Most every home has a medicine cabinet, cupboard or shelf. And in most every case that I’ve seen those areas are sorry sights to behold.

You know the look. Orange prescription bottles everywhere. Bottles of cold and flu medicine left green and sticky because the last time you took a dose — before the turn of the century — you spilled a bit.

It’s OK, you don’t have to be embarrassed. But maybe it’s time to clean house a bit.

Rather than dumping these pills, tabs or liquids down the drain or throwing them in the trash, consider the responsible thing to do: Hand them over to the professionals.

On Saturday the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is hosting a drug take-back event. The goal is to keep unused or expired medications from being abused, misused or improperly thrown away, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Simply dumping your drugs, prescription or otherwise, down the drain or throwing them away can be damaging to the environment and threaten public safety, the release said. So it’s best to hand them over at collection events like these so they’re disposed of properly.

The event is free and anonymous, the release said. Anybody can use the service.

Just don’t bring needles, sharp objects or inhalers; the deputies can’t take those. Veterinary drugs are accepted, however.

Last year, the sheriff’s office said it collected nearly 1,000 pounds of prescription and over-the-counter drugs in Douglas County.

Anybody wishing to dispose of drugs should bring them to either Hy-Vee at 4000 W. Sixth St. or to the Law Enforcement Center, 111 E. 11th St. on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

I report on crime and courts for the Journal-World. I can be reached by email at cswanson@ljworld.com, by phone at (785) 832-7284 or on Twitter @Conrad_Swanson.