Cleaning Out the Medicine Cabinet - Redux

Last summer I shared my adventures of cleaning out my medicine cabinet. Most of us don't realize that it's not as simple a task as just throwing things away, rearranging items or wiping off the shelves.

Not even close!

I was reminded twice about that in the past couple of days. First, my morning glance into the medicine cabinet is like a nagging voice in my head. "What a mess! You should be ashamed! How can you find anything in here? You'd better hope Martha Stewart doesn't show up!" It's not unlike opening the refrigerator door. (Don't you always wonder if the mold that forms on leftovers couldn't somehow cure a dread disease?)

My second reminder came from Mark Cichocki, a fellow About.com guide, who provides some very specific ideas about how to dispose of old meds and medical waste. He reminds us that it can be dangerous to pets and children, or even to the entire community, if we don't dispose of old drugs or waste properly. That includes a major problem if we simply flush or dump them.

So here are some of Mark's ideas:

• Be sure to block out your name and other personal information on any pill bottles or other containers. It's a way to protect yourself from medical identity theft.
• Add kitty litter, sawdust or coffee grounds to any liquids to make it less likely someone will (intentionally or unintentionally) try to ingest them.
• There are other options like pharmacies that will take back old drugs or groups that collect them for distribution in third world countries.

Take a moment to review all of Mark's ideas -- he's done a good job. You'll find additional ideas in last summer's review of how to dispose of old drugs, too.

Cleaning out your medicine cabinet is a great summer task. A sense of accomplishment, plus one less thing to worry about if Martha Stewart shows up at your backyard picnic.

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