By Relocation.com Staff
Let's face it, many items in the bathroom are kept far beyond the "best if used by" date, so this is a good place to start packing a bathroom: tossing old stuff.
Lotions and creams really only have a shelf life of about six months to a year; after that, the potency and chemical structure just isn't that same, especially things like sunscreen and face or wrinkle cream.
To pack them, sealing them in spill-proof bags will prevent them from damaging your other items if they burst open during the move.
Medicines should be discarded after their originally prescribed dates. New research shows that flushing unused pills and liquids down the town is not the safest option to dispose of these unused drugs because they can taint the local water supplie. The recommended way to dump these medications from your home is to return them to a pharmacy, which can dispose of them.
Some more things to consider before packing:
- Sort your bath items into categories to get an accurate inventory of what you have.
- Discard or donate/fraying or discolored towels.
- Launder the shower curtain, if it is fabric.
- Pack your bath linens into kitchen bags and place a dryer sheet into each bag before you close it up. This will keep your towel moisture-free and smelling wonderful.
- Do not pack candles or products that will melt if the weather where you are going is too hot.
- Throw away rusty tweezers, scissors or shavers.
- Sheets that no longer fit your mattress (due to the new pillow-top features) can be donated to homeless shelters.
When you get to your new home, before unpacking the bathroom, clean it, starting with the ceiling. Many homeowners forget about the ceiling. The same bacteria and germs that are on the walls and floor also live on the ceiling. If you are going to repaint, do so before getting everything out of boxes. Use a semi-gloss paint for easy cleaning and to prevent moisture from seeping into the walls. Once freshened up, start bringing in your personal items.
- To differentiate between owners of bathroom items, use a color code system -- each family member gets a different color basket, bin, towel or hanger.
- Monogramming towels with initials is an easy way to mark ownership. This can be done cheaply.
- Keep blow dryers, curlers and other plug-in items under the sink.
- Countertops should remain clear for easy cleaning and to lessen dust buildup.
- Embellish your existing towels and window treatments by adding a fancy decorative trim to the edges.