Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool
Dear Friends,
When is the last time you cleaned out your medicine cabinet? Some of you might not have an official “medicine” cabinet in the bathroom. I keep our vitamins and medications in a box in a kitchen cabinet. So I am using this term loosely, but it is likely something you do not go through on a regular basis.
Several years ago a hospice nurse taught me how to dispose of medications safely. You can use this type of method, or you can contact your local pharmacist to see if they have a program to safely dispose of unused or expired prescription medications.
You want to guard against contamination of ground water, so you do not want to flush unused medications. You also do not want to just throw them in the trash. You need to protect pets and children, too.
The method I was taught was to take the unused medications and put them into a plastic bag. Add water and kitty litter to the bag. Let it absorb, and then you can safely dispose of the entire bag and its contents.
You can use other things besides kitty litter, if you don’t have any on hand. Baking soda and water would also work. You could also use old coffee grounds with additional water added.
Set your timer and get your supplies out for safe disposal of the expired medications. Start checking dates and clean out these medications. They are serving no purpose for you when they are out of date. They are taking up space, and old medications can be hazardous.
One year, we had an abundance of medications for our nebulizer. Before they went out of date, I donated the extra medication to a local crisis center. They were thankful to get them, and I was able to give them away since we could not use them all before their expiration date.
You can do some research and make some calls to see if there is a free clinic with a pharmacist who can use any unexpired medications that you no longer need. I know this happens on occasion when a doctor prescribes a medication, and it does not work out for you.
Please be careful and responsible with prescription medications.
Your Zone Mission today is to declutter expired items from your medicine cabinet.
Your Home Blessing for today is to wipe your windows and mirrors.
My menu plan for Wednesday is chicken stir fry. Salad and veggies for me.
Have a great day!
