Household Product Expiration Dates
People are often unaware that most safety equipment expires. Plastic degrades over time with regular use, exposure to heat or cold, or impacts. That means that things like car seats, anything with plastic safety latches, helmets, sports-guards, etc., all have a shelf-life. In particular, the two big things you shouldn’t save for the future (unless it is the immediate future) are car seats and helmets.
Car seats should be replaced every 6-10 years, according to manufacturers and safety organizations. Many people save car seats for future children, or for other family members’ children. However, you may be endangering those children’s lives with degraded plastic car seats. Additionally, any kind of major impact, such as a car accident, can weaken the integrity of the plastic in specific areas, which may not be visible to the eye. The same thing goes for plastic helmets. Helmets degrade over time for the same reasons as car seats, but also from things like sweat.
So, if you’re holding on to something because you think you might need it one day, please remember that if and when that day comes, it may no longer be safe to use.
Our advice, as always, is that if you are not using it now or do not have immediate plans to use it, you should let it go. If you’re not sure about whether to keep something, remember the old saying, “When in doubt, throw it out!”
Cleaning Supplies
Bleach: Loses effectiveness after 6 months.
Disinfectants: Varies (expirations listed on the bottle). Most start to lose effectiveness after 6 months.
Dish Soap: Expires after 12-18 months.
Dishwasher Detergents: 3 months.
Fabric Softeners: 1 year.
Laundry Detergents: 6 months after opening.
Sponges: Replace weekly.
Windex: 2 years.
Food
BBQ Sauce: 4 months after opening.
Flour: 6-12 months.
Ketchup: Up to 6 months after opening.
Mayo: 2-3 months after opening.
Mustard: 1 year.
Peanut Butter: 6 months after opening.
Salsa: 5-7 days after opening.
Spices: 1-3 years after seal is broken.
Anything with oils will go bad, especially if not stored in the right conditions. When in doubt, THROW IT OUT!
Household Items
Batteries: Printed on package. Remember to check your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector batteries every six months or so. Another trick is to do it when the seasons change: (fall and spring).
Car Seats: Replace every 7-10 years. If a car seat has been involved in a car accident, it should be replaced. The integrity of the plastic may be compromised even if it looks undamaged. DO NOT RISK IT.
Cutting Boards: Replace every 1-2 years.
Fire Extinguishers: Lasts up to 3 years.
Helmets: Replace every 3-5 years. (See information at top of page.)
Opened Paint Cans: 6 months-5 years. Depends on the type of paint and the base used (water based vs. oil based).
Pacifiers: 3-5 weeks of use.
Pillows: Replace every 2 years.
Power Strips and Extension Cords: Wear and tear, dust, and improper storage can cause electronics to degrade, making them a major fire hazard. Though they do not technically expire, they do pose a safety risk after awhile.
Shower Curtain Liner: Replace every 6 months.
Towels: Replace every 1-3 years
Plastics naturally degrade over time – things like safety gear, and car seats do not stay good forever.
Make-Up / Personal Products /Medication
Bug Spray: Up to 3 years.
Contact Lens Cases: Replace every 3 months.
Deodorant: Up to 2 years unopened.
Disposable Razors: Ideally, swap out every 3 shaves.
Eye Drops: Stays sterile for 28 days after breaking the seal.
First Aid Kits: Most items in a first aid kit last up to 5 years.
Hydrogen Peroxide: Shelf life of 3 years, 2 months after opening.
Medications: Check bottles. Expiration dates will be listed.
Moisturizers: Anything with active ingredients such as Vitamin C, glycolic acid, or other acids, benzoyl peroxide, and retinols all begin to lose effectiveness after 3-6 months after opening.
Most Makeup: Replace every 3-6 months after opening. Non-oil based makeups that do not come in contact with the eyes can be kept up to a year.
Toothbrush: Replace every 3 months.