Adventures in Cleaning
After the fifth time of opening a certain kitchen cabinet this weekend and having something fall on my head, I'd had enough!
After Fly was asleep, I took everything out of the cabinet.
I was surprised to find five thermometers (five! I couldn't even have found one!) and one dead bug. The bug was especially surprising because I really would have thought there would be more. I also was surprised at the great quantity of tea I have. Apparently, I really like tea -- green tea, white tea, herbal tea, family-size tea -- and chai.
I wiped things down and took a look at my stash.
And this is just what would fit on the left side of the kitchen. I regret not taking a picture of the other side. And I really regret not photographing the state of the cabinet before I took everything out, but as I mentioned, that would have been an action shot.
And please don't laugh at my crock pot. It's old, and making fun of it would be a cruel thing to do to a senior appliance.
Before I go any further, I should mention most people keep their medicines in a bathroom cabinet. JP and I are rebels, though, so we have always kept them in a cabinet in the kitchen. The problem with this is when you are looking for a can of soup, you are likely to be hit on the head with Benadryl.
Once I sorted through everything, I was amazed at how many medicines were expired and how many empty prescription bottles there were. There was even a prescription bottle for a cat we had who died in 1999.
I am so ashamed!
Here is what I threw out:
I hope this will be a lesson to you. I hope no one else out there has this same sickness.
Now that my cabinet looks like this:
It just looks so bare to me!
(The middle right side? All tea.)
If anyone else wants to clean out their cabinets and toss unusable medicines, consider this a meme!
After Fly was asleep, I took everything out of the cabinet.
I was surprised to find five thermometers (five! I couldn't even have found one!) and one dead bug. The bug was especially surprising because I really would have thought there would be more. I also was surprised at the great quantity of tea I have. Apparently, I really like tea -- green tea, white tea, herbal tea, family-size tea -- and chai.
I wiped things down and took a look at my stash.
And this is just what would fit on the left side of the kitchen. I regret not taking a picture of the other side. And I really regret not photographing the state of the cabinet before I took everything out, but as I mentioned, that would have been an action shot.
And please don't laugh at my crock pot. It's old, and making fun of it would be a cruel thing to do to a senior appliance.
Before I go any further, I should mention most people keep their medicines in a bathroom cabinet. JP and I are rebels, though, so we have always kept them in a cabinet in the kitchen. The problem with this is when you are looking for a can of soup, you are likely to be hit on the head with Benadryl.
Once I sorted through everything, I was amazed at how many medicines were expired and how many empty prescription bottles there were. There was even a prescription bottle for a cat we had who died in 1999.
I am so ashamed!
Here is what I threw out:
Now that my cabinet looks like this:
It just looks so bare to me!
(The middle right side? All tea.)
If anyone else wants to clean out their cabinets and toss unusable medicines, consider this a meme!
Labels: confessions, Damselfly chronicles, everyday life
posted by Damselfly at 1:51 PM
16 Comments:
Wow it looks great. Okay I will tell on myself - I recently threw out that much expired medication too. I work for a doctor you would think I would know better.
Nice work!
I have done a post like this before - but it was just my tea cupboard... or at least I took before and after shots for myself. I also did one of my freezer - oooh boy, that was scary! Which reminds me... I need to do a defrost, hmm...
I try to clean out medicines once a year, but that doesn't always happen...and some always seem to sneak by. So no, you're not the only one!
WOWWOWOWOW! Such the transformation! I gutted my kitchen junk a week ago and actually have room for food now. Total bonus. :-)
Honestly, I WAS going to mention the crock pot. Moooo!
Good job! I kinda have a *thing* about meds. I throw them out all the time. I look at the expiration dates on toothpaste and sunblock, too. It's my ONE organizational must-do.
I have more than one cabinet overflowing with stuff. Thanks for this post. It reminded me I need to do something about it.
We keep our meds in the kitchen too -in a "childproof" (ha-ha) cupboard. Howevr, I am a stickler about clearing out the old ones.
I don't have things falling on my head, but I cringe at the amount of dust and gunge on the shelves themselves. Whatever happened to Spring cleaning? Oy!
Looks great! I'm a tea lover and always seem to have an endless variety. I've been getting help recently in reducing the amount of boxes/bags as my hubby has become a tea drinker too. :)
yep, I have this problem also. out of sight out of mind. and when it is in sight, it's because I'm trying to hurry up and find something for a sick or hurt kid.
And what is up with the tea? I do the same thing! It always seems like such a good idea at the time.But it just doesn't rock my boat.
good job on finally doing it. I'll get to mine someday.
I did this a while ago and I felt so emboldened and righteous that I was truly insufferable!
We keep our meds in the kitchen cabinet too!
I'm impressed--a purging spree. You make me tired just looking at the counter.
We're on the same wavelength--I just did the same thing. I was amazed at the expired medicine at the back of the cabinet and how many plastic syringes and medicine spoons we had.
We keep our meds in the kitchen. I don't think you are supposed to keep them in the "medicine cabinet" because it's too humid.
I like your idea to post info on the inside of the cabinet. I have a list of the kids' meds, doses, and what they are for (the benedryl is for rashes, not allergies, the dimetapp *is* for allergies, but don't give it to her if she's already had zyrtec--got to keep daddy and grandma in the loop). I should tack the list up inside the cabinet.
love that you called it a senior appliance :) tee hee
but i must ask... what are the papers about hanging on the inside of the cabinet??
ps - thanks for adding me to your famous blogroll!! i am sooo honored!!
oh my god. see, i was sure that was MY cabinet, but then i got to the after photo. and i went to my kitchen and checked, just to be hopeful, but...um...nope.
please come over and rescue my cabinet. or my head from the things IN my cabinet. :)
oh, and senior appliance? lol.
Don't worry! I too keep my meds in the kitchen!!!
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