Medicine cabinets are now a staple to have in the bathroom and are commonly found in new houses. For older houses they can be installed, because the extra storage and ability to place small or private things is essential. Recessed medicine cabinets are the perfect thing to have when wanting to hide away more private things that you don’t people to see, and everybody know that other people go through their personal medicine cabinets all the time. Like recessed can lights, they are designed to blend in and hide.

It’s no secret that people snoop through family and friends’ medicine cabinets. People would have to be a dead not to. With a recessed medicine cabinet, it is almost like camouflage. With the medicine cabinet inserted into the wall, and with a mirror placed over it, it simple looks like a mirror that people can look at. That’s the beauty of recessed medicine cabinets; almost total privacy.

Sure, most people know that it probably is a medicine cabinet, but some people overlook it. The medicine cabinet stays closed with a magnet, so it doesn’t really get the chance to swing open easily, unless someone is visibly searching for it. It’s not hard to open the medicine cabinet, but it’s hard to open by itself, thus not swinging open on its own.

Recessed medicine cabinets are just like regular medicine cabinets that aren’t recessed into the wall. They hold a number of smaller items that tend to get lost in the huge cabinet under the sink or somewhere else. Things like toothpaste or dental floss is easily found when opening the medicine cabinet, no bending down to search through the bigger cabinet.

Price wise, recessed medicine cabinets can range from the low $100s all the way up to the $1000s. The price is based on the material used and the style. More modern styles tend to cost more, so finding one that is within budget and that can be flexible in any décor the bathroom has is essential for maintaining a wallet that isn’t broke.

Recessed medicine cabinets are an important fixture in bathrooms, as they hold the things that tend to get lost easier in bigger cabinets, and can hold more private things like medicine. For the people who like to snoop through other people’s medicine cabinets, they might tend not to see the cabinet, as it is almost a part of the wall, which makes it useful in trying to hide away the medicine cabinet from snoopers.

In order to make sure that your medicine cabinet is as safe as possible you are going to want to make sure that you go through it at least once a year and perform some light cleaning. This will help ensure that when your family needs help for a medical related issue that you have exactly what you need to take care of them without any other dangers. Follow some of the tips we’ve outlined for you below to make sure that your family is as safe as possible.

Tip #1: Get Rid Of Expired Medications – One of the worst mistakes you can make is to keep expired medications in the cabinet. These outdated products could end up causing more problems than you want to deal with, and can easily be solved by simply tossing out the old medicine and making sure that it gets to the curb on trash day. Medicines out of their expiration date are supremely less effective than new medications are.

Tip #2: Check For Recalled Medications – If the medications have been recalled it is usually for a very good reason. To avoid causing serious damage to any of your family members you will want to make sure that you have gotten rid of any medicines that have been recalled by the manufacturer. Anything from a faulty mixed batch of medicine to small bacteria can all cause a medication to be recalled.

Tip #3: Check Dosage And Age Recommendations – As your children grow older their medications will change as well. To save some space you want to make sure that you are getting rid of medications that are better suited for younger children, in favor of medications that will work better for their age.

Tip #4: Store Medications In The Right Place – When you are storing the medication in your cabinet you want to make sure that you are able to get to it, but that your children are not able to. More and more accidents in the home are caused by children getting into medication when it could have been easily prevented.

Tip #5: Keep Necessary Items On Hand – Go over a basic list of items that you need to make sure you have on hand, and keep them in the medicine cabinet furniture so that when accidents or the need arises you are not digging around trying to find what it is that you need.

If you have a few hand tools available you can easily install your own tray medicine cabinet. By following the basic steps that we have outlined for you below you can start this project and get it completed within a few short hours.

Step #1: Mark And Cut The Opening – First you will need to measure the opening where the new cabinet will be installed. When you are cutting the opening you are going to want to make sure that you do not hit any electrical wires that could cause a potential fire or electrocute you. Remove the drywall and then work on removing the section of stud from the hole you just cut into the wall.

Step #2: Install The Cabinet Backing – Once you’ve gotten the hole removed from the wall you want to start installing the backing into it. You can use 1”x4” wood and install a piece around each part of the opening. This is the area where you will secure the cabinet to so you want to make sure that it is properly installed.

Step #3: Mount The Cabinet – With the backing installed into the opening you can begin to insert the box frame of the cabinet. Using small wood screws, you want to mount the frame onto the backing and ensure that it is not going to move around while it’s in the wall. Be careful when you are mounting the box frame to ensure that you do not push the backing free from where you initially installed it. If you do, you run the risk of having to take the frame out and reinstall the backing again.

Step #4: Assemble The Face – With the cabinet mounted you can start working on assembling the face. If it contains a mirror you will want to hold off on installing it until the entire cabinet has been installed and finished. If you do not, you run the risk of having it crack and break under some of the pressure that you’ll put on the cabinet while you’re working on it.

Step #5: Test The Functionality – Now it’s time to test the functionality of the cabinet to ensure that there are no problems with the hinges, and that it fits securely into the opening you’ve cut for it.

Building your own recessed medicine cabinet isn’t nearly as difficult as building something like a stand alone pantry cabinet. If you are looking for a custom model medicine cabinet that you are unable to find in the home supply stores, you will want to think about putting your own together. Follow the basic steps we’ve outlined for you to get started on this project in your own workshop.

Step #1: Gather Your Materials – You want to start by making sure that you have everything you need to complete the project. From your furniture grade plywood, to the stain, wood glue, putty, and shelving material, you will need to make sure that you’re not making extra trips to the supply store when you need something. You also want to make sure you’ve got the drawer pull or handle, shelf pegs, wood screws, hinges, and the tools needed to cut and shape the wood.

Step #2: Begin Building The Box Frame – The box frame can be designed as large or small as you like. You want to start by cutting the hole into your drywall and cutting through the 2”x4” studs inside the wall, then measuring the space to get your dimensions for the cabinet. Then you can cut the sections out of the furniture grade plywood and install them together to create the box frame.

Step #3: Drill The Holes For The Shelves – With the box frame completed you need to begin drilling the holes for the shelving pegs and the shelves themselves. Glue the wood pegs into the holes you’ve drilled, and then cut the shelves to be the width in between the inside sections of the box frame.

Step #4: Cut The Cabinet Face – The cabinet face should be the same size as the overall dimensions of the box frame. You need to cut the trim pieces to fit onto the frame, preferably at 45 degree angles to fit onto the cabinet face properly.

Step #5: Assemble The Cabinet Face – With the cuts made you will need to begin assembling the face and the trim pieces together. You can use wood glue and small finishing nails to get complete this portion of the project.

Step #6: Assemble The Cabinet – As you’ve wrapped up the face of the cabinet you will need to attach the hinges to the box frame as well as the cabinet face itself. Make sure that the hinges operate properly before you install the cabinet into the wall.