Good hygiene is so important to me - I'm proud of my sparkling-clean bathroom, and I very much like it when my guests compliment me on it. So naturally, I was shocked when I learned that I was keeping things in my bathroom that I shouldn’t be (and no, I am not talking about electronic gadgets).
A bathroom is quite a volatile, paradoxical place. The temperature gets so high when I run a hot bath or shower, and after that, it drops very low. These damp, humid conditions cause all manner of problems. We've heard about mold, but what about hidden bacteria? What about oxidation? Listen to what nasty consequences these will have to 8 bathroom items that should be kept out of the bathroom:
1. Toothbrushes
I don’t know about you, but I have always kept my toothbrush in my bathroom right next to the toothpaste. But shockingly, this is the very worst place to keep it, for two reasons. Firstly, if your toothbrush is left out in the open, it is vulnerable to attack from all the terrible particles expelled from your toilet once flushed. Secondly, the bathroom’s humidity makes your toothbrush a super breeding spot for bacteria to flourish.
Solution: Instead, keep your toothbrush in a cooler, darker place. Perhaps your bedroom. And always replace your brush every 3-4 months.
2. Extra Razor Blades
Another mistake I have been making all my adult life is keeping my spare razor blades exposed to the damp fury of my bathroom’s atmosphere. Surely a razor can look out for itself, can't it? No, it can’t. All the humidity is eating away at the razor’s keen sharpness, silently dulling it. What is more, the dampness causes the blade to oxidize and therefore rust.
Solution: Keep your razors in an air-tight container, or move to another drier part of the house.
3. Make-Up & Make-Up Brushes
Often, I keep my make-up in the bathroom because I’m in a hurry to get out of the house. While this may have been convenient for me, it certainly wasn’t for my make-up. Heat and humidity eat away at make-up, degenerating and degrading it. It will go bad and spoil before you ever get to finish it yourself. What a waste!
Solution: Keep it in the bedroom near a suitable mirror so you are not tempted to relocate them ever again. And replace your make-up regularly.
4. Medicine
We all know not to mess with our medicine. But do you know that medicine cabinets should never be in your bathroom? I certainly didn’t. All that humidity and heat will ruin the drugs you store inside it. It will lessen their potency and also accelerate their expiry.
Solution: A kitchen cupboard is a better location, provided that it is far enough away from any cooking steam.
5. Birth Control
It is not only vital medicine that will spoil in the bathroom cabinet. Any birth control you have could be rendered unusable due to the conditions. You may be beginning to wonder what, if anything, you can keep in your bathroom cabinet. Well, things like toothpaste and Band-Aids can be safely kept, since they are already tightly packaged to avoid prolonged contact with the damp air.
Solution: It makes better sense to keep any birth control products in your bedroom.
6. Towels & Bathrobes
After a lovely hot soak, or a refreshing shower there are few better feelings than wrapping a soft towel or bathrobe over my clean body. Like me, therefore, many people have been tempted to keep their towels and linens in a bathroom cupboard. This, however, is not a good idea. If your towels are kept waiting for days on end at the bottom of your great stack, they will soak up a lot of dampness and begin to smell.
Solution: Keep any towels you are not expecting to use the same day in a dry, warm room, like the airing cupboard. Towels should also be replaced at least every two years.
7. Perfume
Whenever you start spraying your lovely bottle of perfume the scent begins to slowly degenerate. In normal conditions this would be fine, providing you use your perfume regularly enough. Keeping it in your bathroom, however, will vastly speed up the oxidation process, spoiling your perfume before you can use it up.
Solution: Keep your perfume with your make-up in your bedroom. And make sure you use the bottle within two years.
8. Jewelry
I often accidentally leave my jewelry in the bathroom, taking it off either to do the cleaning or have a nice bath. Unfortunately, this can be devastating both for my cheaper items and the more expensive ones. Anything a little on the cheap side will start to rust due to oxidation, and any precious silver jewelry will tarnish.
Solution: Never leave your jewelry, cheap or expensive, anywhere apart from your body and your jewelry box.
