What? Laundry Detergents Expire?

John

It came to me as a great shock that laundry detergents lose effectiveness sooner than I thought.

This subject wouldn’t matter if you have a full-size family. But it’s a different story if you live alone. In my case, a large jug of fabric softer can easily last 3 years or longer. So, I did some more research and learned that many products will lose effectiveness sooner than I imagined. Below, I listed some of the products and how long they are good for.

  • Laundry detergent (6-12 months).
  • Dishwasher detergent (6-12 months).
  • Liquid dish soap (12-18 months).
  • Bleach (6-12 months)
  • liquid fabric softener (6-12 months)
  • Lysol (2 years)
  • Hydrogen Peroxide (30 days – 6 months)
  • Disinfectant wipes (1-2 years depends on products)
  • Window Cleaner (2 years)
  • Furniture polish (about 2 years)
  • Shampoo/Conditioner (12 – 18 months)
  • Body lotion (1 – 3 years)

FYI: Chemicals in dried powder form would last longer compared to its liquid counterparts.

I was clueless. How come nobody told me this? I felt so stupid… all these years… I thought these products lasted 5 – 10 years easily,

Maybe a lot of single men out-there didn’t have this information as well. So, here it is. If you live alone, buy your liquid chemicals in small units.