Things no one told you to throw out.

I did some research on some of my most used Items. I have been slowly trying to commit to certain types of fabrics/brands/themes that I know work for me or work for us as a family. However, it is not an overnight project. During this, I began a deep dive into caring for clothing. Which lead me to what this post is about; how to care for yourself by the things you buy yourself. Some of these are super easy swaps and who knows… maybe, that was causing some health problem and now you can fix it easy.. miracles happen so let’s dive in.

Let’s play a game. I will say a word and you say a response to that word.

Toothbrush!

If you are

A.) panicking because you know you have not been brushing your teeth enough

B.) Panicking because you still havent found or replaced the one you lost on vacation yet…

C.)Excited because you take great pride in your teeth cleaning routine

Any of these! Then you are safe because I’m not going to judge you for whatever is going on. I am simply here to remind you that your toothbrush: new, lost, or not owned only is good for 3-6 months. Now keep in mind that you can buy new heads for the expensive toothbrushes and there isn’t a force replacement for the mechanical part. These you can get on amazon in packs. This is just one of a few changes that is good for you!

Belle actually enjoyed brushing her teeth. This was a ridiculous but fun activity. Anyways make sure you remember that your toothbrush isn’t a purchase that happens once.

Next, LOOFAH

I love a good exfoliating loofah but I also love a good soft almost tickle scratch loofah. My favorites are linked when you click the pic!

Yup, those babies got to GOOOO. Try to think of these as more of a bath bomb experience they are great for short term use and fun! These need to be replaced at minimum every 3 weeks!

Thirdly, Beauty blenders, your makeup sponges will hold bacteria because they are getting wet and dry and not all the way dry and heated and on your face and that is the perfect breeding ground. You need to be replacing these every 1-3 months. However, keep in mind That is a big gap and it is based on how much you use that sponge. Everyone uses makeup a little differently and if you notice you use it daily and heavily aim more towards monthly rotations.

This is one of my fave beauty blenders and I get them on amazon for super cheap! Click this photo for the link!

Onto your razor. Don’t panic because its not the whole razor that has to be replaced but woah girlies we need to be changing our these blades so much more. Like every 5-7 shaves we should be changing the blade out. Just because it is “doing the job” and you “ don’t want to have to get another one” it is recommended that the razor blades be changed after 5-7 uses. Razor Blades are not safe forever.

Fifthly, pillowcases are great but your pillow still needs to be rotated out every 14-18 months. Think about how much we, as chronic illness people, spend on our pillow. Most studiies I read were just testing what happened with a regular person who got 8 hours of sleep a day. From only 8 hours a day it is highly recommended to replace your pillows every year.

Pillows need to be… first… WASHED. Then also, thrown out and replaced. This goes for your sheets and duvet covers as well!

Chopping boards need to be rotated out of use after a few months. They work fine still but there can be microscopic cuts, gauges, scrapes which all can hold an obscene anount of bacteria. They are great but remember especially, if they arent sealed, when you got it and how long its been!

You have to remember that they are being sliced into all the time and then food particles get in to that crack causing it to be not sanitary anymore!

Just because you have enough mascara or love it doesnt mean that it is still good for you. Mascara is supposed to be changed out with a new one every 3 months. Keep in mind this is imperative because you are using this on your eyes. This is where allergies, styes, pink eye, and all other kinds of eye struggles can form.

A photo mike took of me in Israel surrounded by my fave purple flowers. I love this new tubing mascara and you can really see it here!

And finally, the 8th thing that needs to be maintained for your health and safety is wooden kitchen utensils! These last at most 3 months!

I only touched on a few specific topics that need to be changed out. There are plenty of others like your air filters, water filters, coffee filters, running cleaning cycles on your appliances etc. However, if there is an unusual one or just one that is very important to you please leave a comment and share with us!