Instantly organise your medicine cabinet in a few simple steps

Closets, drawers, kitchen cabinets: your home organisation project might focus on these big basics – but, especially considering the times we’re in, your medicine cabinet is a smaller nook-and-cranny that deserves to be meticulously on-point these days.

With advice from an infectious disease doctor and a professional organiser, we’ve got your step-by-step medicine cabinet makeover. This organisation process will empower you with streamlined mornings, immune support, and Covid-preventive essentials – and for those unpleasant occasions that creep up, like the common sniffles or sleepless nights.

Reset your bathroom game by following this plan that’s loaded with pro tips.

A good wipedown with warm water and a rag will get off visible goo… but it’s important to follow it up by sanitising every surface, inside and out, advises Dr Margaret Khoury, an infectious disease specialist. Keep in mind that the warm, moist environment of the bathroom is germ heaven, and pathogens can even grow on soap and other hygiene products. Yeah, ew.

Pick a product that kills viruses, bacteria and fungi, and follow the directions on the label. Antibacterial products don’t work against viruses, and even cleaners that claim to kill most germs can miss COVID-19. So when choosing cleaning products, like wipes or sprays, go with a TGA-registered disinfectant.

Be sure to take out everything (yes, every single thing – bottles, makeup containers and the shelves they sat on) and wipe all of it down. Don’t forget to clean the knob or handle! Think of every surface fingers touch, and go there with that cleaner.

An easy next step is to throw away any expired over-the-counter meds and dried-out makeup. (That beloved eye shadow compact you’ve used since university? Zero judgment – but it’s time to throw it out, stat.)

Toss used-up, broken, or non-functional items. It’s OK to purge ruthlessly – you have limited space there, so only necessary items can stay. “If you don’t love it or use it, lose it,” says Rachel Rosenthal, a professional organiser.

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Got a supply of at-home rapid Covid test kits? Bonus points for being proactive! Don’t store them in your medicine cabinet, nor in your bathroom at all. The CDC recommends storing self-administered Covid tests in their unopened box in a cool, dry place. Improper storage or exposure to heat or moisture can make the test malfunction.

Help prevent Covid-19 by stocking up on alcohol prep pads or a fresh bottle of rubbing alcohol and cotton pads. Then, keep the whole house healthier by using these regularly to clean high-touch surfaces like kitchen cabinet knobs, your microwave’s buttons, door knobs around the house, your phone and keyboard, keys and more.

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Ready to sort out what goes where? Rosenthal says you should start by assigning each category its own shelf and try to keep all the items in that group together within that designated space. You may want to label each shelf with a piece of tape or a sticky note to help you and your family put things away properly going forward.

Keep the items you use every day in easy reach on one of the lowermost shelves. If you’re not using an item at least once a week, move it to a longer-term storage space.

Have kiddos? Rosenthal suggests: “If you have little ones, dedicate the bottom shelf to keep their items where they can easily reach them and grab what they need.”

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The medicine cabinet is a common place to put medications, sharp objects like razors and needles and toxic cleaners, so safety should be a top consideration in your organisation, says Dr Khoury. If you have children that use the medicine cabinet, this is the perfect time to take inventory and remove all unsafe items and put them well out of their reach. (Don’t forget: Kids will climb onto benchtops!)

Put sharp objects in closed containers so you don’t accidentally hurt yourself. Toxic cleaners should be stored in tightly sealed unbreakable containers, so even if they fall, they won’t break open and spill.

Oh, the irony: Turns out, the medicine cabinet is actually one of the worst places to store prescription and over-the-counter drugs, says Gina Harper, PharmD, BCPS. “Moisture, temperature, oxygen and light – all things found in bathrooms – can degrade medications faster than normal,” this pharmacist explains.

Unless the packaging indicates otherwise, most medicine should be stored at cool room temperature, in a dry, dark place, and in the original package… so, not in your bathroom. This is true for many skin care products, vitamins and supplements as well.

Note: If you really want to keep your meds in your bathroom, consider buying a small medicine fridge for your counter. This allows you to control the temperature, humidity and exposure to light and air.

Throwing prescribed medications in the garbage can help someone searching for narcotics get their hands on them. Flushing them down the toilet? Also not a wise option – this can pollute the water supply. Your best bet is to take them to your local community pharmacy participating in the Return Unwanted Medicines (RUM) scheme.

If for any reason you have to throw medicine away, it’s suggested you should “ruin” the drugs by mixing them with coffee grounds or kitty litter in a sealed plastic bag.

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Ideally, your cabinet has adjustable shelves to allow your tallest or bulkiest essentials to fit within easy reach, like toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, or large ointment bottles. Then you can see just how much space you have to work with for the rest of your stuff.

If something takes up too much room and it’s not an item you access daily, it might be better stored in a cupboard elsewhere.

Prioritise by setting the things you use the most toward the front of your medicine cabinet, on the shelves that are the easiest to see and access, says Rosenthal.

Place lesser-used items in the back or corners. If you’re not using an item at least once a week, move it to a longer-term storage space, like a cupboard or a box under your sink.

Employ this system for the remainder of your items, discerning how prominently and accessibly each one should be placed based on how often you use it. Rosenthal says just remember: Your goal is to keep it safe, clean, and functional.

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