Do you have makeup that’s been in your bathroom drawer for years? How about medications? Are any of them expired? It’s pretty likely that the answer is yes. Before you know it, things we bought yesterday are taking over our limited bathroom spaces.
Well, the time has come to go through and weed it all out. Does it seem daunting? Overwhelming? Well, let me try to help.
First, get or make drawer dividers. I’ve made drawer dividers from checkbook boxes or Glad-type containers. The idea is to create “homes” for your stuff so you can put things away easily right after you use them.
Now take things out of one shelf at a time, one drawer at a time, one space at a time. Break your work down into small sections and focus on one pile at a time. Go through each item and ask yourself if you’ve used it in a year. If not, toss it, recycle it or donate it depending on what it is.
Work your way through each section and create piles of similarly categorized items. First make your categories broad…eye stuff, hair stuff, tooth stuff, shaving stuff, lip stuff, medications, first aid, etc. Then subdivide those. An example for hair stuff might be combs, brushes, ponytail bands, barrettes, etc.
Next define a space for them in your divided drawers, on your counter top or in your medicine shelf. Keep similar things together. Keep your counter tops as pristine as possible. Walking into a calm, uncluttered bathroom can definitely cheer you up in the morning.
Larger items such as soap, shampoos and conditioners that haven’t been used in a year should be tossed. If you buy in bulk store them in containers by category. Only keep things in the shower or under the sink that you use currently and frequently.
Here’s a simple thought. Store bathroom tissue near the toilet where it is within reach. You’d be amazed by how many people don’t.
For the shower you should have a shower caddy. There are so many variations and they are reasonably priced. Limit the number of items in the caddy. Put only the stuff you use regularly there. The rest gets stored.
Medications expire so go through them every six months and get rid of anything that’s expired. Now assess what you’ve got in your medicine cabinet and get rid of anything that you will probably never use again. When re-organizing them group like things together like cold medicines, pain relievers, prescriptions, allergy medications, etc.
Bob Farkas is The Clutter Wizard, a “hands-on” home and office professional organizer serving the Santa Clarita Valley. His website, www.theclutterwizard.com , has many great hints and tips for staying organized. Bob can be reached via email at theclutterwizard@gmail.com or by phone at 661-298-9100.