15 Expired Items to Toss from Your Medicine Cabinet Right Now

Did you look in your medicine cabinet and feel like you are looking at a graveyard of good intentions? The hydrogen peroxide was three moves ago and never used. The thermometer still has dead batteries in it. And somewhere behind the floss you forget to use sits a tube of ointment with an expiration date. Today, we are going to stop all the madness.

From my experience with clients, most people use their medicine cabinet as a place to store things, but never look at it again. Until a person comes in, like me, and helps them stay accountable to these visited spaces.

Expired products lose potency, change chemical composition, and in some cases, become breeding grounds for bacteria. It is a risk no one should take, especially in an emergency.

Jump to:

• First things you need to do before purging the medicine cabinet.
• Throw These Over the Counter Medicines that Stop Working
• 1. Pain Relievers
• 2. Cold and Flu Medications
• 3. Allergy Medications
• 4. Topical Treatments
• 5. Hydrocortisone Cream
• 6. Acne Treatments
• 7. Diagnostic Tools
• 8. First Aid Supplies
• How to Make a DIY First Aid Kit for the Home
• 9. Eye Care Products
• 10. Contact Lens Solution
• 11. Ear Drops
• 12. Personal Care Items
• 13. Throat lozenges and cough drops
• 14. Nasal Sprays
• 15. Old Toothbrushes
• FAQs: 15 Expired Items to Toss from Your Medicine Cabinet Right Now

First things you need to do before purging the medicine cabinet.

There are things you need to do before purging this area. Below, I have broken it down as I would for my virtual and in-person home organization clients.

Gather bags and label them

Depending on how many medicine cabinets you have, you may need several of these bags for this purging process.

A garbage bag: This would be for any trash, wrappers, etc that can't be recycled.

A paper bag: This would be for prescription drugs that need to be brought to the pharmacy for proper disposal. I like to use paper bags for this purpose because they will not accidently be thrown in the trash. And, labeling paper bags is easy with a Sharpie (affiliate) marker.

Other things you need to do before trashing the medicine cabinet items.

To protect your privacy, be sure to remove your personal information from the medicine. You can use a Sharpie (affiliate) marker to black (affiliate) out your information and numbers, or rip it off and shred it.

Throw These Over the Counter Medicines that Stop Working

Here's what you need to pull out, check, and throw away if expired right now.

1. Pain Relievers

The first item to review in your medicine cabinet is the pain relievers. Your ibuprofen and acetaminophen don't turn toxic after expiration, but they lose effectiveness in a way that matters when you're doubled over with a migraine or fever.

After a year, it is said that you might be taking a pill that delivers 70% of its original strength. Read about this debate to see if you agree or disagree with the monthly decay rate of a medication that loses its potency over time. That's the difference between relief in 30 minutes and wondering why nothing's working two hours later.

What does this mean?

If you're treating acute pain or fever, expired pain relievers leave you under-medicated when you need full strength. This will make kids and older family members especially vulnerable.

Where to Toss Pain Relievers?

If the date has passed, toss it. There are Take Back Day Events happening all across the U.S.A. You can find a location on the Take Back Day website. If there is not one in your area, you can toss them in your household trash. Or, places like Walgreens and CVS have a place to toss old pain relievers. Ask the pharmacy personnel.

2. Cold and Flu Medications

Multi-symptom cold medications, like Tylenol Cold and Flu (affiliate) and Advil Multi-symptom Cold and Flu (affiliate), combine several active ingredients, and each one degrades at its own rate. Mindblown, right? I never knew that.

Did you know? The decongestant might lose potency faster than the cough suppressant, which means you're getting an unbalanced dose of a formula that was engineered to work in specific ratios. You end up with partial relief that doesn't match what the label (affiliate) promises.

Keep in mind, if the liquid or pill looks different from when you bought it, the medication has changed.

What does this mean?

These expiration dates on cold medications are not suggestions. They represent the last date the manufacturer guarantees full potency and safety. You don't want to gamble with your health.

Where to toss expired Cold and Flu Medications?

Any expired bottles go in the trash, along with any liquid that looks cloudy, separated, or discolored.

3. Allergy Medications

I learned this the hard way. We had allergy meds in the house, and I thought they were good, but when allergy season hit, boy, was I wrong.

Depending on whether they are liquid or solid, their effectiveness can range from one year after expiration. There is debate about whether it would lose 50-60% of its effectiveness within a year after expiration if it were in pill or liquid form. But most say it is significantly less potent by year five after the expiration date.

Where to toss expired Allergy Medicine?

Replace anything expired before pollen season hits, and you're suffering unnecessarily because your medication is too weak to keep up with your symptoms.

Dispose of expired allergy medicine (pills, liquids, creams) at a legal location you can find on the Take Back Day website, or at a local pharmacy (CVS, Walgreens) or police station.

4. Topical Treatments

These tubes, bottles, and jars are the ones that I tend to use up in our home before using them all. Just recently, I had to replace a few of them because they only lasted 1.5 years. These include antibiotic ointments such as Neosporin, bacitracin, and triple-antibiotic ointments.

And, if you open the sealed tube, it will expire even faster. Every time you apply the ointment, you introduce potential contaminants from your skin, the air, and whatever surface the cap touches.

Where to toss expired Topical Treatments?

Those that were opened and expired tropical ointments were used right away. It's better to be safe (affiliate) than sorry. And, if it has been opened for more than a year, toss it even if the printed date hasn't passed yet. They are inexpensive to replace, and you can buy a smaller one if you don't use it often to save money.

Visit the Take Back Day website to find a location near you, or you can throw them in the household trash, or go to CVS and Walgreens.

5. Hydrocortisone Cream

This cream has a short shelf life, too. I just replaced mine recently. The active ingredient breaks down when exposed to heat, light, and air, which happens constantly in a bathroom cabinet. High humidity from showers accelerates the process. Though you can't tell by looking at it, the cream doesn't change color or smell differently. It just stops working. It is best to have it stored in a less humid area.

Where to toss expired Hydrocortisone Cream?

Toss any hydrocortisone cream that's past expiration or has been open for more than a year. You can toss these at the same places as above. If these are not available, mix the cream with an unappealing substance, such as cat litter or coffee grounds, place it in a sealed container, and toss it in your household trash.

6. Acne Treatments

Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid products degrade in ways that make them not just ineffective but potentially irritating. Expired acne treatments are especially a problem for teenagers and young adults who are already dealing with skin sensitivity and frustration over breakouts.

Where to toss expired Acne Treatment?

If a product has been open for more than six months and you're not seeing results, it is best to replace it even if it's technically not expired yet.

You can toss it the same way as the Hydrocortisone Cream instructions above.

7. Diagnostic Tools

These would be test strips that rely on chemical reactions and calibrated components that degrade silently over time.

Thermometers with Dead Batteries

Digital thermometers don't expire, but the batteries inside them do, which could result in inaccurate readings. Replace the battery, and if it still isn't working, buy a new one and trash the old one.

Mercury thermometers are largely phased out now. But if you have one, you need to get rid of it immediately because it's a health hazard. A broken mercury thermometer releases toxic vapor that requires professional cleanup.

Where to toss expired Digital and Mercury Thermometers?

If the display is dim or flickering, the readings may be wrong. Replace it with a digital one that you commit to keeping functional by replacing the batteries regularly.

For digital thermometers, remove the batteries first for separate recycling, then drop the thermometer off at electronics recycling locations (such as Best Buy or Staples), or local household hazardous waste collection facilities.

If you have a mercury thermometer, contact your local hazardous waste facility for proper disposal instructions.

Get rid of mercury thermometers at local household hazardous waste (HHW) facilities (see this page for the SE Pennsylvania region), specialized recycling centers, or designated pharmacy take-back programs, as mentioned above.

Diabetes Test Strips

Glucose test strips expire because the chemical reagent that reacts with blood degrades over time. Expired test strips give inaccurate blood sugar readings. Test strips are also sensitive to humidity, heat, and light. The reagent pad changes color or texture when it's degraded, but most people don't inspect them closely enough to notice. Never use expired glucose test strips.

Where to toss expired Diabetes Test Strips?

If the strips have been open for more than 3 months or have been exposed to heat, replace them even if the expiration date hasn't passed. Store test strips in a cool, dry place away from the bathroom.

They should be handled like biohazardous waste. Use sealed, heavy-duty plastic bottles (like laundry detergent bottles) for disposal rather than regular household trash. Read more about how to dispose of these items here.

8. First Aid Supplies

Things like bandages, wraps, and wound care items degrade in ways that affect function. These items can degrade over time. Old adhesive becomes brittle and no longer sticks. I found this happens in our First Aid kit, and every year, I have to go through and get rid of anything that has yellowed.

Where to toss expired First Aid Supplies?

You can toss these first-aid supplies into the pharmacy take-back kiosks. Place the sharp items in a dedicated rigid sharps container or a thick plastic bottle, and consult local regulations for pickup.

9. Eye Care Products

The next Expired Items Hiding in Your Medicine Cabinet to get rid of are the eye products. Any open eye care items can harbor bacteria. They should be gotten rid of when you are finished using them.

Most opened eye drops should be discarded 30 to 90 days after opening, regardless of the printed expiration date. You don't want to accidently use them again, resulting in other issues.

Where to toss expired Eye Care Products?

If you can't remember when you opened a bottle, throw it out. Most of these items can be dropped off at the pharmacy, DEA-authorized take-back locations, or police stations.

Pro Tip! Write the date you opened it on every new bottle, so you know when to toss it.

10. Contact Lens Solution

Contact lens solution expires because the disinfecting agents break down and stop killing bacteria effectively. An expired solution won't properly clean your lenses.

Where to toss expired Contact Lens Solution?

If it's expired, toss it immediately. And you can safely pour it down the sink drain, then rinse with water. Check the bottle for recycling instructions. Most can be recycled, but some may not be.

11. Ear Drops

Ear drops for wax removal or swimmer's ear have the same contamination risk as eye drops.

Where to toss expired Ear Drops?

Expired ear drops should be disposed of at a drug take-back location-such as a pharmacy (CVS) or local police department. If no take-back program is available, mix the liquid with an unappealing substance, such as coffee grounds or cat litter, seal it in a container, and place it in the trash as mentioned above.

12. Personal Care Items

Sunscreen, hydrogen peroxide, and rubbing alcohol are products you use daily or weekly, and have expiration windows that most people ignore. All these items have expiration dates on them and should be adhered to strictly.

Where to toss expired Sunscreen, Hydrogen Peroxide, and Rubbing Alcohol?

You can bring these items to a local household hazardous waste (HHW) drop-off location or specialized municipal collection event. For small quantities, hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol can sometimes be flushed down a sanitary drain with water, while sunscreen, once emptied, can be recycled if it says so on the bottle.

13. Throat lozenges and cough drops

These items are sticky and discolored when they are expired. The wrapper will also be broken or torn on older packaging.

Where to toss expired throat lozenges and cough drops?

You can dispose of these items at pharmacy kiosks, at take-back days, or in the household trash in a sealed bag with coffee grounds, dirt, or cat litter. Do not flush these items.

14. Nasal Sprays

The next one is nasal sprays. These items need to be trashed after you stop using them. They should not linger.

Where to toss expired Nasal Sprays?

They should be disposed of at dedicated drug take-back locations, such as pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens), police stations, or hospitals, which often have secure kiosks.

15. Old Toothbrushes

This last one is old toothbrushes. Sometimes we keep these items when we move on to an electric one or replace them. It needs to go.

Where to toss expired Old toothbrushes?

You can sign up for TerraCycle (via Colgate) or Oral-B's recycle on Us program. Then you mail the items back to them for proper recycling.

Well, I hope this list of expired items hiding in your medicine cabinet that need to be purged helps you figure out what needs to go and what can stay.

Take 20 minutes today to go through everything, check dates, and clear out what's expired. You'll have room for products that actually deliver what you need, and you'll stop second-guessing whether that medication or treatment is working because you'll know it's fresh and effective.

FAQs: 15 Expired Items to Toss from Your Medicine Cabinet Right Now

Now it is your turn? Please leave a comment on the last time you went through your medicine cabinet. What did you get rid of that you didn't realize you still had? I would love to hear from you.

Decluttering advice posts