A messy bathroom isn’t a good sight to see, let alone something you should have a problem with in the first place. Same as keeping your bedside table organized, you should ensure that everything in your bathroom is neat and that you don’t have any expired products that might cause you problems in the future.
We take cues from Into the Gloss‘ tips and also added more so you can maximize the whole week to clean and throw out what isn’t needed in your bathroom.
#1 Shower curtains―wash or throw away?
If you’ve had your shower curtain for a long time now and are seeing holes and tears on it, it’s time to dispose of it. But there’s also the case of mold and mildew forming on them because of moisture in the bathroom. To solve this, you can throw the curtain in the wash, or you can use baking soda, bleach, or vinegar to wipe it off.
#2 Keeping dirt off floors and walls
Same with shower curtains, you can also use baking soda or bleach when cleaning your floors and walls. What’s left to do is to get a good scrubber and some muscle to make sure they’re spotless.
#3 Stop checking your toiletries’ expiry dates
Although there are dates printed on our products, you should still check on their condition like your shampoo starting to smell funky or your sunscreen changing color and consistency. Bottomline, toiletries can go bad before the expiration dates indicated mostly when they’re not stored in the right room temperature. So better check them now before you (accidentally) use them.
However, if you’re not using them yet, the general shelf life for shampoo and creams are around three years.
#4 Don’t forget to check your makeup, too
If you’re keeping basic makeup items like lip balms, lipsticks, and mascaras in your bathroom vanity, you should also pay attention to their quality from time to time.
For lip balms, they can be good for up to five years if unopened, and two years if opened. But if they get clumpy, you need to get rid of them. Same with lipstick. Meanwhile, mascaras can only last for three months max because of the bacteria that can accumulate in the tube. Other indicators, according to makeup artist Pati Dubroff include a “gasoline-like smell” and eye irritation.
Regardless whether you spent a fortune on them or not, don’t be hesitant to throw them out. There’s still Sephora.
#5 Chuck your frayed toothbrush
There’s a general rule to change your toothbrush every three to four months. However, Dr. Sharon Cooper of the University of Florida College of Dentistry tells WebMD that you should throw it away once the bristles are frayed. “Frayed bristles will not clean the teeth and gums adequately,” she says.
#6 Showerheads can also get clogged
As I mentioned earlier, getting a warm or cold shower is crucial after a long day out. But if your shower seems to be stuck in the low setting no matter how much you wind it, you might need to unclog it. This happens when mineral deposits get in the way. Martha Stewart advises to fill a plastic bag with white vinegar and tie it around showerhead to submerge it overnight before scrubbing it clean.
Art by Nico Ortigoza
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