Declutter your bathroom cabinet

Compact and Bijoux – It’s time to declutter your bathroom cabinet

In our brand new bathroom, we have a lovely old-fashioned wall cabinet. The Husband questioned my choice at the time, his brows rising to indicate I would need more – not less – space, but I was emphatic: a new bathroom would force me to get streamlining, I said.

Fast forward a year and the cabinet was not one I wished guests to open. With larger items cluttered on top, inside myriad products jostled together for space. A sense of order was long gone – if it had even existed.

The Problem

The cabinet had become more than just a mess. Its muddle represented my own confusion and lack of commitment. While it is good practice to have products on rotation, this only means from within a select key few.

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The problem with those super-sized samples we get given as a perk is that they make us feel wasteful if we don’t keep them. Better they sit in the cabinet and pass their Use By date instead.

As for that amazing face cream that’s almost run out; why keep it? If it’s as a reminder of how much I love it, then surely I’d have replenished it by now?

And why-oh-why do I have quite so many half-empty cleansers? (Note: where cleansers are concerned, I’m not a half-full kind of a woman).

Supersize Me

Regardless of what sales staff tell us, samples aren’t personally selected, they just reflect whatever stores are pushing that month. It made sense to start with these then, and I truly believed I was being ruthless until I noticed my poor toiletries bag had become a dumping ground.

It makes no sense to pack these instead of my regular and effective skincare routine when I am away from home. So, out they had to go and, as I emptied my toiletries bag, I realised it too was part of the problem. It’s a great design, with its cheery print and voluminous size, but therein was the issue. What do we do with larger bags? We fill them up!

Fit for Purpose

With my de-cluttering in full effect, only products I repurchase remain. Shelves are pleasingly organised into categories, and large items too tall for the cabinet are rehomed on a side shelf.

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Now guests are welcome to open the cabinet door and behold its order; a place where I can find exactly what I need when I need. My daily cleansing ritual is once more pleasing and calming; everything is within reach and things no longer constantly fall over.

Brand New Bag

I bought a new toiletries bag from Space NK. It’s transparent so I can see inside and it’s large enough for my key products. It holds everything I currently love and that helps my skin look its best.

Also, being plastic it has the added bonus of being water resistant. It’s also very beautiful. No doubt I shall be buying one in another colour soon for my cosmetics. Why I ever thought it was a good idea to pack anything different I have no idea.

Buying the bag, I was of course offered more samples, but worry not. I politely declined!

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How to Declutter Your Bathroom Cabinet by VANESSA MUDD