7 things that take minutes to declutter from your bathroom
The bathroom’s not the most obvious place for clutter, but rest assured, there’s still plenty of it! All kinds of items can fill your medicine cabinets, shower caddies and surfaces over time. Before you know it, there’s no space left, and your spa-like sanctuary has become a chaotic mess – with bottles every way you look.
The good news is the bathroom’s a quick space to declutter. That’s because items in here aren’t generally sentimental. Some even come with expiration dates printed on them, so the decision’s made for you! Here are seven things that are speedy and easy to declutter in your bathroom. In a matter of minutes, you can remove more clutter than you know.
1. Medicine
The first, and easiest thing to sort through is your medicine. Take everything out of the cabinet and organise it into categories, e.g. paracetamol, ibuprofen, eyes, nose, throat etc. Then go through each and remove any medicine that has passed its expiration date.
While you might think your medicine is fine to keep and take, once it’s passed this date, its performance will deteroriate – which can be dangerous – depending on the circumstance and why you need it.
If you’ve lost the packaging, the date will still be printed on the packets inside, although you may need to hold it up to the light to see it. For any liquids you’ve already opened, check if there’s a number of weeks or months in which you need to use it before you dispose of the rest. All medicine will need to be taken to a local pharmacy to be properly disposed of.
For any that are still in date, order them from oldest to newest. That way, you’ll use up those with the shortest date first. When stacking them back in the cabinet, make sure you can easily read what each medicine is, so you can find it when needed.
2. Makeup
Your medicine isn’t the only thing that expires. Sad as it is, your makeup has a use-by date, too, once it’s opened. This can be found on the packaging; look for a small illustration of an open pot with a number within it, or just to the side. This is known as the “period after opening” logo and it indicates the number of months your makeup has, once opened, before it needs to be replaced. Alternatively, there might be a small logo of an hourglass printed on the label with a date next to it.
The trouble with this is it can be difficult to remember when you first opened your makeup, which is why it’s good practice to make a note on the label. Or use a label maker to stick it on.
Once this date has passed, your makeup won’t perform as well as it should, and it could irritate your skin and encourage infections – so it’s best to replace it. Once emptied, old makeup containers can be recycled at Boots or Superdrug.
3. Counters
Your counter should be reserved only for those items you use every day, such as handwash, toothpaste and shower gel etc. Anything else can either be stored, thrown away, sold or donated (if unopened and in date).
We often fill our counters and shower caddies with beauty products and toiletries we’ve received as gifts. However, if you’ve yet to open products you’ve had on display since Christmas, odds are, you’re not going to use it. It’s likely you have lots of unused items sitting in your cabinets, too, which you might find difficult to let go of, especially if new, but this is a just waste of precious storage space.
It might be worth offering it out to family and friends first. Alternatively, you could donate it charity or try your hand at selling it.
For the items that remain, a bathroom organiser can keep everything together.
4. Sunscreen
Last time I checked, my bathroom cabinet had several bottles of sunscreen in it. It’s not uncommon. When you’re caught without it, you end up buying a fresh tube that goes straight to the back of the cupboard with the others.
Unfortunately, like your makeup, sunscreen will eventually expire, too. And it’s an important date to follow because after this, it’s no longer guaranteed to offer you the advertised protection. It could also lead to skin irritations.
You will find the same open pot logo on your sunscreen as described for makeup. This shows how many months it will last once opened (generally six to 12 months).
As for makeup, we recommend making a note of the date you opened it, so you can’t forget to replace it as and when necessary.
To break the habit of gathering sunscreens, it’s good practice to carry a travel size bottle with you at all times. Sunscreen should be applied whenever you go out into the sun and topped up as often as advertised (every two hours or so, or more often when swimming, showering or sweating a lot). It should not be something reserved only for the sunniest days in summer.
5. Perfume
Perfume’s another thing that won’t last for ever. In time, the quality will degrade and the scent will change for the worse.
Several factors can indicate a perfume’s deterioration. First there’s the smell; it may smell more vinegary than when you first purchased it. The colour might change, too, growing darker with time. There’s also sometimes a “period after opening” pot logo on the bottom of the glass bottle or on the packaging to guide you.
Look out for skin irritations, too; you should stop using the perfume immediately if you notice this on application. A patch test can provide peace of mind if you’re unsure.
Other factors can speed up its deterioration. If it’s sitting in the sun or stored at a warm temperature, that won’t help matters. Make sure your favourite perfumes are easy to access and stored out of direct sunlight, so they get used and last as long as they should (three to five years).
If you’re not fond of the smell, again, friends and family might want it before it goes to waste.
I keep my perfumes together on a single tray, so any excess perfume won’t drip down and stain my counters.
6. Travel bottles and soaps
One thing we love to collect and store needlessly is travel bottles and soaps from the hotels we visit. They’re usually more of a keepsake than brought back for practical reasons, but they soon mount up.
You need to ask yourself whether you do intend to use any of these, or if they’re just taking up space. If you do want to use them, you need to create a system where you gradually move them to the shower/sink (oldest soaps first). Just make sure they’re used, rather than sitting here on display instead!
And remember, any bottles you might’ve opened on your holidays will still have the same open pot expiration date logo, so there’s a time limit to be used on these, too.
Alternatively, you could leave them out when guests come to stay – who knows, they might take them home themselves and remove the problem for you!
7. Product samples
How can you say no to a free sample? While these are a great way to try out new products, they can amass quickly if it’s something you rarely use or just don’t need. We then feel guilty about throwing them away and, before you know it, they’re spilling out of the bathroom cabinet whenever you open the door.
If you’re determined to keep your samples, there are better ways to encourage their use. The main issue with samples is they’re easy to forget about, but by placing them wherever they’d likely be used, in plain sight, such as alongside your regular shower products or lined up among your everyday makeup, they can’t be missed.
Take the time to sort through and categorise any samples you’re storing, keeping only those that you know you’ll use. Any leftovers can be offered out to friends and family. In the future, always ask what a sample is and think about if you really want it, before accepting it.
Kegii Shower Caddy
Joseph Joseph 70513 Bathroom Easy-Store Caddy
INCETUE 3PCS Cotton Pad Holder with Bamboo Lid
Vtopmart 2 Pack Stackable Storage Drawers
LEVERLOC Soap Dish for Shower
Ronlap Slim Storage Trolley
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