Bathrooms tend to be among the lesser-used areas of the home, so it’s surprising how cluttered they can become.
If you use the same four to five products every day yet you have cupboards full of mystery bottles and jars, it’s time to get serious about decluttering.
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Most bathrooms are full of products, gadgets and accessories that never get used so we’ve put together a list of bathroom items you need to throw away.
1. That expensive face cream you bought and never used
Not all cosmetic products are going to be suitable for all consumers and it’s very easy to spend a decent amount of money on products that aren’t appropriate for your skin type. Holding on to an expensive bottle of moisturiser that gave you a rash isn’t going to make the purchase a worthwhile one. Give it away or throw it away.
2. Expired products
There’s no point in keeping expired products because you could do yourself damage if you use beauty items that are past their use-by date. Go through your bathroom cupboards regularly and ditch anything that is out of date or doesn’t look or smell the way it should.
Read more: 11 zero-waste bathroom alternatives
3. Your 15-year-old toilet brush
Toilet brushes are not designed to last forever and should be replaced every few years. If you have a toilet brush that has seen better days, put it in a bin bag, toss it away and buy a fresh one.
Read more: 6 ways to unclog a toilet without a plunger
4. Those gross towels everyone hates
Most households have a few towels that only get used in very desperate situations and sometimes not even then. If you have a stack of old, threadbare and permanently smelly towels, we are giving you permission to throw them away or donate them to a pet shelter.
5. The broken light cover you never got around to fixing
When lighting or plumbing fixtures get broken in bathrooms, the pieces tend to lie around on benchtops and in corners, unnecessarily cluttering up bathroom space. If you have a light fixture, a pile of tiles that don’t match the current bathroom decor or an unattached tap that hasn’t been used in years, throw it away.
6. That gadget you bought but never used
We’ve all bought a hairdryer, hair curler, electric razor, epilator, body massager or electronic face cleanser that we’ve used once and never used again. Similar to expensive beauty products, it’s silly to hold to an expensive gadget that never gets used. Keeping the gadget doesn’t increase its value, it just adds more clutter to your house. Get over the monetary investment and ditch it.
7. Useless multiples of items
No one needs five shower caps or seven different kinds of shampoo. Choose one item from each of your groups of multiples and give/throw the rest away.
8. Those crusty fancy soaps that have been on the counter since 1999
It’s lovely to add a decorative touch to your bathroom but if your decorative touches turn into faded, dusty baskets of fancy soap, it’s time to let them go.
9. Novelty paraphernalia like bath pillows or tap attachments
Cheap, impulse items are fun for a while but they rarely stand the test of time. If you’ve bought a novelty attachment or bath accessory and you’ve never used it, move on and say goodbye to it.
This article was originally published as 9 bathroom items you need to throw out immediately by realestate.com.au written by Carly Jacobs.