Whether you prefer to remove everything and sort through your belongings en masse or go through a room methodically, decluttering is usually a time-consuming but necessary evil.
When assessing your spring bathroom decluttering checklist this weekend, make it easy on yourself by tackling the one category of item professional organizers say is the most crucial: simply remove any expired products.
This can curb any adverse reactions and get rid of items that have lost their potency and are now simply cluttering up your bathroom storage. Starting the spring decluttering season without the dead weight of expired products is a quick and easy fix worth having.
Why is it important to declutter expired products?
Di Ter Avest, professional organizer and founder of Diisorganized, explains, 'Expired products don't work well, or at all, and in some cases, they can actually be harmful.
'Skincare can lose its potency, makeup can grow bacteria and cause breakouts, and expired medications can be ineffective or even dangerous. Plus, getting rid of the old stuff clears up space, making your bathroom feel fresher and more organized,' with plenty more space in your bathroom organization ideas.
Tracy McCubbin, founder and CEO of dClutterfly, adds, 'Whether you want to admit it or not, personal care products like makeup and skincare do have expiration dates, and they expire much quicker than we all think.'
And, as Tracy highlights, decluttering these expired products is an easy win, particularly if you're struggling to declutter and organize a bathroom with too much stuff.
'Unlike parting with a sentimental item, getting rid of an expired cream should not be a difficult or emotional decision,' she says.
How to declutter expired bathroom items
While it may seem daunting, the best approach here is to implement the Chaos Decluttering method. Take everything out of your cabinets, drawers and shelves, and put it all where you can see it, categorize by placing like with like, grab a strong trash bag such as the Great Value Strong Flex 13-Gallon Drawstring Tall Kitchen Trash Bags available at Walmart, and check the expiration dates on each and every product.
'Most products have a small jar symbol with a number, like 12M for 12 months, that tells you how long it's good for after opening,' advises Di. 'If it's expired or smells funky, toss it.'
If you can't spot an expiry date, follow the general rule of thumb for each category of product. Barbara Brock, professional organizer and founder and CEO of Barbara Brock Inc., says, 'For mascaras, it is advised to replace every six months. For skincare products, most have a two to three year shelf life if unopened,' and so on.
And, as she adds, 'It's not just skincare products that need assessed. Cosmetic tools like foundation brushes and other makeup brushes also should be cleaned regularly but also replaced every six months to a year, for foundation brushes, and every two years for eye cosmetic brushes.'
This will also be dependent on how often you clean your makeup brushes and sponges.
With everything out, this is also a great opportunity to clean your bathroom cabinets, drawers, and countertops, using a multi-surface spray such as the Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner available at Walmart, and a microfiber cloth.
'Bathroom sink cabinets usually have old creams and ointments which have spilled out onto the cabinets themselves,' adds Barbara. 'Cabinets have to be cleaned and old ointments, oils, creams, and such have to be tossed. If a container or bin has cracks, toss these as well,' and upgrade your storage ideas. I emphasize cleanliness on your cabinet bottom, sides, and doors. Make them sing.'
Don't forget to go through your medicine stash, either, as expired products are one of the things to get rid of from your medicine cabinet right now.
Dr Donald Grant, GP and senior clinical advisor at The Independent Pharmacy, warns, 'Expiry dates are there for a reason. These indicate when the medication will no longer have the intended effect, becoming less effective. Expired medications become less potent and may no longer aid certain conditions or illnesses.
'While this can be ineffective yet harmless with some medications for certain treatments, such as mild pain relief, in some cases, consuming expired products can pose a health risk.'
For example, he explains, some medications can become toxic if consumed past their expiry date, potentially leading to other health problems, while others may have become ineffective, leading to a lack of necessary treatment for certain conditions and illnesses.
'Expired products have an increased risk of bacterial growth as preservatives lose potency, creating the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive,' he adds. 'This is particularly a risk with liquid medicines such as cough syrups and eye drops.
'Checking expiry dates before use is crucial to keep safe. Expired medication should not be consumed and should be disposed of.' This will also make organizing your medicine cabinet easier, too.
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Top tips for preventing expired bathroom clutter
Rather than tackling expired bathroom clutters when they build up and snatch away all available storage space, you can take some steps to curb the rise:
- Set a reminder: 'Make it a habit to do a quick bathroom purge every few months, so expired stuff doesn't pile up again,' says Di.
- Make a note when opening: 'When opening new products, put a piece of tape with a clear opening date, or a date some months from now to get rid of it after researching how long the product is good for, to remind you to use it up by then or toss it and replace it,' suggests Tracy.
- Reflect on use: Ask yourself 'Why haven't I used this?' says Ben Soreff, professional organizer at House to Home Organizing. 'Most bathrooms have limited or awkward storage, so we suggest setting up a back up category in the linen closet,' he explains. 'Here, we must trust the new habit and remember to use the back up like a warehouse, with the bathroom being the showroom. Often, we buy in bulk out of habit and just keep shoving shampoo in the closet. We aren't collecting shampoo as a hobby.'
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As Di says, 'Once you clear out the old, you’ll love the extra space – and you won’t have to dig through expired clutter to find what you actually use!'
This will also make cleaning a bathroom far easier, without the addition of old, unusable products.
