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I knew something had to change inside my medicine cabinet immediately.
I have become tired of digging through half-empty bottles of baby Motrin in the middle of the night and try to find a matching syringe…
I always had to unpack all the baskets just to find out I don’t have a particular medication on hand, or that it’s expired.
Or Heaven forbid, when I cut myself, trying to sort through all the band-aid trash the kids left in there and find the actual unopened packets.
How about expired or empty bottles of medicine we aren’t taking any more? (postpartum Naproxen anybody?)
And let’s not mention all the “just in case” or seasonal stuff that fills up about two-thirds of my medicine cabinet.
I was done with the mess. I needed to find a way to organize the medicine cabinet for good.
Fast.
I took to Pinterest for inspiration and ideas and I’m happy to report that I have successfully organized my medicine cabinet. (Well, almost. Still struggling with the seasonal stuff)
Since the task to organize the medicine cabinet has been such a big issue for me, I figured there may be other people struggling with it too.
So today, I am sharing with you my finds and what I ended up choosing to finally organize the medicine cabinet for good!
Related: What To Put in Your Child’s First Aid Kit?
1. Use Small Plastic Drawers
Image credit and idea: Just A Girl
I absolutely love these tiny set drawers that fit into a cabinet. They are just the right size and keep everything perfectly organized. Make sure to take measurements to ensure the fit.
For the loose stuff, you can always fit a small basket as a catch-all.
By all means, click on the link and check out how Just A Girl organized her cabinet. Seriously awesome tutorial.
2. Use Pill Organizers
Image credit: One She Two She.
I would have never thought about using pill organizers to store medicine in, other than the daily pills of course. I love this creative idea because it would absolutely cut down on unnecessary boxes and bottles for often used items.
Plus I found this idea on a list of camping hacks, so this would also be a great medicine organizer on the go.
3. Use Baskets
Image credit and tutorial: Carolina On My Mind
You could probably use any type of baskets you have on hand, but ones with a handle and slots make separating items and grabbing the baskets easier.
The tutorial will walk you through creating the pretty tags as well, just by using scrapbook paper and 2X3 white tags.
4. Use A Spice Rack
Idea credit: Your Brain Cubed.
Ok, this is totally my favorite and one of the life-changing tips I used to organize the medicine cabinet.
I loved this idea because this pull-down spice rack makes it possible for my teenage stepdaughter to reach into a taller cabinet and have everything at her fingertips. Not to mention, that the size is perfect for the width of a standard cabinet, so it looks good to my symmetry loving eyes.
5. Separate Kids Medicines
Image credit and tutorial: I Should Be Mopping The Floor.
A genius idea, and one that makes perfect sense. Why would I want to dig through adult medicine in the middle of the night for my teething baby?
I have already had my kids’ medicines separated a long time ago, but I have never thought to separate out smaller items and dosage cups into tiny containers to find them even quicker.
6. Use Short Clear Containers
Image credit and tutorial: Living Well Mom
This idea separates adult and kids medicines as well but uses short plastic storage containers. This makes it easy to see what you have and labeling is made easy with colorful masking tape.
This post is my favorite on the list. Living Well Mom does an amazing job not only organizing her cabinets but explaining the process and even talking about what to do with expired medication,
7. Use Sterilite Boxes
Image credit and tutorial: Ask Anna.
There is something to be said about medicine in closed boxes. Especially when you have little ones around, it makes sense to have boxes with lids.
I used this idea for things I barely ever need (seasonal, or emergency items), so I can store them all on the very top shelf and not have to worry about everything falling out when I reach for the box and pull it down.
8. Use A Lazy Susan
Image credit and idea: A Bowl Full Of Lemons
What a smart idea to put everything on a lazy Susan, give it a whirl and you have all your vitamins/medicines that you need. No more digging through rows of medicines to find one in the very back while all the other ones already landed on the counter.
9. Use Stackable Bins
Image credit: BHG.
This idea, while was originally created to be used under the cabinet, could also be adapted for wall mounted cabinets.
The most important is to get bins with a tall enough lip (like this one) to hold smaller items in and make sure you have enough height to fit the bins when stacked.
If you’re like me, you’ll probably end up using not one, but several of these methods combined, fitting it to your exact space and needs.
Finally, here are a few things to remember in order to actually keep the medicine cabinet organized for good.
Discard medicine that is expired.
There is absolutely no need for them, and sometimes you just can’t use up all that you have before the date. Do this every so often, weeding through your medicine cabinet and constantly purge the unnecessary stuff.
Only buy what you need.
It may seem like a good idea to stock up on medicine that’s on sale, and in some cases, it may be appropriate. (like with medicines you use close to daily) But when you stock up on items you use maybe once a year, the medicine will expire before you use it all up and then you just wasted money.
Keep them up high or locked.
This only applies if you have little ones in your house because having access to medicines could be life-threatening for them. I also like to keep band-aids and such out of reach so I can control the mess better by being the one who hands them the band-aid and making sure they throw the paper away.
Put them where you found them.
There’s almost nothing that drives me crazier than when people use something and leave it right there. How difficult is it to put stuff back where they found them? Apparently, extremely. But if you can teach your family members the habit of putting the medicine cabinet items back to where they belong, you can count on a nicely organized cabinet even a long time from today.
Re-organize from time to time.
As much as we would love it, organization is not something we can do once and be forever done. If you want to stay on top of the contents of your medicine cabinet, you will have to reorganize them every so often. For example, you don’t have a newborn anymore, so you won’t need baby medicine or nose aspirators. Or you need more space for other kitchen items and need to downsize your medicine cabinet. Whatever the reason, don’t be afraid to pull out this handy list again and find another idea or two to fit your need.
Good luck!
You may like: Smart Ideas to Organize Your Kids’ Room
I would love to hear how you decided to organize the medicine cabinet for good! Shoot me an email or comment below.
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