Myth or Fact: Is the Bathroom Cabinet the Wrong Place for Your Medicines?
It's where most of us keep pills and painkillers. Health agencies say the steam from your shower can quietly make them weaker.
By Sophie LaurentDesign & Garden Editor
Open almost any bathroom cabinet and you'll find painkillers, vitamins and a half-finished course of something. It feels like the obvious place for medicines. It is also, according to health agencies, one of the worst.
Pills and capsules are the most easily affected, which is exactly what most bathroom cabinets are full of.
What the official guidance says
MedlinePlus, the consumer health service of the US National Library of Medicine, says plainly that although most people keep medicines in a bathroom cabinet, "the heat and moisture from your shower, bath, and sink may damage your medicines." It adds that they can become less potent or go bad before the expiration date, and that pills and capsules are easily damaged by heat and moisture (MedlinePlus).
The US Food and Drug Administration makes the same point: improper storage, "such as a damp bathroom cabinet", can reduce the effectiveness of medicines that haven't yet reached their expiry date. For most medicines, it recommends a cool, dry place (FDA).
Where to keep them instead
- A bedroom drawer or a high cupboard away from radiators and sunny windowsills.
- A kitchen cabinet, but not the one next to the stove, sink or hot appliances, as MedlinePlus advises.
- A lidded box on a closet shelf, which makes it easy to keep everything together and out of children's reach.
Always check the label first: some medicines must be refrigerated, and others must be kept below a set temperature. Those instructions override general advice.
Keep children in mind
Wherever you move them, choose a spot that is up high and out of sight of young children, and keep medicines in their original, child-resistant containers.
Signs a medicine may have been damaged
Tablets that are crumbling, discoloured, stuck together or smell unusual should not be taken. If in doubt, ask a pharmacist, and don't use medicines past their expiry date.
The bottom line
The bathroom cabinet is a convenient habit, not a good storage spot. Moving your medicines to a cool, dry cupboard takes five minutes and helps them work as intended.
Sources
- MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, "Storing your medicines"
- US Food and Drug Administration, "Don't Be Tempted to Use Expired Medicines"
Related stories
Myth or Fact: Does a Bowl of Water on the Radiator Fix Dry Winter Air?
A bowl of water on a radiator adds a little moisture, but not enough to change the humidity of a whole room. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity between 30 and 50 percent.
Elena Rossi · · 4 min read
Myth or Fact: Is It Fine to Wash Grease Down the Garbage Disposal With Hot Water?
Hot water and a garbage disposal don't stop grease from clogging pipes. Water utilities say fats, oils and grease should go in the bin, not down the drain.
James Okafor · · 4 min read
Myth or Fact: Is Mixing Bleach and Vinegar Really That Dangerous?
Mixing bleach with vinegar or another acid releases chlorine gas. What poison centres say, what to do if it happens, and which other mixes to avoid.
Sophie Laurent · · 4 min read