Every October, we delve into a spooky organizing theme, and this year, we’re exploring the mysterious “potions” that may be hiding around our homes. From expired medicine and makeup to old paint cans and forgotten cleaners, expired items can haunt our cabinets, take up space, and sometimes even pose safety risks.
In this episode, we explore how to safely declutter these expired potions room by room, why it matters, and how clearing them out can make space for a little fresh magic this season.
In this episode, we talk about:
- How expired “potions” like medicine, beauty products, and paint quietly clutter our spaces.
- Room-by-room tips to identify and safely dispose of expired items.
- Why letting go of old potions creates a safer, calmer, and more intentional home.
Mentioned in this episode:
- Past Halloween episodes: Organizing the Scary Spots and How to Keep Critters Out of Storage.
- Community drug take-back programs for expired medication.
- Local household hazardous waste and paint recycling resources.
- Organize & Cherish Newsletter – subscribe for seasonal organizing tips and upcoming episode updates.
Review full show notes and resources at https://theorganizedflamingo.com/podcast
Review Transcript:
Double Double Clutter and Trouble expired Potions bubble. It's our annual Halloween special in this year. We're opening the cabinets of moldy, expired, and questionable bottles from the bathroom shelf to the basement will uncover the old concoctions that have lost their magic. And show you how to make room for fresh, safe, and useful ones.
Instead, get ready for our annual Halloween Spooktacular episode. Hi friends, and welcome back to Organizing Cherish with me Stephanie here at The Organized Flamingo. I will be your guide to compassionate and practical organizing today and always, and in your organizing journey. And every October we like to take a lighthearted.
And slightly spooky look at the parts of our homes we tend to avoid. Last two years, 2023, we did the creepy crawler. So how to avoid those unwanted little critter friends to get into your areas, especially like basements or places you don't go to very often. And then last year we did more of a just spooky type of things that we've been avoiding.
And then this year it's all about expired potions or things that are bubbling up. Think the forgotten items like under the sink and those old paint cans, but things also that are just really creepy and you've been avoiding because they are already gross. And then the thought of having to tackle that.
It's overwhelming, it's scary, it's gross. And then you leave them even longer and then they become a concoction of swords that may or may not poof right in front of you. And so they become a little creepy, right? And you don't want to tackle it. So those are the things we're talking about, those areas where those expired potions tend to accumulate.
So those are the ones that may not be as magical anymore and might even be a little scary to deal with. So grab your broom or your gloves, maybe your recycling bin, the trash can, and let's clear out the scary stuff together. Here we go.
Welcome to the Organized and Cherish podcast with the organized Flamingo. I am your host Stephanie, your compassionate and deficient professional organizer. Whether you are part of the sandwich generation helping a loved one declutter, or just trying to simplify life, this is the place for you. Together we will tackle those overwhelming piles of stuff, uncover purpose in what we keep, and let go with dignity and care, because it's not just about throwing everything away, it's about respecting memories and simplifying life.
Sound like a plan? Let's jump in and get organized. Okay, so let's. Do a quick introduction to the topic. You know, expired potions is what I like to call them, but it's really anything that is overlooked and has been sitting there for so long that it has created this gross format. Yes, sometimes it's liquid in the form of liquid.
Even things that you don't think like plastic or other melt meltable type of items and structures that will become liquid and you didn't even realize could become liquid. Especially if you live in an in a space and or it's been sitting under high heat like I heat or temperature. So I'm talking just everything that has now been merged.
Into this category. You had no idea it was even part of another. Another one of those items is like paint. Some of it will harden and you didn't even realize that it was paint. Maybe especially if it's a house that was not yours, you don't even know what's in it. It used to be liquid. It used to be. Fill in the blank here, but it now has transformed into something different.
So that's kind of what we're talking about, and it's one of the most overlooked categories of clutter because they take up space, they lose their magic, and in some cases can even be dangerous. What happens is you avoid them and you put 'em in the back of, fill in the blank, whatever space, so you put 'em in the back of the shelf, you put 'em way back underneath the sink in the garage, and then they just get forgotten.
Sometimes they even become part of the space. I'm actually working in someone's space as I'm recording this, or the week that I'm recording this, they're in their pantry. I mean, it just became part of the shelf like it is no longer. Separate liquid food item we can pick up. It is now embedded as part, it's almost like a a paint, a witches paint craft room because now it's become part of the shelf and now we have to replace the entire shelf before they can sell the house or all the shelves, because now it's just all been embedded in there.
Bubbled as part of the paint and as part of, like I said, like that whole area of the shelves. So those are the, the spaces that I'm talking about. And they're just forgotten because the avoidance factor started with, I will deal with it later. I'm not sure what to do with it. It developed into, it morphing into something you didn't even recognize.
You didn't wanna touch it, you didn't know how to touch it. Maybe you did want to tackle it, but you were afraid of what it was and you didn't. And then one thing led to another, and now it's been sitting there for a very long time. So those are the types of scary items we're covering today and spaces. So first, let's start with the bathroom.
That's one of the spookiest spots. Uh, so think about your bathroom cabinet or drawers. If you haven't looked closely in a while, you might find potions that should have been tossed years ago. And again, just as a disclaimer, because it's our spooky episode, I talk about potions and I say the word potions, but it could be a substitute for all items that are expired in icky eng gross.
You don't wanna touch. Okay. So that's what we're referring to when I say potions. Not that you literally created potions and actually now you have created potions and you didn't even realize it. So anyway, alright, back to our episode. Okay, so these are the things that should have been tossed a long time ago in the bathroom.
So let's first talk about the medicine cabinet. Cold medicine, cough syrup, prescription bottles, kids medications, they all have expiration dates and after that date they can lose their effectiveness. Some can even change chemically and cause harm. So look, I I'm not in your home right now. I don't know you personally.
And so, uh, this is one of those statements that I'm making for you to be aware of, and it's not always a rule. I understand that some medicine and some, you know, manufacturers and companies and big pharma and whatnot, they may be trying to cover themselves. So they give you some expression, date, or warnings that you know are blanket warnings and you make, quote, unquote, no better.
I don't want to get and stand between you and you listening to your own self and your own gut, but what I will say that is a known fact and that I just want you to be aware of is that in everything that you ingest and actually anything that is made, it does lose its effectiveness. And whether that's harmful to you or not, I just need you to make sure you make your own call, you talk to your physician about it.
And whoever you believe can give you better guidance, but, uh, they do lose its, its effectiveness sometimes their color. And so those are the things I want you to be aware of. The scary part about it is that most of us just leave them there just in case. And don't have some kind of warning label that, hey, yes, it's expired, or, Hey, I'm aware that this has changed color.
Just extra precaution. Like that's the part where it gets really scary because some people don't even know that that is happening to their medicine cabinet or their stuff, so then they just use it like it was not expired. And so my biggest tip here, especially because it can land in the wrong hands. Is that if you are a connoisseur, a pro in this department and you want to listen to your own gut, great.
But I would highly suggest that you add some kind of warning label, some kind of note that says, or even a whole bin that is like expired items bin, so that if someone else that is not you opens that medicine cabinet, they can see that you have, that you are aware that it's expired. Okay. Something along those lines because they might not know, they don't know what you're thinking.
They don't know that the label came off and what the label, you know, the label, especially those little, um, pill bottles, you know, the orange ones that you get from the hospital or the pharmacies. What some people wanna have so many people do is they'll put another medicine or their vitamins or some, or candy in those little containers because they are, they're a very handy little container that you can just put in your purse.
You can just take with you. But if the label is still there, that says what it used to be. Or if the label has been worn, worn off, take it off, and you have no idea what's in there. Or someone else doesn't know what's in there, they don't know what you're thinking. So in the medicine cabinet, world labeling is super important to stay organized, to stay out of the danger zone, label the living heck out of things, what your intentions are that you know they're expired.
Any of those notes will be very helpful. It also allows you to view a check-in every couple months, every six months, and then you can see when's the last time that you used this? Um, have you been saying that it's expired for the last three years, and maybe now it's time for it to let it go in the medicine cabinet?
My biggest tip for you is, well, two things. One is the. Throw it away. But there are like drug takeback boxes and programs at your local pharmacy, like Walgreens, CVS, whatever is local to you. Um, even your local small business pharmacy will have one. It's like, it's just basically bring in your expired medicine and we will throw it away in a responsible manner.
So that would be my first pick for you in the medicine cabinet side. Get your gloves, put it in there, and then take it to them. Or community collection event. A lot of the police departments have that. Um, local municipalities type of, uh, events will have those as well. Um, so don't just flush them down the toilet.
That can contaminate the water supplies. So if you can definitely drop them off at the police station, um, local pharmacy, et cetera. Second to that would be if you are deciding to. Keep it because you don't believe in the expiration date for whatever reason. Definitely something I would not advise. But you do, you label it, label that this is the expired box section so that people that get into your medicine cabinet know they're aware of it, uh, so that you can do a check-in for your own self.
That those are the things that could start to be thrown away and you could start letting them go. Hopefully the sooner, sooner the better. Okay, so that would be my most actionable tip with the medicine cabinet. Now, next up, let's talk about makeup and skincare. So if you've got mascara older than three months, it's basically a breeding ground for bacteria, sunscreen, it loses its power about, you know, about two years or so after you know you've, you've used it and opened it, which means it may not protect your skin at all.
Lotions and serums that smell off or have changed texture, it's time to let them go. Hair products that have been separated or smell funny also probably needs to be thrown away. If you've ever tried to use old nail polish and found it gooey and separated, you know exactly where I'm going. This is the kind of stuff.
That might be losing its effectiveness. And when it comes to beauty products like makeup and skincare, that kind of stuff breeds bacteria and because you're putting it on your face, on your hair and your body, your children or your family, then we start getting into that really scary part of cross-contamination and it just doing the opposite of helping you look beautiful and feel beautiful.
Now it's just giving you a rash and we don't want that. There's quite a few, uh, rules to this that it differs. It depends on if it's more of a natural product versus not, versus the weather patterns that you, or temperatures that you live under. Okay. So instead of me trying to give you a one rule, because there is no one rule like it, the mascara within the three months has been a recommendation for most beauty companies and you know, yes, some of it is because they're trying to cover themselves.
I agree. But also if you're putting down your eye. It is absolutely breeding that bacteria and you can also get yourself infected. Some of it I have seen firsthand. Okay, so it doesn't, it's not just about. The conspiracy theories. It's also about common scene, like the common sense piece of it. Like, oh, that that looks like it has lost its potency.
It probably needs to go, and it could actually be creating something opposite of helping you. So with that being said, makeup and skincare, because it goes on your body. If it's already been opened, then that's where it starts to get into that danger zone. If it has not been opened, use the best. Follow your gut, but just follow your intuition.
With that being said. Because the stuff is gooey, it tends to be kind of, uh, um, it can leak, explode, and, and all of that. And what some people end up doing is they put it into this baggie and then the germs and all that, it starts to accumulate in the bag. And I've seen so many things that get, even with no airflow, very gross.
So I would pay more attention to makeup and skincare. That has been opened. So start there. If you're trying to make a very quick actionable progress in your decluttering journey, start with the things that have been opened. If you haven't used it, if you don't even remember when's the last time you used it, it might be time to let it go.
If you're trying to keep it because you like the color, you know, nail polish, that's a big one for a lot of people that I work with, they don't want to throw it away because yes, they understand they can't use it anymore. It's gooey, it's gone. It's hard. They really liked that color Once upon a time, they don't want to lose it.
So if you have colors that you don't want to lose in your makeup bag area, but you know it's temp to let it go, but you're keeping the container because it was, you know, it's just a good reminder. I would take a picture of the name of that makeup item and, or just like in a piece of paper or something, create a swatch of the color.
Take a picture, write down the name, you know, and put that in a file. If you really, if, if that's really the reason you're keeping those items. Otherwise, go ahead, throw it away. Unlike the medicine, makeup, and skincare doesn't really have a drop off, like a take back box area. It's not considered the same as medicine.
But I'll tell you what, most drug stores, makeup companies, makeup counters, stores will take back. The makeup and skincare that you did not use or liked within its return policy period. If you've ever opened something and then didn't use it because it didn't work for you, I would see if they will take it back or exchange it for something newer.
Give it a try. It does not hurt to ask, and especially if you like the if, or you're like a loyal member or something of that store or that brand, see it, they'll take it back. You never know. Number one is try to get rid of the things that have been opened. They smell funny. They're not in good condition.
It's time to let them go. Two, call the companies that you, uh, you know, the, the makeup or skincare company and see if they will replace it. There's a reason you did not finish the item. You might not have liked it. And they want to win you back, and they want to keep you as a loyal customer. So they probably will send you either one, a newer one or another color or something that does work for you so that you can continue buying from them.
So try that out. The third would be, this is a good space for boundaries if you're overflowing with skincare and makeup stuff. Create boundaries, like what is your makeup and hair care drawers, space, baskets, and then every time you are overflowing outside of that, let's reel it in. Let's go ahead and throw some stuff out and make room for new, fresher items that are actually going to work, and you're actually using hi cherish friends.
Life can get overwhelming, especially when you're juggling caregiving, clutter and everything in between. That's why I created the Organizing Cherish Weekly email that goes out every Wednesday straight to your inbox. To help you keep the momentum inspiration going with tips and reminders of our upcoming events, all you have to do is head on over to organize and cherish.com and sign up for the email newsletter.
It's free and you can up subscribe whenever you'd like. It's my way of helping you simplify your life and respecting memories along the way. Now back to our show. Now let's move over to the kitchen. This is where some of the trickiest stuff lives when it comes to yucky, creepy things to potentially get rid of because many of them look fine but have lost their magic.
So as opposed to medicine and or like your medicine cabinet or hair and skincare products, this stuff sometimes will look fine. Because you've kept it in the refrigerator or you kept it in a well temperature regulated space, so it doesn't look bad until you actually open it, until you actually use it.
You know? Spices are also a big one. Honestly, we're not talking, I'm not going to talk specifics about any of these food items. In my opinion, every household makes their own decisions on those. Every type of different types of cooking requires food to be at different stages of it. Um, so I am going to leave that to the professionals, like the, the chefs in your own household.
That being said, because you can't really get a good idea if something went bad until you truly open it. When it comes to food, especially stuff like I said, in the refrigerator and whatnot, unless it's completely obvious, you know, that's bubbling out and it's moldy and cheesy and ugh, gross. Of course, those will be very obviously stinky and Utes.
Yes, throw those away. But the other ones that are not so obvious that have a lid. Couple things to look out for is if they're bloated. So if maybe they're, they just started, like the gases inside or something went bad inside, and so they're starting to look bloated. Look for that. If you can't smell it, if you, if there's something that popped up, you know, like the, not just bloated, but um, the lid has popped up.
That's another kind of telltale, in addition to if it said it's already expired. The thing is, a lot of items I have seen in many kitchens that have not expired did go bad. Why? Because it was exposed to drastic temperatures. Very big example is, um, if you're an rv or like, we had had a client who we cleared out his RV and what he thought was fine when he opened it, things went bad because the RV had been kept in a storage facility that was not temperature regulated.
So all the cans that were in there, quote unquote, looked fine, but when you opened it. Even though it was not expired, it had definitely gone bad, smelled gross. Just there was something, maybe it had already been a bad product. That's besides the point. But also it had been in high heat, like Florida high heat.
And then he had, um, driven it around in different places where it snowed. So it was, it had been exposed to various temperatures, so the items went bad. So look for those popups. Bloated jars and containers and boxes and kind of go from there. There's also a couple of pantry staples that I want you to, you know, kind of go through that many of you don't.
So unless you're a baker, unless you're in baking all the time, or I guess making pastries something that's very seasonal. Go into those drawers. Those are the places that you probably opened a year ago to make some Halloween cookies, to make the Christmas cake, to make the Easter whatever treat. Okay, and you did not open it.
You have not even looked at it since then. Those are going to be one of the prime places that I like. Like if I only have an hour with you, the places I'm going to in your kitchen, where creepy, little gross, sticky things will be that went, that have gone bad. And the potions are now gross is going to be seasonal places like, like the baking area, seasonal spaces, number one.
Followed by going around and touching all of the, with clean hands, of course, but touching all of the jars, cardboard boxes, soups, boxes, going around and touching them and seeing if anything has been bloated or, um, it's just not feeling right. So that's a bit, those are the two. If I only have like an hour with you, so start there.
A couple of other places are oils. Oils are another sneaky one. They can go rancid over time, especially if they've been stored in, in, uh, warm spots. So rancid oil doesn't always smell bad right away, but it can make your food taste off and it's just not good for you. Look out for the oils, uh, look out for the spices.
Make you know, kind of feel, feel it out and see and test it out. Sometimes you just kind of op, just open the lids every couple months, every six months, every year. Make sure that they're still smelling the way that they're supposed to. Um, don't forget cleaning supplies. Cleaning supplies live in the kitchen a lot of times and or the bathrooms areas.
Um, so some can separate and they can also lose their effectiveness as well. So don't let we, we won't dive too much into cleaning supplies because that's a whole, it's a very big category. But because we're talking about the kitchen under the sinks, um, that's also an area I want you to, to, to look at. Uh, mixing old products can create toxic fumes.
So if you created something by accident or it's leaking, um, if we're talking about cleaning supplies and I only have an hour with you, I'm just gonna go in and make sure that nothing is leaking out. Creating something toxic, like toxic fumes, definitely a haunted house moment that you do not want. Okay, now let's head on over to the garage and basement areas.
We actually have an entire, I would say, two, three episodes in about these spaces. One of our spooky episodes. Was about these areas, so we won't dive too much into creepy crawlers themselves, like how to avoid that. Since there's an entire episode on that, we've also talked about how to organize or my tips on how to organize garages and basements, so we won't dive too much into that episode.
This one is more about things I want you to look out for in those spaces. So garages, basements, storage areas, things like that. Those can be really, um, spooky scary for a lot of people, for many reasons. But the most common reason that I have found that you probably can relate to is that there's low visibility, so you can't really see in there.
There's probably one light above you and it's kind of straight out of a horror film. You also haven't been there in a long time, so you're not familiar with the space. It doesn't, it's not making you feel safe since it's been so long. Probably also literally cold. Not insulated or it's ex more like exposed walls, exposed flooring.
So it just doesn't give you that cozy feeling. So it makes it spookier than it already can be. And so that's what I have noticed what people avoid. Okay. But these are the places where potions really go to hide because it's not insulated, because it gets ignored for so long, and a lot of these items are out of sight outta mind.
So. And then the last piece of that, that is because of all those elements that they're just more open to those elements. Creepy crawlers tend to get in there so that it just makes the whole thing a hundred times worse knowing that, you know, you could be exposed to that. And that's gross and that's creepy.
And no thank you, spiders, mice, raccoons, whatever critter is around your area and neighborhood. No thank you. Right, so that just adds to everything. So let's start with a couple things. Let's start with, um, paint cans or any of those cans that, um, tend to accumulate. If they've been dried up, separated or more than 10 years old, it's probably time to let them go.
Those are prob, not like a probably, but they should. Very toxic has lost its color. It has lots, its of even producing what it is that you wanted it to. And you're probably not using it enough if you're trying to be crafty and you're saying, oh, but I might need it for the special craft, honestly. Are you, will you?
Oh, probably not. So I, I will challenge you, uh, on this one as opposed to the foods and medicine cabinet and all that, because I think everybody should make their own decisions on their own body. But when it comes to paint cans. Paint thinner type spray cans. Oh man. Those, I just have never really seen someone actually go and repurpose this, and it's, it just, I just haven't, so I, I can be very comfortable to say, go ahead and donate those, take those to the local paint, take back program.
Many communities have special paint recycling programs. So check your local guidelines for that quick Google search. Quick search on your chat, GBT, uh, where when is an A next paint can recycle back, uh, event. It's something will come up. If anything, if nothing comes up, then just ask your Facebook marketplace area of groups or next door.
Then there are the garden chemicals, the pesticides, the fertilizers, the weed killers. They all have expiration dates too. I bet you didn't know that. Some of those, again, they lose their power, their efficiency. Others become unstable. Um, so it, because a lot of those are living things in there as well. Like, uh, garden food, if you don't remember when you bought it, that's a red flag.
If you don't know, ask or go to the manufacturer company and see, you know, what they've got on under their commonly asked questions. When it's just not feeling right, maybe it's tempted. Let it go or donate it. Uh, let's not forget about the automobile fluids like motor oil antifreeze, or old gas in a container.
Those can be really hazardous if not stored properly and dangerous if they leak, so called your local auto shop. Ask them what is the best way to recycle? Let those go. Every town is a little different. Every county, every state with their laws. So go ahead and do that, search on your own and take care of that appropriately.
If you're working with an organizer, ask them to do the research for you, save you some time. But if you're doing it yourself, go ahead and do one of those searches and take care of that. Uh, when it comes to automobile fluids or just any of those, like fluids, garden, chemicals, all that. I do like to keep, I like to keep things in bins, like, um, plastic bins, not cardboard bins, uh, at least so that you can contain it and it doesn't stain or damage your shelves, your flooring, those spaces, because a lot of those will make permanent damage to the concrete and whatnot.
So I do keep them in a, uh, bin, like a plastic bin, but I don't. But I don't seal it, so I don't put the lid on, or I make sure that whatever bin it's in, it's well ventilated, very well. Ventilated is the key here. So if you're going to be storing them a little bit longer, make sure they have good ventilation, that they are not going to damage any of your space, any of the, um, area that it's being stored in.
For our last category, let's talk about random potions around the house. Probably hiding in a corner, something melted, something combined, and now has created a funky gross area that you don't want to tackle. Candles. Candles is a big one. They smell weird or maybe they don't light anymore, they melt it together.
Probably time to let it go because you don't know what ingredients are mixing together now, and you then go light it up and that might be a cause for disaster even if you don't see it. You might be smelling it, probably not a good idea. Craft supplies like glue sticks, dried out markers, hardened paints.
Those are, you know, less on the, on the, I guess, hazardous area section. Um, those can just go straight in the trash. Um, but take a look at that. That could be an easy win, declutter moment for you. Go through all the pens, see which ones work, which ones don't. The ones that don't let them go. Again, they might not be dangerous, but they're very frustrating.
They take up space, they take up, uh, mental space when you go to grab one or what you think will work and then it doesn't. Or it melted together and now it doesn't work, and now you have to go get some, a new one. You know, they just waste time in space when you reach for them and discover they're useless.
So let's get rid of those. And then the last of it is anything that has melted, anything that is, like I've mentioned. Plastic type of materials, those will often create this icky space where you can't get into something got stuck to each other. Now you can't get into that space. Go ahead and either unmelted with a hair dryer.
Or just get rid of that whole section, take it apart and get rid of it and start over. That would be one of my biggest steps, uh, because if not, then you keep avoiding that area and every time there is high heat, especially true for not insulated spaces like your shed, your basement, all that, then you'll, you know, it just keeps occupying space that you could be using for something.
Otherwise. Here's how you can tackle your expired potions without it feeling overwhelming. Do a quick sweep once a year. Halloween is a great reminder. Put some spooky music on. Get in the mood and tackle it. Hire someone to do it if it is truly creepy and grossing you out, but let's take care of that.
Keep a discard box handy for expired items so you're not tempted to put them back. Really good idea. I've seen a lot of people just kind of have that box so that when. Especially if, if they'd like to get a refill for it, right? Like, oh, it's expired, but I liked it. I just didn't use it all. And then next time it's a reminder to get a smaller size, even if it's a little bit more expensive or you, or it's more expensive per ounce or whatever.
And the, at the end of the day, if you're wasting half of the bottle and it expired, then you actually might be saving yourself some money if you get the smaller size. So I know a lot of people have the discard box, and that has been very handy for them. Dispose of them properly. Drug take back for meds.
Recycling programs for paint hazarded, waste collection for chemicals. Great options. And then lastly, replace only what you truly use. Don't restock everything just in case that will ultimately give you a feeling like you're a store, like a grocery store, but nobody's buying, you know nobody's buying the backfill.
And then that just gets gross and cruddy and you will end up throwing it away, wasting money. So let's not do that. Alright, so this Halloween season, don't let expired potions haunt your home. Take a little time to sweep through your cabinets, drawers, and storage spaces, clear out the things that have lost their power, and make space for fresh magic instead.
Until next week, happy organizing and happy Halloween. Thank you for listening to the Organized and Cherish podcast with the Organized Flamingo. If you enjoy today's episode, I'd be so grateful if you left a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps others discover our show. For full show notes, resources, and more organizing inspiration, visit www.theorganizedflamingo.com/podcast.
Until next time, happy organizing.