Expiration Dates
Certain items in your house practically scream "toss me" when their prime has passed. That mysterious extra white layer on the Cheddar? A sure sign it needs to be put out of its misery. Chunky milk? Down the drain it goes.
But what about that jar of olives or Maraschino cherries that has resided in your refrigerator since before the birth of your kindergartner? Or the innumerable nonedibles lurking deep within your cabinets and closets: stockpiled shampoo and toothpaste, seldom-used silver polish? How do you know when their primes have passed?
With help from experts and product manufacturers, Real Simple (http://www.realsimple.com/) has compiled a guide to expiration dates. These dates are offered as a rough guideline. The shelf lives of most products depend upon how you treat them. Edibles, unless otherwise indicated, should be stored in a cool, dry place. (With any food, of course, use common sense.) Household cleaners also do best in a dry place with a stable temperature. After the dates shown, beauty and cleaning products are probably still safe but may be less effective.
Food
Beer
Unopened: Starts to lose flavor after 110 days.
It’s best to store bottles in boxes, and then in dark place.
Stronger alcohol and higher levels of hops might extend the shelf
life of a beer.
One example is Michelob Craft Specialty beers, which are often at
their peak with 180 days.
(Source: Budweiser support)
Brown sugar
Indefinite shelf life, stored in a moisture proof container in a cool, dry place.
Chocolate (Hershey bar)
1 year from production date
Coffee, canned ground
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 1 month refrigerated
Coffee, gourmet
Beans: 3 weeks in paper bag, longer in vacuum-seal bag (After
this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still
generally safe to consume.)
Ground: 1 week in sealed container
Coffee, instant
Unopened: Up to 2 years
Opened: Up to 1 month
Diet soda (and soft drinks in plastic bottles)
Unopened: 3 months from "best by" date.
Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected.
Dried pasta
12 months
Frozen dinners
Unopened: 12 to 18 months
Frozen vegetables
Unopened: 18 to 24 months
Opened: 1 month
Honey
Indefinite shelf life
Juice, bottled (apple or cranberry)
Unopened: 8 months from production date
Opened: 7 to 10 days
Ketchup
Unopened: 1 year (After this time, color or flavor may be
affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Opened or used: 4 to 6 months (After this time, color or flavor may
be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Maple syrup, real or imitation
1 year
Maraschino cherries
Unopened: 3 to 4 years
Opened: 2 weeks at room temperature; 6 months refrigerated
Marshmallows
Unopened: 40 weeks
Opened: 3 months
Mayonnaise
Unopened: Indefinitely
Opened: 2 to 3 months from "purchase by" date (After this time,
color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe
to consume.)
Mustard
2 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Olives, jarred (green with pimento)
Unopened: 3 years
Opened: 3 months
Olive oil
2 years from manufacture date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Peanuts
Unopened: 1 to 2 years unless frozen or refrigerated
Opened: 1 to 2 weeks in airtight container
Peanut butter, natural
9 months
Peanut butter, processed (Jif)
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 6 months; refrigerate after 3 months
Pickles
Unopened: 18 months
Opened: No conclusive data. Discard if slippery or excessively soft.
Protein bars (Power Bars)
Unopened: 10 to 12 months. Check "best by" date on the package.
Rice, white
2 years from date on box or date of purchase
Salad dressing, bottled
Unopened: 12 months after "best by" date
Opened: 9 months refrigerated
Soda, regular
Unopened: In cans or glass bottles, 9 months from "best by" date
Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected
Steak sauce
33 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Tabasco
5 years, stored in a cool, dry place
Tea bags (Lipton)
Use within 2 years of opening the package
Tuna, canned
Unopened: 1 year from purchase date
Opened: 3 to 4 days, not stored in can
Soy sauce, bottled
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 3 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected,
but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Vinegar
42 months
Wine (red, white)
Unopened: 3 years from vintage date; 20 to 100 years for fine
wines
Opened: 1 week refrigerated and corked
Worcestershire sauce
Unopened: 5 to 10 years (After this time, color or flavor may be
affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Opened: 2 years
Household Products
Air freshener, aerosol
2 years
Antifreeze, premixed
1 to 5 years
Antifreeze, concentrate
Indefinite
Batteries, alkaline
7 years
Batteries, lithium
10 years
Bleach
3 to 6 months
Dish detergent, liquid or powdered
1 year
Fire extinguisher, rechargeable
Service or replace every 6 years
Fire extinguisher, non-rechargeable
12 years
Laundry detergent, liquid or powdered
Unopened: 9 months to 1 year
Opened: 6 months
Metal polish (silver, copper, brass)
At least 3 years
Miracle Gro, liquid
Opened: 3 to 8 years
Miracle Gro, liquid, water-soluble
Indefinite
Motor oil
Unopened: 2 to 5 years
Opened: 3 months
Mr. Clean
2 years
Paint
Unopened: Up to 10 years
Opened: 2 to 5 years
Spray paint
2 to 3 years
Windex
2 years
Wood polish (Pledge)
2 years
Beauty Products
All dates are from the manufacture date, which is either displayed on the packaging or can be obtained by calling the manufacturer's customer-service number.
Bar soap
18 months to 3 years
Bath gel, body wash
3 years
Bath oil
1 year
Body bleaches and depilatories
Unopened: 2 years
Used: 6 months
Body lotion
3 years
Conditioner
2 to 3 years
Deodorant
Unopened: 2 years
Used: 1 to 2 years
For antiperspirants, see expiration date
Eye cream
Unopened: 3 years
Used: 1 year
Face lotion
With SPF, see expiration date. All others, at least 3 years
Foundation, oil-based
2 years
Foundation, water-based
3 years
Hair gel
2 to 3 years
Hair spray
2 to 3 years
Lip balm
Unopened: 5 years
Used: 1 to 5 years
Lipstick
2 years
Mascara
Unopened: 2 years
Used: 3 to 4 months
Mouthwash
Three years from manufacture date
Nail polish
1 year
Nail-polish remover
Lasts indefinitely
Perfume
1 to 2 years
Rubbing alcohol
At least 3 years
Shampoo
2 to 3 years
Shaving cream
2 years or more
Tooth-whitening strips
13 months
Wash'n Dri moist wipes
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: Good until dried out
Beauty Supplies Expiration Dates
Anti-aging and acne treatment
Three months to a year. Antioxidants are easily oxidized, so be on the lookout for any changes in color.
Bar soap
Up to three years.
Bath oil
One year.
Blush/Bronzer
18 months after first use
Body lotion
Two to three years, particularly if it’s in a pump container.
Concealer
12 months after first use
Creme eye shadow
6 months after first use
Creme blush
12 months after first use
Deodorant
Up to two years.
Eye and lip pencils
Three to five years. Sharpen them before each use as a way to preserve them and keep them clean.
Facial Moisturizer
12 months after first use
Foundation
About two years. Most bottles are designed to last that long. And if you don't use it, chances are you didn’t love it to begin with.
Hairstyling products
Three to five years. Most are alcohol-based, which helps preserve the formula.
Lipstick and lip gloss
18 months after first use
Liquid eyeliner
3 months after first use
Liquid Foundation
6 months after first use
Mascara and liquid eyeliner
Three to four months. Make sure you're diligent about replacing these items to prevent contamination and infections.
Nail polish
18 months after first use
Perfume
About two years. To get more mileage out of a perfume, resist the temptation to display a pretty bottle on your vanity. Instead, stash it away in a cool, dark place.
Shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel
About three years.
Shaving cream
About two years.
Skin care products
6 months after first use
Sunscreen
6 months after first use
Learn the Lingo of Expiration Dates
The actual term "Expiration Date" refers to the last date a food should be eaten or used. Last means last -- proceed at your own risk.
More commonly spotted terms are:
- "Sell by" date. The labeling "sell by" tells the store how
long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product
before the date expires. This is basically a guide for the
retailer, so the store knows when to pull the item. This is not
mandatory, so reach in back and get the freshest. The issue is
quality of the item (freshness, taste, and consistency) rather
than whether it is on the verge of spoiling. Paul VanLandingham,
EdD, a senior faculty member at the Center for Food and Beverage
Management of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I.,
tells WebMD the "sell by" date is the last day the item is at
its highest level of quality, but it will still be edible for
some time after.
- "Best if used by (or before)" date. This refers strictly to
quality, not safety. This date is recommended for best flavor or
quality. It is not a purchase or safety date. Sour cream, for
instance, is already sour, but can have a zippier, fresh taste
when freshly sour (if that's not an oxymoron!)
- "Born on" date. This is the date of manufacture and has been
resurrected recently to date beer. Beer can go sub-par after
three months. "It is affected by sun," VanLandingham says. The
light can reactivate microorganisms in the beer. That's why you
have to be especially careful with beer in clear bottles, as
opposed to brown or green.
- "Guaranteed fresh" date. This usually refers to bakery
items. They will still be edible after the date, but will not be
at peak freshness.
- "Use by" date. This is the last date recommended for the use
of the product while at peak quality. The date has been
determined by the manufacturer of the product.
- "Pack" date. You will find this one on canned or packaged goods, as a rule, but it's tricky. In fact, it may be in code. It can be month-day-year-MMDDYY. Or the manufacturer could revert to the Julian calendar. January would then be 001-0031 and December 334-365. It gets even weirder than that.
