Did you know that your household items have expiry dates too?

Sarah Khan

02 Nov 2016

1/11
Hairbrush
Shelf Life: 6 months - 1 year
You ought to be cleaning your hairbrushes at least once a week, and replacing them every year. Using old, unclean hairbrushes will only make your hair greasy, more likely to get snagged on the brush, and irritate your scalp.
2/11
Kitchen Sponge
Shelf Life: 2 weeks
You need to bin your kitchen sponges regularly, considering its constant contact with leftovers, dirt and kitchen grime.
Alternatively, you can disinfect it regularly with boiling water to kill any bacteria, lest it becomes a breeding ground for mould.
3/11
Slippers
Shelf Life: 6 months
If you want to avoid a fungal infection on your feet, make sure you replace your home slippers regularly and wash them periodically when in use.
4/11
Pillows
Shelf Life: 2 - 3 years
Over time, irritating dust mites will start burrowing in your pillow, even after you constantly wash it. Additionally, pillows get gradually out-of-shape with time; so to avoid the resultant neck cramps, make sure you replace them every 2 to 3 years.
5/11
Bra
Shelf Life: 1 - 2 years
After a year or two, your bra will begin to lose its shape, elasticity, ability to give your cleavage support and potentially become uncomfortable to wear.
6/11
Running Shoes
Shelf Life: 1 year
Over time, the constant usage of your running shoes will cause it to start to lose its cushioning. This means that you’ll be exerting stress on your joints when you’re working out and put yourself at risk for injury.
7/11
Toothbrush
Shelf Life: 3 months

3 months is all it takes for your toothbrush bristles to start wearing down and not be as effective in cleaning out your teeth.
Also make sure you toss out your toothbrush after being down with a cold or flu, as you might be at risk of catching it again otherwise.
8/11
Kitchen Spices
Kitchen Spices: 6 months

Spices lose their flavour and smell over time, which renders them useless considering they are supposed to add flavour to your food. If you’ve been wondering why your meals have been tasting slightly off lately, this might be the reason.
9/11
Towels
Shelf Life: 1 - 3 years
Damp towels are a breeding ground for bacteria and even washing them regularly won’t prevent this. Make sure you toss them out every year or so to keep things hygienic and invest in a new one.
10/11
Perfume
Shelf Life: 2 - 3 years
To prolong the shelf life of your perfume, make sure you keep the lid firmly closed. Leaving it open will only make it last 2 years, while fastening it close will give you another year’s use out of it.
11/11
Insect Repellant
Shelf Life: 2 years
Insect repellant sprays are definitely one of those items we keep lying in storage for a long time that we continue to reach for every time we go on vacation.
However, repellants are only effective for two years; so if you continue to use them beyond their shelf life, it will be ineffective in preventing you from getting bitten.

You might not know that you need to toss out your toothbrush every 3 months (or after you fall sick).

It’s pretty straightforward knowing when to toss out that carton of milk or that loaf of bread that’s been sitting in your refrigerator. Food produce typically come with expiration dates that are printed distinctly on the product itself, which makes it easy for you to know when it’s time to throw something out (and spare yourself a nasty bowel episode).

However, it’s not as straightforward to tell if you need to or when to toss out your everyday household items. Did you know that your toothbrushes, towels and even perfumes have shelf lives too? Most people, unsurprisingly, are unaware of this and continue to use these items way past its shelf life. Just like consuming expired food will make you ill, extending your use of these items past its ‘expiry’ may have unfavourable effects on your health, skin and body.

Browse through our gallery above to find out the shelf life of your everyday household items and start de-cluttering your home today!

Sarah Khan

Photos: Getty Images

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