11 Things You Should Never Store in Your Bathroom
Updated: Jul. 14, 2020
Just because a product is supposed to be used in the bathroom doesn't mean it should be stored in the bathroom.
Medicine
Don’t keep your medicine in your medicine cabinet. We’re not just saying that to be ironic. Medicines and vitamins should be stored at a room temperature between 68 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Keeping them in a moisture-filled room, like your bathroom, can make them less potent or cause them to go bad before their expiration date, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Towels
Bathrooms are the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew, and your towels are easily susceptible to these gross fungi. It’s fine to keep one towel hung up in the bathroom, as long as you swap it out once a week. Turning on an exhaust fan can help dry out the room and your damp towel faster. Store extra towels in a closet. (Speaking of mildew, check out what you should clean in the next 30 days.)
Bathrobe
Another bit of ironic advice: Keep bathrobes out of the bathroom. Just like towels, damp robes could harbour bacteria, and humidity can give them a musty odour. Let them dry in your closet instead of on a hook in your bathroom.
Books
We get it: It can be nice to have some reading material available while you’re doing your business. But the books and magazines that are kept in the bathroom will absorb moisture, leaving you with wrinkled pages and deteriorating binding.
Jewellery
Jewellery boxes are generally kept on dressers and vanities for good reason. The humidity from your bathroom can make jewellery tarnish more quickly than normal, especially when it comes to sterling silver. Store your jewellery in a cool, dry place. Keeping it in an airtight bag is another effective method. (Did you also know that you can clean your jewellery with baby shampoo?)
Toothbrush
Yes, all the rumours you’ve heard are true. A 2012 study from Manchester University in England found that your toothbrush may house more than 10 million bacteria, and a portion of that comes from fecal matter that’s sprayed around the room every time you flush the toilet. To keep your brush as germ-free as possible, rinse and air-dry it after each use, and, if you still choose to store it in the bathroom, close the toilet lid before you flush.
Makeup
Leaving your makeup products in the bathroom exposes them to a lot of unwanted heat and moisture, which allows mold and other bacteria to spread and make your makeup go bad faster. And like toothbrushes, makeup brushes are also bound to get contaminated with fecal matter from sprayed toilet water. That’s something you definitely don’t want touching your face. (Learn how to properly clean your makeup brushes.)
Perfume
Heat and perfume just don’t mix. The experts at perfume.org say that fluctuations in temperature (the kind that can occur when you take steamy showers) can destroy the molecular integrity of your fragrance and cause it to sour.
Nail polish
Most nail polishes will last about two years, but leaving those bottles in the bathroom can make them go bad faster. Toss nail polish that doesn’t blend, is too thick, or looks crumbly. Again, heat and humidity are the culprits.
Razor blades
It’s fine to keep your current razor in the shower, but extra razor blades should be left outside of the bathroom. Otherwise, the humidity may rust or dull them before you even start to use them, Good Housekeeping reports. Drying razors after each shave can help keep them more effective longer.
Non-waterproof electronics
We love to sing in the shower as much as anyone, but humidity can do serious damage to your phone. If you need your tunes or morning news while you shower, invest in a shower radio (yes, they still exist) or a waterproof speaker.
Now that you’ve conquered what you shouldn’t leave in the bathroom, learn about the pieces of health advice that make absolutely no sense.
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