Surprising best and worst places to store your stuff

Usually we don’t give much thought to where we stow things — but perhaps we should. Choosing the wrong storage spot may shorten the shelf life of some items and increase the health risk of others. Consider these words of wisdom when deciding where your belongings belong and where they don’t. TOOTHBRUSHES Worst place: The bathroom sink — it’s too close to the toilet. With every flush, toilet funk can be propelled as far as 6 feet, showering the sink with bacteria.

Best place: Behind closed doors, in a medicine cabinet or a nearby cupboard. MEDICINE Worst place: The medicine cabinet. A steamy bathroom can reach up to 100 F, which could affect the potency of many common medications. For example, the effectiveness of Lipitor — a common cholesterol drug — could be compromised at 77 F or higher.

Best place: A cool, dry place like a pantry or hall closet is best for medications.

COFFEE Worst place: The refrigerator or freezer. Many people think cold storage helps to preserve the freshness and flavor of coffee. Every time you retrieve it, however, the resulting temperature fluctuation produces condensation, and the moisture leeches out flavor.

Best place: In an opaque, airtight container that’s stored either on the kitchen counter or in the pantry.

HANDBAGS Worst place: Any surface normally used for food preparation or eating. Handbags are terrific microbe magnets carrying about 10,000 bacteria per inch, possibly even fecal bacteria. It’s not surprising, though, when you think of all those nasty spots where we park our handbags: bus seats, restaurant floors, bathroom stalls.

Best place: A drawer or chair — any place except where food is prepared or eaten. BATTERIES Worst place: The refrigerator. Cold temperatures affect the integrity of household batteries and hot temperatures can impact performance as well.

Best place: In a dry environment at room temperature. Make sure, too, that the contact surfaces aren’t touching. TELEVISION Worst place: Wherever you dine. Research shows that TV watching encourages mindless eating.

Best place: Up or down a flight of stairs from your kitchen. When snacks take more effort to get to, you’ll be less likely to munch while watching.

NIGHTTIME READING LIGHT Worst place: Overhead. These fixtures emit a relatively bright light — enough to significantly delay the body’s secretion of the hormone melatonin, according to research. This can set you up for a restless night since melatonin levels are a major cue for your body to prepare for sleep.

Best place: Anywhere but the bedroom. A better lighting alternative: a lowpowered light clipped to your novel. It provides enough light to read but leaves the room dark enough for your brain to transition to sleep mode.