The Ten Minute Bathroom Clutter Cleanout

Storage space in the bathroom is always at a premium, and if you’re like most people, your bathroom is probably full of things you don’t really use. The good news is that cleaning all that stuff out doesn’t have to be time-consuming or involve a lot of agonizing decisions. Just take ten minutes and follow this handy guide.

Here are a few things that have no place in your bathroom:

1. Towels that have seen better days.
Are you hanging onto towels that are threadbare or thin or torn? Throw those suckers out. Even better, donate them to an animal shelter, where they’ll be put to good use instead of collecting dust in the back of your linen closet.

2. Expired medicine.
Get rid of any out-of-date prescriptions, and any over-the-counter medicines that are past the expiration date. Here are some helpful tips for disposing of medicines.

3. Makeup that’s past its shelf life.
Did you know that makeup expires, too? Especially when kept in a hot, steamy bathroom, most cosmetics don’t last any longer than two years, and some things have an even shorter timeline: experts recommend replacing mascara after only three months. From Good Housekeeping, here’s a handy guide to the self life of various cosmetics.

4. Anything you haven’t used in more than a year.
That lipstick that turned out to be not quite your color? Cleaning supplies that you thought would save your life but you actually never use? Toss it (or pass along to someone else who will use it). If you haven’t used something in a year, chances are good that it’s expired — and you really just don’t need it anyway.