In honor of Kitchen and Bath Month, I’m focusing on these two key spaces in our homes during October. We kicked things off by exploring some of the bathroom organizing products that are near and dear to my heart. Next week, we’ll move into the kitchen to explore other product favorites. This week, I’m moving away from products and focusing on the kitchen and bathroom declutter process…would you like to learn a secret for how to conduct a speed decluttering session in these spaces?
Decluttering a space typically goes hand-in-hand with making lots of decisions about what stays and what goes. Decision-making can be hard for many people…in fact, there’s a saying in the professional organizing industry that clutter is simply the result of many postponed/delayed decisions (thanks Barbara Hemphill!).
What if there was a tool that you could use to turbo charge your decision-making during a bathroom or kitchen declutter session?
Well, actually there is. It’s called a product expiration date, and it’s a declutterer’s best friend.
SPEED DECLUTTERING IN THE BATHROOM
Whether you store medications in the kitchen, bathroom, or elsewhere, your pill bottles will tell you when it’s time to bid them adieu. No decision-making required! {read this useful resource that provides tips for how to properly store, use and discard your prescription and OTC medications}.
Medications lose their potency over time. No use taking cold meds that aren’t likely to relieve your symptoms…or even worse, relying on an expired albuterol inhaler to relieve an asthma attack. Yikes.
Be sure to dispose of your expired medications properly. Check out this online resource to help you find medication drop off sites near you or check with your local pharmacy or police station.
You can use expiration dates as a “no brainer” way to declutter your toiletries, cosmetics, and skin care products too. Many skin care products will display an expiration date somewhere on the packaging. If you can’t find one, you can head over to Checkfresh and enter the barcode/brand to determine if your product is past its prime.
There are certain cosmetics that you should be especially cautious about keeping too long, as they can begin to serve as a petri dish for bacteria. Mascara is one such culprit. When in doubt, you can refer to this awesome Cosmetic Shelf Life Cheat Sheet made available by Home Storage Solutions 101.
And while you’re at it, it’s likely time to replace your tooth brush (we’re supposed to do that every 3 months, right?)
SPEED DECLUTTERING IN THE KITCHEN
When decluttering your kitchen, why not go for the “low hanging fruit” first, and remove all food that is past its prime? Perhaps the easiest place to start is with the canned goods. Do you have a stash of those little-used items that are purchased once a year to make baked goods during the holidays? These items are prime candidates for being expired:
I should mention that there are differences of opinion out there as to how much of a stickler we should be when it comes to abiding by food expiration dates. You’ll need to determine your own comfort level with this.
Once you’ve worked through your collection of canned goods, move on to your spice collection. Most spices will have a “Best By” date displayed on the packaging. If you can’t locate one, use these guidelines to determine if your spices are too old.
Don’t forget oils and oil-based products in your refrigerator and pantry. Believe me, there is nothing worse than tasting food that’s been prepared with rancid oil.
Many processed foods sport an expiration date on the package. If you can’t locate one, or are in doubt, you can always refer to the Still Tasty Ultimate Shelf Life Guide to determine whether a specific item is still “safe and tasty”.
In the past, when I’ve worked with clients on a kitchen declutter project, we always make a game of it to locate the food item with the earliest expiration date. Once, a client and I came up with a canned soup that had expired in 1998. Can you beat that? Let me know in the comments what YOU discover in your pantry 🙂
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