shelf life of household utensils
You may not even have suspected that some things have an expiration date.
Psychologists teach: it is necessary to start a new life by getting rid of old objects. If you haven’t used an item for a year, throw it away mercilessly. This is everyone’s business. Maybe postcards from the past or newspapers with yellowed sheets warm your soul. Doctors began to sound the alarm. Infectionist Elena Novikova identified twenty household items that are unsafe to store after the expiration date. Even if they are in good condition and ready to serve you for another twenty years. Take a look at this list. Surely you have a couple of harmful things in your home.
Shelf life: 7 years
Glass tureens, funny plates with cornflowers, personalized mugs – kitchen utensils become familiar to every family member. It is no coincidence that any of us has a favorite cup or saucer that is impossible to part with. And you have to. If the drawing on the kitchen utensils has become dull, then this is the first sign that the plate has served you. In no case should you store dishes with cracks or a chipped neck. It all depends on the service life, but it would be nice to update the dishes every seven years.
Shelf life: 14 days
A very short-lived product. After two weeks of use, throw the sponges into the trash can without regret.
“In general, I advise you to use sponges for only one week,” says Elena Novikova, an infectious disease doctor. – This is especially true for people with weak immune systems. In seven days, a sponge is capable of accumulating a large number of bacteria, which later become the cause of serious diseases (for example, meningitis). Be sure to choose products that have an antibacterial effect for washing dishes. “
It is easy to determine that a sponge has fallen into disrepair: just smell it. If there is an unpleasant smell of fungus, then urgently run to the store for a new sponge.
Shelf life: 2 years
Real housewives know the price of a baking brush, which is indispensable for making dough products. It is imperative to update such a kitchen accessory every two years. This is explained by the short-lived service life of silicone, which easily breaks down under the influence of high temperatures.
Life time: 3 years
Believe it or not, knives are some of the most fragile items that need careful care. In no case should knives be put in the dishwasher, as long-term water procedures are contraindicated for blades. You need to wash the knives by hand using a sponge and a small amount of a special product that does not contain soda.
Shelf life: from 1 year to 5 years
If you want to use a Teflon pan for longer, pay attention to the thickness of the coating. The thicker the bottom, the longer the service life. A light pancake maker will be unusable after 12 months of use, and heavy pans with a double non-stick layer will last five years.
Shelf life: 4 years
It all depends on how often you use the grater to prepare various dishes. It is clear that the more often, the faster it will become unusable. It is also important to observe the correct storage conditions. As soon as you see traces of rust, immediately get rid of the grater without regret. On average, a grater lives for four years.
Shelf life: 5 years
If you follow the rules for caring for wooden dishes, then it will serve you for five years. What do you need to do for this? Wash with hot water, then dry well in an upright position, and oil once a year.
Shelf life: 3 month
It has long been known that proper oral hygiene is a good prevention of any diseases associated with teeth and gums. Agree, not everyone regularly changes the brush. Most people use toothbrushes for more than three months, and dentists strictly forbid doing this. The fact is that about 10 million microbes and tiny microorganisms accumulate on the bristles during this time.
Shelf life: 1 year
If you want to keep your hair healthy and beautiful, don’t skimp on the combs. Change them as often as possible. Make sure to have a bath day for your combs once a week. By the way, you can do this with a dishwasher.
Shelf life: 3 years
Mobile phone manufacturers guarantee a smartphone from two to three years of operation. After that, the model becomes obsolete, the phone starts to freeze, the battery breaks down. No harm to health from him – except, perhaps, wasted nerves. After all, the tube will sit down or hang at the most inopportune moment.
Shelf life: 3 years
You cannot buy towels for future use. The point is not even that after two years the towels lose their color, they are also a breeding ground for bacteria. This is especially true for wet bath accessories. In no case should you store towels in the bathroom. It is advisable to wash towels at high temperatures after each use.
Shelf life: 3-6 months
Washcloths made of synthetic fabrics are changed every six months, and natural ones – every 3 months. Before each use, wash the washcloth well with soap to get rid of bacteria and microbes that may have accumulated in it. To avoid mold and mildew, the washcloth must be thoroughly dried. It is imperative that each family member should have a personal washcloth, especially since the choice of this hygiene product is huge. Washcloths-roses, washcloths in the form of sponges, towels, mittens, washcloths made of loofah, flax, bast – a bath accessory for every taste.
Shelf life: 2 years
Do not forget that sunglasses are not only an accessory that can decorate any look, but also a means of protecting against ultraviolet radiation. By the way, it easily destroys the lenses, so the sunglasses can last for two years at best. Always check with the manufacturer for the expiration date.
Shelf life: 6 months
You should change your indoor shoes every six months. We understand that it is not so easy to part with bunny slippers. “Household shoes gradually accumulate bacteria,” says Elena Novikova. – I advise you to wash your slippers daily, if this is not possible, that is, there is a good alternative: to walk at home in socks.
Shelf life: 1 year
Many thrifty people keep detergents in their closets for years, because they buy them for stocks for future use. This is not worth doing. So, washing powder will be able to stand in the package for only 12 months, and in the open form – only six months. After the expiration date of the detergent, the components that make up it can oxidize and decompose. Please note that any dishwashing detergent will degrease not only dishes, but also the skin of your hands. The stronger, the better and thicker the product. Indeed, table salt acts as a thickener. Hence the irritation on the skin. By the way, even approaching the Ph of the product to the coveted 5,5 mark (it is argued that this is the Ph the skin surface has) does not guarantee you that the detergent will not have an irritating effect.
Shelf life: 2 − 5 years
Creams, lotions, aerosols – today, for sure, “the mosquito will not undermine the nose.” Repellents (from the Latin repello – repel, drive away) easily scare off insidious bloodsuckers. This applies only to those mosquito repellents that have met the storage conditions and expiration date, it is indicated on the package. Expired repellents undergo changes in the chemical composition of the drugs, so they can cause a strong allergic reaction.
Shelf life: 7 years
It all depends on the filler. The most popular is the down and feathers of ducks and geese. Cheap feather blankets are usually heavy and short-lived; after a short time, feathers begin to crawl through the fabric. A high-quality blanket is usually treated with a special compound against a dust mite, but such impregnations can be washed out during washing. Recall that the blanket can be washed at a temperature of + 60 ° C, dried in a straightened form, periodically turning over and shaking with hands the stuck down fluff. Both pillows and blankets benefit from regular (at least once a month) ventilation in the fresh air.
Shelf life: 10 years
With the right care, your mattress will last a decade. But for this you need to follow some rules: firstly, you need to regularly turn the mattress, and this thing will quickly fail if children use the mattress as a trampoline. And according to the instructions drawn up by the specialists of Roskachestvo, you need to part with the mattress, which has an unpleasant smell, without pity. This is a signal that a thing is dangerous to health: the materials from which it is made can release toxic substances for years.
Shelf life: 6 months
Pillows are ideal places for dust mites. Over time, they accumulate dust, dirt, particles of dead skin. If you don’t want to suffer from allergies or get acne, ruthlessly throw pillows in a landfill.
Shelf life: from 5 to 15 years
It all depends on the fabric from which the bedding is made. Silk will last the longest (about 15 years), satin, a type of cotton with a special weaving, is considered one of the most comfortable, healthy material. On such linen we sweat less, and the fabric itself hardly accumulates dirt, and it will last more than 10 years. Cotton and linen have the same service life. But the coarse calico will become unusable after 7 years of operation, but flannel is considered the most short-lived. And many psychologists agree that bedding can strengthen a marriage and add bright colors to the relationship between spouses. In all respects, it is best to change bedding as often as possible.