8 Household Items You Never Knew Had An Expiration Date

It’s not just food that goes out of date, some household items have a use-by date too. Even expensive electrical equipment needs to be replaced occasionally. While most of us religiously throw away cartons of milk or sandwiches as soon as they hit their sell-by date, we are far more reluctant to throw out other ageing items or don’t even know there’s need to.

We reveal a few household items you need to replace and why according to Daily Mail…

1. TOOTHBRUSHES

Plenty of us are guilty of waiting for our toothbrushes to completely lose their shape before we think about replacing them. However, leaving it this long could leave us prone to gum damage says Dr Amer Saeed, clinical director of Garden Square Dental in West London.

He revealed: ‘Dental experts recommend manual and electric brushes should be changed once a month if you suffer with bleeding gums and after three months in any case. Although you may not be able to see any damage — a combination of wear and tear and poor brush maintenance can cause a huge build up of bacteria which can lead to contamination of the gums and possible infection.’

2. BRAS

Ask any woman and they are likely to admit that they hang on to their bras until the wire began to pop out. But bra experts suggest that your lingerie should never celebrate a birthday and should be replaced every eight months.

Elise Recour, General Manager for bra manufacturer Gossard said: ‘This may sound extravagant, but if you are wearing a bra regularly, even if it’s high quality and you take good care of it, you will start to lose support and comfort, and the boost and uplift you bought it for will be substantially reduced after eight months or so.’

3. PILLOWS

Pillows should be replaced at least once every two or three years, according to experts.

Lisa Artis, from the Sleep Council said: ‘When they have lost their ‘loft’, or high, and become lumpy, discolored or misshapen they should be replaced. A good pillow should hold your head in the correct alignment – that is, in the same relation to your shoulders and spine as if you were standing upright with the correct posture. It should also be tucked well into the neck and shoulder to support your head fully.’

4. WOODEN SPOONS

Wooden spoons too are said to have an expiration date. John Oxford, Professor of Virology at Barts and the London Hospital revealed wood is more porous than plastic or metal, making it more susceptible to carrying germs and bacteria.

The bacteria particularly prevalent in the kitchen is E. coli, usually from raw meat or children with poor hygiene habits, and this can lead to severe food poisoning.

It is recommended that the utensil is replaced after five years, but earlier if the wood cracks, or if any part becomes soft or dark, as this could mean the wood is rotting and retaining bacteria.

5. HAIRBRUSH

Dermatologist, Dr Andrew Wright, consultant dermatologist with Bradford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust revealed one hair follicle can hold 50,000 germs and your brush can contribute to this. Brushes can also collect residues of hair products which can become sticky and attract dirt.

He added: ‘We also have lots of bacteria on the skin and what may affect one person may not affect another.’

Brushes should therefore be replaced every four years, but sooner if the bristles get damaged as these can scratch the scalp, causing potential infections to spread.

6. TRAINERS & SLIPPERS

Mark Miles, head of product merchandising for Puma revealed:

‘Although trainers don’t come with an expiry date stamped on them, we usually suggest they need replacing after they’ve been walked or run in for 500 miles. Obviously this is just a handy rule of thumb, as wear and tear will vary according to the terrain you cover, your weight and gait. Generally, this equates to six months of average wear. As trainers start to wear out, the inner lining in the sole will feel less flexible.’

In addition, replace your slippers every six months to keep your feet hygienic.

7. LOOFAH

UK-based dermatologist, Dr Sam Bunting said plastic loofahs should be replaced at least every two months in order to avoid bacterial build up.

8. COSMETICS

Don’t wait till your make-up runs out before replacing it. Always find out its expiration date by flipping it over – you’ll see an open pot with a number on. This is the number of months your cosmetic will be fresh for after you’ve opened it.

Usually, foundation and concealer can last up to 18 months while mascaras and liquid eyeliners should be trashed after three months.