Step-By-Step Instructions for Today's Declutter Task

Today we're shifting our focus to the bathroom so we can declutter our expired health or beauty products.  Bathrooms can be extremely cluttered spaces, so if yours has a lot of products, choose a sub-category to keep the task manageable.  Possibilities might be:

•  first aid 
• cold and flu
• prescriptions
• hair products
• kids medicines
• over-the-counter medicines
• skin care

If you're not sure how to dispose of unused medications, check out the resources below for helpful information.

How to dispose of unused medications

Where to dispose of unused medications

How long do skin care products last

Location:  Bathroom

Focus:  Health and/or Beauty Products

Supplies: 

• surface for sorting
• cleaning cloth

Process:

Reminder - before you begin, make sure you have a place to do the sorting.

Step 1

Gather the items to declutter and place them on your sorting workspace.  If you have multiple bathrooms or closets where you keep those items, make this task more manageable by working on just one of those locations.  Be sure and grab all items of the category (or location) you are going to work on so you can see everything you have at one time.  

Step 2

Check the expiration date on each item that has one.  Put those that are expired off to the side.  Then look over all of the remaining items.  Are there some things that are still good but you know you won't use?  Don't feel obligated to keep something that could be used if you know you never will.  Add those to the purge pile.

Step 3

Now that those items to be purged are out of the way, group the keepers together by type (or by where they live in your home).  Make a list of any expired products that you need to replace.  

Step 4

Return the items to their designated home(s), keeping them together in the groups you created in Step 3.  Don't forget to take a minute to wipe down the shelf or cabinet before you put them back.

Well, done!  Can you feel your purging muscles getting stronger?