsters that need to be vanquished!
How do I know? Everyone does. Stuff in your bathroom that clutters up your sink counters, medicine cabinets, and drawers.
Now you may not have a lot of time and maybe are overwhelmed with the thought of decluttering your home. So start small and pick one bathroom!
Start busting the mess by throwing out these common bathroom clutter monsters:
Expired medicines. Check out the expiration date, and if it’s past due you need to dispose of it. No, NOT in the toilet! Empty the container, black out your personal info with a Sharpie, and bag up the meds with another trash item like coffee grinds, cat litter, or dirt.
Outgrown children’s bath toys. Honestly, by the time they’re in middle school it’s OK to
throw out the foam letters and numbers, rubber ducky washcloths and plastic boats.
Old shampoo and conditioners. In our house, inevitably the newest shampoos get used before the old ones run out. Which is really annoying, but that’s a different story …. Decide what your household members actually use on a regular basis and toss the old, soap-crusted bottles. TIP: When you buy new ones, keep/hide them in a special storage space until the old ones are completely empty.
Partially used lotions. First of all, did you know that moisturizers and hand/body lotions are not good after 12 months? Once they’re opened, they tend to lose consistency and once you dip your fingers into a jar you’re introducing bacteria into the mix. Active ingredients in ant-aging and acne-fighting products break down within a year of opening.
Random cotton swabs and squares. They have a way of insinuating themselves into bathroom drawers, where they get dirty by soaking up all the make-up debris floating around. Using them again is just too gross, not to mention unsanitary. Out they go! TIP: store your cotton balls, make-up squares, etc. in a pretty glass container on your bathroom shelf, or zip up into a plastic bag that will keep them clean and germ-dree.
Nail polish that’s gone gloopy. If you’ve had your polish for a while and the consistency has turned thick and goopy, it’s gone bad. It’ll look clumpy on your nails and achieving a smooth, glass-like finished nail is impossible. Anything older than two years should be immediately tossed.
Eye make-up past its prime. If you don’t get rid of old eye make-up you risk possible skin and eye infections, which are NOT fun. Mascara should be replaced every three months, eyeliner and shadow every six to 12 months, and lipstick every one and a half years.
Get rid of these Clutter Monsters and the next time you go into your bathroom you can enjoy the clean, uncluttered space. It should be more like a spa and less like a storage room!