10 Things in Your Bathroom You Need to Throw Away

Your bathroom might be clean, but like other rooms in your house, it can become a victim of clutter.

You know the drill… you have way too many beauty products and other things taking up precious counter space. And the drawers. And the cupboards. And the ledge of the tub. And the rack in the shower… need I go on?

You might turn a blind eye to it from day to day and, one day, you’ll turn around and feel like you’re one more subscription beauty box away from appearing on Hoarders.

If you really, really can’t stand parting with things, start by being objective and turfing any of these items that you have in your possession:

1.  Empty or almost empty bottles

These are taking up valuable space in your bathroom and would be much more at home in your recycling bin. This is the first thing I get my kids to turf whenever I go and have a meltdown over the state of their bathroom. You can do this.

2. Expired medications

Ditch them already! They are no use anymore!

3. Hotel amenities

Do you swipe the little bottles of shampoo and conditioner and moisturiser and little bars of soap whenever you stay at a hotel? What do you actually do with them when you get them home? If you don’t actually use them, what are you planning on doing with them? If you’ve been amassing this stockpile for years without ever dipping into it, you need to let it go, my friend. You can’t miss what you don’t use.

4. Shrivelled up bits of soap

Years ago I shared a house with someone who wouldn’t part with this stuff because she was planning on making one big bar of soap with it one day. She had dozens and dozens of teensy, shrivelled up bars of soap in the bathroom and we shared a house for nearly two years and her soap project never got off the ground. If you’re like her, just dump it already if you’re hoarding it because it’s actually kind of gross.

5. Your scuzzy old bathroom mat

If that thing has seen better days and now looks like it could get up and walk out of your bathroom on its own, it’s time to put it out of its misery and buy a new one.

6. Mouldy shower curtains

via GIPHY

Is it a thing to have a phobia of slimy, mouldy shower curtains? Because I totally have that. Again, I think this is a hangover from my younger days. I had a boyfriend who lived in a terrifying male share house, the kind where pretty much no cleaning, ever, seemed to happen. If I ever stayed over, I would get in the shower and pray to all the angels in heaven that the slimy curtain wouldn’t touch my skin on the way in to the shower, during the shower, or after the shower. In the end, I decided it was better to just go home and shower. To this day, I can’t deal with the sight of a mouldy shower curtain and I’m glad I’ve got a shower with a screen on it. So if you’ve got a shower curtain you think is still good, but it looks like something from a horror movie, please reevaluate and get rid of it.

7. Expired beauty products

You might be hoarding dozens of different lipsticks, mascaras, foundations, eyeshadows, nail polishes, moisturisers, skin treatments, the whole works. If you’re like me, they might be because you subscribed to one too many beauty boxes over the years (shhh, don’t tell my husband) and you’ve got more than you need, and more than you’ll ever get around to using. Well guess what? This stuff expires. We’ve covered that before here, if you need to know how long you can keep this stuff for. You might have to part with your sweet, sweet cosmetics stash.

8. Old sponges, loofahs and wash mitts

You know that old scrubby thing you have had hanging in the shower for the last three years? It’s probably doing you more harm than good. If bacteria gets stuck in it, it can spread infection through broken skin and lead to a range of disgusting skin conditions. You should always avoid using them on your face AND your privates. It’s recommended if you replace them every three to four weeks.

9. Rusty razors

WTF are you doing? If your razor is old enough that it has developed rust, it is no longer useful. And worse still, it will probably cut you when you use it. Don’t take that chance, because this is actually really dangerous. If rust enters your body, you can get a nasty infection, tetanus or even gangrene.

10. Thread-bare, ratty towels

Have your towels been around since the dawn of time? Do they have holes? Do they look like something a person stranded on a deserted island might wear? It might be time you replace them, don’t you think? I know it sucks having to fork out for new ones, because good quality towels are a bit exxy, but they are totally worth the investment.

Have you figured out what things in your bathroom you need to throw away?