This morning, I woke up to an avalanche in my bathroom.
I opened up the medicine cabinet to grab my toothbrush when suddenly, I was showered with prescriptions, face creams, and eye drops. Everything fell loudly into the sink, likely waking everyone in the house.
Why are medicine cabinets so small? They are poorly designed, with space for not much more than trial-size tubes of toothpaste, hand sanitizer, and shaving cream. It blows my mind that my cabinet is intended to hold these things and more for both me and my husband.
And now, I’m having an ah-ha moment. Maybe they call it a medicine cabinet because it is not intended for anything beyond our meds. If it was called a toiletry cabinet, wouldn’t it be so much more user-friendly? The shelves would be at least twice as deep to accommodate everything we put in there. Now I know why toiletry bags are so popular.
Anyway, my other thought as I was cleaning up the mess was — why do I have so many different kinds of eye drops? Were they on sale? Did my optometrist come over and fill up my cabinet with free samples while I was sleeping? I counted six varieties: red eyes, itchy eyes, and dry eyes, along with contact lens rewetting drops, steroid drops, and an expired antibiotic. If that wasn’t enough, I also have a cleaning solution for my contacts and a separate lens cleaner for my glasses. Thanks, Doc!
In hindsight, I should have invested my money in Bausch & Lomb. Just like Barnes & Noble, I’m certainly doing my part to keep them in business.
What do you have too much of in your medicine cabinet? Inquiring minds want to know.
XO,
Elisa
Martha
July 26, 2023 at 8:56 pm (9 months ago)Been there, done that! LOL I reorganized my medicine cabinet AND bathroom closet a few months ago and I’m happy to say they are still neat and orderly!
Elisa
July 27, 2023 at 11:12 am (9 months ago)Nice! I hope I can say the same about my kitchen pantry in a few months.
Kebba Buckley Button
July 26, 2023 at 5:18 pm (9 months ago)Elisa, you raise a very good set of questions! I, too, have shallow “medicine cabinets”. My answer is a deep box labeled “NEXT” in 5″ letters, in the hall closet. It’s for the duplicates we bought on sale b/c buying 3 gives you a better price. See, all your extra eye drops could go in your NEXT box. 🙂
Elisa
July 26, 2023 at 5:27 pm (9 months ago)Brilliant idea! Thanks, Kebba.
Jeanine Byers
July 26, 2023 at 4:11 pm (9 months ago)What do I usually have too much of in my medicine cabinet? Things that aren’t medicines. I think I agree with you, that that is all that they are designed for and we are expected to shove the other stuff into drawers or under the bathroom sink. I have always wondered, though, why they are not starting to create an optional “medicine cabinet” in the kitchen, now that it is so easy to take medicine there.
Elisa
July 26, 2023 at 5:28 pm (9 months ago)I agree! An optional medicine cabinet next to the spice rack would be nice. 🙂
Angie Vallejo
July 26, 2023 at 3:44 pm (9 months ago)i’m doing major cleanouts this month, with the same realizations as you! 🙂
Elisa
July 26, 2023 at 5:28 pm (9 months ago)Good luck! Make sure to throw away all the expired medicine. You’d be surprised what is in there.
Doug
July 26, 2023 at 2:07 pm (9 months ago)I am reading a book called “I can see clearly now”. It seems like you have some insight into medicine cabinets with clear eyes.
Elisa
July 26, 2023 at 5:29 pm (9 months ago)Definitely! LOL.
Tamara
July 26, 2023 at 12:30 pm (9 months ago)Ha! Since I had a major cleanout a few weeks ago, I am happy to report that my bathroom furnitures hold the bare minimum. Well, plus a little bit extra 😉
But I hear you. I pledge not to accept any more free samples. They literally take up space, clutter it up while their hanging out there, and never get used.
Elisa
July 26, 2023 at 5:29 pm (9 months ago)100% Tamara. All those extras are just not worth it.
Cindy Rae Fancher
July 26, 2023 at 10:25 am (9 months ago)I have a house with no medicine cabinet, but your woes are mine too! Too many different things for the same or similar purpose! It is funny you bring this up as I promised myself by the end of August, I would go through everything in my bathroom and get rid of the extra! Cindy Rae
Elisa
July 26, 2023 at 5:30 pm (9 months ago)Good luck with all of the decluttering. It’s so much work, but worth it in the end.