Spring cleaning is certainly the time wherein everyone gets to de-clutter and rid the house of all the useless junk that we won’t need anymore. Usually, the process of cleaning involves a visit in the attic, garage, basement, and other rooms. However, when was the last time that you visited your medicine cabinets? It may be such an unlikely spot, but over time, the clutter also reaches this part. Since this is mostly neglected, you’ll be surprised at how badly these cabinets need cleaning. To have a keen inspection of your medicine cabinets would mean that you care about the hygiene, health, and wellbeing of your family. So, to get you started, here are five tips that you can apply to your spring cleaning:
1. Check your Items
Start by taking out all the items inside the cabinets and segregate them. Once done, secure the ones that are still used and set aside those that are outdated and expired.
Take note that even if an item is still not expired, you still have to check its state (e.g. containers with dents, items that are exposed to moisture or heat, bottles with broken caps must be thrown out)
2. Dispose Properly
Cleaning is good, but cleaning irresponsibly is neglectful. When done segregating, do not throw the items in the trash cans or flush it down the toilets. All you need to do is get the items inside a bag and give it to your nearest pharmacy. The pharmacy will handle disposal through incineration without any cost. However, this is done without damaging our environment, so it’s all good.
3. Clean and Restock your Cabinets
After taking out the unnecessary bottles and expired medicines, you can now start wiping off the dust. To ensure, you cover the whole area; you can use wood wipes to clean the corners and sides.
Next, you need to replenish your medicine cabinets this time. When restocking, make sure that you include the ones that are found in first aid kits.
Also buy medicine for headaches, allergies, colds, fever, diarrhea, burns, cuts, and bruises. These are some of the most common ailments that occur at home. These ailments are not major enough for a hospital visit but are definitely the ones that need medicine or two for a quick fix.
4. Mark your Dates and Dosages
Next time you buy items, mark the exact dates when you’ve opened it. Although an expiry date is present, it is never an assurance. Usually, once a medicine is opened, its shelf life deteriorates quicker. This mostly lasts a year.
Don’t forget to also mark the dosages of each medicine clearly just to make sure that kids are safe from taking it.
5. Organize the Contents of your Cabinet
To save time and effort in searching for the right medicine, you can categorize your cabinets by placing the segregated items in different containers with their respective labels.
You can even put labels for each of your family members with their specific medications if you like.
To protect the items from the prying hands of children, if your cabinets are reachable, you can place latches or locks for security.