Answering Your Questions: Medicine Cabinet Organization and Minimalism
Today I’m answering another one of your questions from Instagram. Thank you for asking! I love knowing I am helping in an area that you specifically want to know about.
Medicine cabinets and first aid kits are something we all have. Figuring out the best way to organize them is something I have looked up on Pinterest several times over the years. Over the past year I believe I have come up with the best way for me to store these items and keep them organized.
There are really only 2 steps to quickly take care of this space.
Minimize. Take all of the medicines, supplements, and first aid related items from all over you house and bring them to one area. Many times we can have these spread in various areas around the house, so bringing all of the items into one area is the first place you want to start.
Next you want to look at each item and check to see if it is expired. I use a natural cough syrup/cold medicine for my kids and it’s only good for 90 days after it’s been opened. To remember this I write on the bottom of the bottle the date that it’s been opened. Medicines expire quickly. Most can be trashed, but if it is a prescription you can turn them in to your local pharmacy for proper disposal.
You also want to check you boxes of bandaids and creams. Are these old and no longer usable? Are the creams expired?
Once you have eliminated any items that are expired or that you no longer need you are ready for the next step.Determine what areas you need to store these in?
Medicines and supplements are many time stored in a bathroom. This is actually not a great place to keep these. Medicines needs to be store in a cool and dry environment. I have found that my pantry is a great place to keep these. The temperature is stable and the air is never humid in that room. I have turntables I purchased from The Container Store, but you can find similar ones HERE. I have one for adult meds/supplements and one for kids. The shelf is high enough up that my 4 year old can’t reach it, but I can easily look in and grab what we need. This is the only place in the house I keep medicines, this way everyone knows exactly where to look if they need something.
I also keep a small first aid kit here that includes bandaids, antibacterial cream, and alcohol wipes. If we have a small cut or scrape we can quickly take care of it with this kit.
In my bathroom I have a small plastic box that I keep all the other first aid supplies. If the cut or scrape is bad enough that it needs more extensive care and washing I will take it out of the kitchen and up to my bathroom.
By minimizing, only having exactly what is usuable and what I currently need, it is super easy to keep these things organized. By confining these items to only 2 spaces in my home I can easily find or tell someone else exactly where to look when they need something. If you cut yourself with a kithcen knife (as I have more times than I care to count) or you kid falls off their bike, the last thing you want to be doing is searching all over for the bandaids and Neosporin.
Let me know if these tips help you create a neat space to keep your medicine space simple and easy to use! I love it when you tag me in your photos and stories on Instagram!
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