Medicine Cabinet Makeover
It’s easy to let over the counter medicines expire and the bandage box run down to zero, but keeping everything current and stocked is the best way to be prepared for an emergency.
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Have a Look Inside
Three open bottles of aspirin, half a dozen tubes of who-knows-what, and a shelf full of expired prescriptions. Sound familiar? If this is what your medicine cabinet looks like, it’s time for an overhaul. In under an hour you can purge, sort, restock, and end up with a masterfully organized cabinet.
Empty and Purge
Start by removing everything from your medicine cabinet. As you take each item out, check the expiration date. If it has expired, see What’s the Best Way to Get Rid of Old Medications? for tips on how to dispose of it properly. Sort and organize anything that hasn’t expired into piles based on what they are used for – pain medicines together, first aid essentials in another pile, and so on.
Take Inventory
Look at your piles and evaluate what you need to re-stock. It’s smart to have products for each of the following categories: pain and fevers, allergies, digestive issues, cuts and burns, and sunscreen. For a complete list of what you should stock see the Medicine Cabinet Essentials Checklist and the First Aid Essentials Checklist. Purchase anything that you are missing.
Group Items Together
Final step: Wipe down the shelves and start putting everything away. The key to an organized cabinet is to group items you use together and nestle them in small, unbreakable containers. (Empty plastic beauty product jars work well, too.) Put products that you reach for most frequently front and center and place medicines on higher shelves out of reach of little hands.
