Q: I am wondering if you have a suggestion for me. I am trying to figure out the best way to organize my medicines, which I keep in a kitchen cabinet. I have tried many different configurations and bins to corral my medications, but we eventually end up with a big mess and jumble of everything. I need a better solution!
A: I want to commend you on taking steps to getting more organized, as even the simple act of decluttering your medicine cabinet will save you time, money and good health for the following reasons:
a. Time: You will stop the daily rummaging through expired or unneeded medication once you declutter your cabinet, and since all the categories will be labeled, you will find what you need at a glance.
b. Money: You will clearly see what you have in the cabinet, which will keep you from buying duplicates.
c. Health: You will avoid taking expired medications that might not be beneficial to your body.
The following pointers will help keep your cabinet under control:
1. It’s a good idea to clean out and organize your medicine cabinet at least once a year, and discard old, expired, or no longer used medications and ointments.
2. Make sure that the items in your cabinet are strictly medical, with no personal toiletries mixed in. This will help minimize the amount of products you have to look through when searching for a medication. Store all personal toiletries in another area, such as under your bathroom sink, etc.
3. To keep your cabinet organized, hang a dry erase board on the inside of the door to use as a shopping list of items that need replenishing.
4. I like to keep medications and vitamins that come in larger bottles and jars on a lazy Susan, that can be easily spun to find the medication you need.
5. Using small plastic drawers for those tiny little items, like tubes of ointment and band-aids, can keep those items easily and safely accessible, especially with clearly marked labels on each drawer.
Good for you for taking control of you medicine cabinet, now go ahead and tackle another area in your home! A good idea is to set a timer for 15 minutes a day, and tackle one room at a time, every day, for those 15 minutes.
Happy decluttering!!
