The bathroom might be the smallest room in the house, but the wide variety of items that you keep in it makes it a challenge to pack. It is also the room that will most likely be used up until the minute you move out. Here is a step-by-step guide for packing up your bathroom.

Before You Begin

Assemble and bring into the bathroom (or just outside the bathroom if it’s very small) moving boxes, packing materials, Ziploc bags, markers and pens.

Go through your bathroom and get rid of items that you won’t be taking with you. Put together the essential items that you will be using every day and carrying with you (toothbrush, deodorant, etc.)

The Medicine Cabinet

Go through your medicine cabinet, and dispose of expired medicines and those you no longer need. Put aside the medicine that you will need during the move. Follow the Food and Drug Administration’s guidelines when disposing of medication:

Do not flush the medication down the toilet, unless the medicine’s patient instructions say to do so, since this can harm the environment.

Check with your local trash and recycling department to see if your community has a drug take-back program which allows you to bring unused drugs to a central location for safe disposal.

Most medicines can be thrown into the regular trash. Remove it from its container, and put it in a sealed bag or container with coffee grinds or kitty litter.

Small Appliances

If you still have the original boxes that your electric shaver, hair dryer, and other appliances came in, this is the best way to pack them. If not, wrap them well in bubble wrap and stack them in a box.

Toiletries

Decide which of your toiletries you will be taking, and which it will be easier to just replace when you arrive to your new home. If you are taking jars and bottles of lotion and makeup, wrap them carefully and put them in Ziploc bags so they don’t leak. Glass jars and perfume bottles should be tightly sealed and wrapped in bubble wrap. These should be packed separately from your medicine.

Pack the toiletries into small boxes, which can be placed into larger boxes. Cushion them with towels that you are taking with you.

Linens

Be sure that all towels, shower curtains and bath mats are completely dry before packing them. You can either pack them in a large box, or you can use them as a cushioning layer at the top and bottom of the boxes.

Do Not Pack!

Don’t take rusty tweezers, shavers and other implements. Old, ratty towels and half-used toiletries can also be tossed.

Some things that you will find in the bathroom are on the “non-allowable” list. These are items that movers are not allowed to transport, and include nail polish, nail polish remover, insecticides, aerosol cans and batteries.

Seal and Label Boxes

Once your boxes are packed tightly, so that breakable items don’t knock against each other, you can seal them with packing tape. Make sure they are not too heavy to lift.

Label each box “BATHROOM.” If you have more than one bathroom, label the boxes clearly with “MASTER BATHROOM,” “GUEST BATHROOM,” etc. Write on each box a brief description of its contents. This will make unpacking easier.