Medicine Cabinet Purge

How to complete Medicine Cabinet Purge

Expired and half-used medications quietly pile up until you can't tell what's safe to take, and old painkillers are a real risk to kids, guests, and pets. Clearing them out gives you a cabinet you can actually trust in a sick-at-2am moment.

1. Pull everything out and check expiration dates, tossing anything past date or with no legible label
2. Separate prescriptions and controlled meds; these need careful disposal, not the open trash
3. Use a pharmacy take-back box or DEA collection site for the prescriptions, or mix loose pills with coffee grounds or cat litter in a sealed bag if no take-back exists
4. Restock what you actually use and group by purpose: pain, allergy, stomach, first aid
5. Wipe the shelves and note anything you need to replace

Tips

• Don't flush medications unless the FDA flush list specifically names that drug; most should not go down the drain
• Store daily medicines at eye level and keep anything dangerous to children in a high or locked spot

What counts as done

No expired bottles remain, prescriptions were disposed of responsibly, and the cabinet is sorted by use.