These 10 Things Don’t Belong in Your Bathroom
We often view the bathroom as a storage spot for hygiene and beauty products. However, the perpetually warm and humid environment in most bathrooms can be surprisingly damaging to items we assume should live there. Here’s a look at ten everyday things you should banish from your bathroom to preserve them and improve your bathroom’s overall tidiness and functionality.
1. Medications
The steam from showers and fluctuating temperatures can compromise the effectiveness of many medications. Heat and moisture can make capsules stick together, tablets degrade, and liquid medications separate.
Where to store instead: Medications fare best in a cool, dry place, away from direct light. A kitchen cabinet or bedroom drawer could be a better option. Be sure to follow any specific instructions on the medication labels.
2. Jewelry
Jewelry, especially costume or silver pieces, can tarnish with prolonged exposure to humidity. Constant dampness can lead to rust and the growth of mold and bacteria, particularly if your jewelry isn’t cleaned regularly after wear.
Where to store instead: A dedicated jewelry box with a soft lining is ideal. If humidity remains a concern in your living space, you might consider adding silica gel packets (those little “do not eat” packets found in some products) to your storage box for extra moisture absorption.
3. Electronics
Most of us understand electronics and water don’t mix well. But sometimes, we forget that the steam and humidity of a bathroom are still forms of moisture that can infiltrate devices. It can cause corrosion and ultimately shorten the lifespan of electronics like hairdryers, straighteners, and electric razors.
Where to store instead: If you keep styling tools in the bathroom, ensure they are unplugged and completely cooled when stored. Store other electronics (chargers, smart speakers, etc.) in another room entirely, even if they aren’t used near the sink or shower.
4. Towels
While it seems convenient to keep towels right where you use them, bathrooms generally don’t provide enough airflow to allow towels to fully dry between uses. Damp towels provide a breeding ground for bacteria and can easily develop mildew. That musty smell? An indicator is that it’s time to launder your towels.
Where to store instead: Opt for hooks or a towel bar placed outside the bathroom, ideally in a place with good airflow, which encourages quicker drying.
5. Makeup and Skincare
Bathrooms can fluctuate in temperature. Plus, exposure to dampness encourages bacterial growth. Both factors shorten the lifespan of cosmetics and skincare products. Cream-based products are especially vulnerable.
Where to store instead: A vanity drawer or shelf in your bedroom is a much better option. For more fragile or expensive products, a mini-fridge specifically designed for beauty products is optimal as it keeps ingredients stable.
6. Perfumes and Colognes
As with skincare and makeup, fragrances are sensitive to fluctuating heat and humidity. These conditions break down their delicate chemical structure, impacting the scent itself. This also leads to evaporation, which shortens the product’s life.
Where to store instead: Keeping perfumes and colognes in their original boxes in a cool, dark place like a closet or cabinet will drastically increase their longevity.
7. Razors
Constant contact with moisture leads to blades rusting more quickly. Plus, moist environments are attractive to bacteria.
Where to store instead: Allow razors to air dry completely outside the bathroom. Investing in a razor stand to properly position your razor while drying avoids water pooling in the handle.
8. Books and Magazines
Paper readily absorbs moisture. Humidity within a bathroom will encourage pages to warp, become brittle, and can accelerate yellowing. In severe cases, you’ll have a perfect environment for mold.
Where to store instead: Obviously, anywhere but the bathroom! Instead, dedicate a shelf or basket in your living room or bedroom to your preferred reading material.
9. Natural or Handmade Soaps
If you frequently use natural, handmade, or cold-processed soaps, you might have encountered this problem. Without preservatives, soaps tend to soften and melt much faster if left in wet conditions. Even soap dishes don’t always completely drain after a hot shower.
Where to store instead: Allow such soaps to completely dry outside the bathroom before moving them to their dish. Placing a natural wood slat beneath the soap in the dish further improves airflow, keeping it drier.
10. Anything Made of Natural Materials: Wood, Wicker, Bamboo
Items crafted from natural materials readily absorb moisture. Prolonged exposure to a humid bathroom causes warping, swelling, and mold growth. Even treated wood isn’t immune to a persistent high-moisture environment.
Where to store instead: If at all possible, natural materials are best kept outside the bathroom for longevity. For example, a wicker laundry basket is better off in a bedroom or closet.
FAQs
- If something doesn’t go bad, can’t I still store it there? Even if an item doesn’t spoil or go bad, the environment may deteriorate its appearance and usability or cause wear and tear that happens much faster than ideal.
- But I don’t have space anywhere else! Consider decluttering. Less “stuff” will free up space in other areas of your home. Invest in under-sink storage to optimize available bathroom space. Decorative baskets on shelves provide overflow storage or a chance to relocate bathroom-inappropriate items in style.
- What CAN I keep in the bathroom? It’s primarily a matter of the material. Products specifically designed for humid environments (shower-safe items, waterproof containers) will fare best. Items used daily and meant to get wet are safe bets— think cleaning supplies, hand soap, hair care products specifically meant for the shower, etc.). Just be mindful of letting things dry before returning them to a cabinet or closed space.
Taking control of what lives in your bathroom can give you more space, keep items lasting longer, and improve the overall hygiene of what is meant to be a clean space.
