Welcome to the Laurel Plum Online Clutter Scavenger Hunt. If you missed the explanation post, take a minute to read about it here.
This week, my Mom had to go to the hospital. (She is now home and will be fine.) She has multiple conditions which come with a plethora of medications. Because we have been reordering her caches this week, it has been on my mind. So, for today’s challenge all you are going to do is clean out your medicine cabinet.
Grab a laundry basket or a box. Grab a trash bag. Grab a permanent marker if you have one. Get a soapy washrag.
Go to your medicine cabinet and empty all of the contents into the basket. Empty the medicine cabinet completely out. Grab a washrag and wipe off the shelves.
Go to the items in the basket. Concentrate on the medicines first. Check the expiration date to see if it needs to be thrown away. If the expiration date is hard to find, I write it in permanent ink somewhere on the container. It takes only a second and it makes it so much easier to see the expiration dates when we use the medicines or when I clean out the cabinet next time.
If the medicine is still in date, quickly wipe it off and put it back on the shelves. You can sort them as you go if you want to. I keep all of the toddler’s medicines together, the cold medicines together, the aspirin and ibuprofen types together, the prescriptions together by family member, etc.
Do you have duplicates of the same medication that could be combined? Do you have several different medications that do the same thing? Could you discard some of those multiples? I also discard any boxes in most cases to make a little extra space.
When you have finished with the medicines, what items do you have left? Can these be sorted into specific categories? Again check for out of date items, items that can be combined or unnecessary multiples that could be eliminated. Are there items that would be better stored somewhere else? Again, before you put any item away either in the medicine cabinet or elsewhere wipe it off.
Other Things to Consider
Do you have personal care products that you have only used once and realistically will not use again? Do you have many duplicates to discard? Consider donating them to a womens shelter or similar cause. Take a look at how many items are kept just in case of accidents. Save space and trouble by fixing or buying a first aid kit you could keep somewhere else. Do you keep items in your cabinet that are seasonal such as suntan lotions, sunscreen, bug bite ointments, etc.? Could they be kept in a mesh bag with your beach towels? If you have several medications that need to be taken with food, it may make more sense to keep your prescriptions in the kitchen.
Your Story
Just for fun, for each challenge let me know what is the weirdest thing you find. As always, I would love to hear when any challenge makes a difference for you big or small.
Before you start, grab a camera. Take before and after pictures. Keeping a pictorial journal for your decluttering accomplishments can be a big boost later on those days when you feel you are not making a difference.
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