The bathroom can get cluttered very quickly. I experienced this firsthand working with my own family's and clients' bathrooms. Piles and piles of opened self-care products stacked in baskets shoved in drawers and layered in cabinets. It's no wonder the space got cluttered quickly. Today, I am talking about 15 items that will help you declutter your bathroom and make it a serene place to be each day!
While I also love self-care items, I do find that some products are used for a month then discarded for another product. With all this clutter, it is no wonder we turned our relaxing "take care of yourself" room into a stressful place.
Did you know you can return unused items?
When you purchase your products, ask them about their return policy on self-care products. Some locations will allow you to return items you don't like. Others will require you to return it within 30 days with the receipt. Some may not want the used products back.
Remember, if you don't return it by the appropriate time, you will then have to find another home for these items which if you are like me, my family, and clients, you forget, and then these items get left precisely where they were - never to be used again.
To inspire you to take action now and remove unwanted items from your bathroom, I created this list of 15 specific things you can get rid of and instantly create a relaxing bathroom. I added additional links on where to recycle some of these items below.
15 Unique Things to Toss Right Now for a Stress-Free Bathroom
Old Makeup
The first area to declutter is your make-up. Make-up has an expiration date. You can visit our post to help you determine if your makeup is old and needs to be replaced.
Torn or stained towels, hand towels, and washcloths
Now, visit the towels in your bathroom linen closet. We all have a linen closet that may be stuffed with stuff like old towels that we may someday use again. Could you get rid of them and make room? Visit our What to keep in your linen closet post for details on what to have in this closet. Some locations like the SPCA will accept towels for use at their site.
Facial Cleansers you don’t use
The next item is the facial cleansers. Before you found the right product to clean your skin, did you try several other ones? Now it is time to get rid of the ones that didn't work for your bathroom.
Facial products that didn’t work
Now, let's move on to facial products like oils, moisturizers; these items can be hanging around your vanity and linen closet just collecting dust. We all have some form of a facial cleaning regimen. Facial products can dry out and expire. Going through and opening up these bottles and containers will give you an idea of which one to get rid of them.
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Old and unused nail polish
Do you have any nail polish? If you paint your nails, you probably have a lot of nail polish. If you don't have a bin for them, they may be in drawers or throughout your bathroom. The proper way to get rid of nail polish is by taking them to a hazardous waste event in your area. Visit this post for details. If you are in Pennsylvania, visit our post "Recycling Locations and Shredder Events" page for hazardous waste events.
Old toothbrushes
You can recycle these items. We would repurpose them to clean small areas. The small brushes help clean areas that you can't reach with a sponge. Visit this post that talks about how to recycle a toothbrush.
Fragrances that have dried up
Like potpourri and the plugin to outlet kinds, these fragrances may be empty and dry out and need to be replenished.
Never used fancy soaps
Some people use fancy soap in their bathroom as decoration. Over time, this soap gets dusty. Start using them now and replace them if you wish.
Sample makeup perfumes
You may have a lot of small samples that need recycling. Visit this post that talks about a few methods on how to recycle perfumes.
Expired medicine in the bathroom
Now let's visit the expired medicine in the medicine cabinet or drawer. Visit this post from the FDA about how to dispose of unused and unwanted medicine.
Unused or disliked hair products
Hair products have chemicals as well. Proper disposal of these items is essential as well. Allure magazine shared an excellent post with many tips on where to donate unused or gently used hair products.
Get rid of the disliked cleaning products
The next item is the unused cleaning products. We all have some form of cleaning supplies in our bathroom. If you go through them, you may find some bottles half used that you can consolidate into one. Visit this post for tips on how to properly dispose of unwanted cleaning products.
Pitch the Hair irons or driers you don’t use
We tend to keep hair curling irons and driers for a long time. "Anything With a Plug" events happen across the country, usually in the springtime through the fall, where you can get rid of these items.
First aid wraps you don’t need any longer
The next thing to revisit is the first aid supplies in your bathroom. Taking out the used wraps and expired ointment will minimize the stuff and allow you to see what is missing. If you don't have your first aid stuff in one location, check out how we made ours here.
Bathroom baskets that are collecting clutter that doesn’t have a purpose
There are probably baskets in your bathroom. They could be around the tub or under your sink. Wherever they are, this is the time to revisit the items and get rid of the unused products, dried out, or unwanted.
Revisiting and reorganizing those cleared bathroom areas
It is time to revisit the things you kept, making sure you have the appropriate storage container for those items. Reviewing these decluttered areas every season will help the room from getting cluttered again. Feel free to visit our other bathroom organizing posts.
BATHROOM ORGANIZING ESSENTIALS TO MAKE YOUR MORNINGS EASIER
WHAT TO KEEP IN A BATHROOM VANITY
HOW TO CREATE A BATHROOM MASON JAR WALL ORGANIZER
SOUP CAN TO DIY MAKEUP BRUSH HOLDER
Now that you have completed your organized bathroom. You will genuinely appreciate a decluttered bathroom every day after removing all these unused and unwanted items.
Let's continue the conversation. What other areas do you clear out in your bathroom? Please leave a comment in the section below.
Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon and at no additional cost to you; I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through and decide to purchase.
Jill Katz
This post makes me want to attack my bathroom RIGHT NOW! I am definitely guilty of keeping makeup products for too long or keeping body/face products I don't really use anymore. Although I am a little suspect of the exact timeline for makeup products. It's in the company's best interest to toss products sooner so you can buy more!
Julie Stobbe
The thing that ends up being clutter in my bathroom is medical supplies. I will have to get specialized gauze, bandages, tape and they never seem to get used up at the time. Some just don't have another use. Eventually, I give them away or toss them.
Janet Schiesl
Good list of stuff to review in the bathroom. We recently renovated our bathroom and I decluttered and re-organized everything, but reading your post makes me think I need to do it again. I certainly keep more than I use. Like everyone, I think I'll use it one day.
Julie Stobbe
I love your list. I notice people have a lot of sample size items and they just lay around taking up space. Sometimes I try to put them in my gym bag or my travel cosmetic bag to get them used up.
Kim
Always good to revisit these areas in the bathroom and linen closets. It’s amazing how this stuff multiples. When I was working at My Sisters’ Place we gave out toiletries on a regular basis. I was often seeing these in clients homes. They would open them and then not like them and there they would sit. Until it all becomes overwhelming of course. And you cannot donate opened products unfortunately. Thanks for the reminder.
Janet Schiesl
Great list. I like to try new products but I really only use a few things everyday. Lately, I have worked to fit everything I need into the medicine cabinet or in a small bowl on the counter. These are items I use everyday. If I find myself not using them, they have to go.
Linda Samuels
Your list of bathroom items that can go NOW is so useful. I like to periodically go through the bathroom drawers and cabinets to let go of expired or no longer used items. During my last letting go session, I released several bottles of nail polish, expired medicine and first aid products, and some makeup that I no longer used. While things didn't feel cluttered before doing this, they felt "airy" after. It was a satisfying thing to do.
Janet Barclay
I won a couple of gift packs one time, immediately picked out products I knew I'd never use and gave them away, and tried some of the others, but they've been sitting on the shelf for a really long time and I'm obviously never going to use them up. I don't know why it's so hard to get rid of products we don't end up using!
Seana Turner
I just helped a client clear out a bathroom last week. I find it such a rewarding project, and it often lacks the emotional tug of other residential spaces. She got rid of 2 curling irons, so you are right on! This is one of those spaces where the "yuck factor" can often make the decision for you, especially when you dig back into the cavern under the sink:)