So, you’re going on a trip? You pack a few “hotel size” bottles of shampoo and conditioner. When you get to the hotel, you toss in a few more of these little things. You get home, and now you have twice as many as you left with. What do you do with all these little bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, shower caps and sewing kits???

I have baskets filled with these cute little bottles. Some are from special trips and places, but many are from places I couldn’t recall if I had to! And most of the contents of these tiny containers aren’t any good anymore. So what do I do with these things?! Hopefully I’m not alone in my hotel bottle collection. If you have baskets or drawers of these things, go get them and get ready to make more cupboard and drawer space!

If you must have a reminder of a special place for sentimental reasons, save one and toss the rest. Also, toss out everything that is over a year old…and if you’re like me, you have no idea how old any of this stuff is. Keep a small stash for guests, gym bags, backpacks, purses and briefcases. Get rid of the rest. If you can’t bring yourself to throw these cute little gems away, give them away…your church, homeless shelter, women’s shelter and food bank will gladly take them off your hands. Let kids take a few on overnights or use them on camping trips. Heck, use them to wash the dog.

The point is this…your baskets will continue to overflow with these things if you don’t scale down. Let’s get rid of them and use the cupboard and drawer space for storing big bottles of shampoo and conditioner that we buy in bulk for a good price. Use the space to store huge quantities of toilet paper and soap that we know we’re going to use every day. Doesn’t that make more sense than stock-piling tiny bottles we probably will never use!

While you’re at it, pull everything out of those bathroom cupboards and drawers. Toss out as much as you can. Wipe down with a cleaner and let dry. Put back what’s left and wipe down the counters and mirror. Clean the sink, toilet and floor. Leave the shower for another day, unless you’re on a roll! Put out fresh towels and light a scented candle.

Wow! Your bathroom looks great! Give yourself a pat on the back and take out the trash you cleared out of the bathroom. Throw it all out and don’t look back. Trust me, you’ll soon have another basket overflowing with those little bottles. When you do, you’ll know it’s time to clean out your bathroom again! For now, though, enjoy your clean, tidy and organized bathroom, because very soon the sink will be dirty and the counters and towels will be covered in toothpaste. And this lovely room will be a distant memory!