Surprising Expiration Dates A handy, who-knew guide for 77++ foods, beauty products, and household goods
------------------------------------------------------------ Written by Maya Kukes and Lisa Smith March 2004 http://www.realsimple.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 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 ---- 01 Beer Unopened: 4 months. 02 Brown sugar Indefinite shelf life, stored in a moistureproof container in a cool, dry place. 03 Chocolate (Hershey bar) 1 year from production date 04 Coffee, canned ground Unopened: 2 years Opened: 1 month refrigerated 05 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 06 Coffee, instant Unopened: Up to 2 years Opened: Up to 1 month 07 Diet soda (and soft drinks in plastic bottles) Unopened: 3 months from "best by" date. Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected. 08 Dried pasta 12 months 09 Frozen dinners Unopened: 12 to 18 months 10 Frozen vegetables Unopened: 18 to 24 months Opened: 1 month 11 Honey Indefinite shelf life 12 Juice, bottled (apple or cranberry) Unopened: 8 months from production date Opened: 7 to 10 days 13 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.) 14 Maple syrup, real or imitation 1 year 15 Maraschino cherries Unopened: 3 to 4 years Opened: 2 weeks at room temperature; 6 months refrigerated 16 Marshmallows Unopened: 40 weeks Opened: 3 months 17 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.) 18 Mustard 2 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.) 19 Olives, jarred (green with pimento) Unopened: 3 years Opened: 3 months 20 Olive oil 2 years from manufacture date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.) 21 Peanuts Unopened: 1 to 2 years unless frozen or refrigerated Opened: 1 to 2 weeks in airtight container 22 Peanut butter, natural 9 months 23 Peanut butter, processed (Jif) Unopened: 2 years Opened: 6 months; refrigerate after 3 months 24 Pickles Unopened: 18 months Opened: No conclusive data. Discard if slippery or excessively soft. 25 Protein bars (PowerBars) Unopened: 10 to 12 months. Check "best by" date on the package. 26 Rice, white 2 years from date on box or date of purchase 27 Salad dressing, bottled Unopened: 12 months after "best by" date Opened: 9 months refrigerated 28 Soda, regular Unopened: In cans or glass bottles, 9 months from "best by" date Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected 29 Steak sauce 33 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.) 30 Tabasco 5 years, stored in a cool, dry place 31 Tea bags (Lipton) Use within 2 years of opening the package 32 Tuna, canned Unopened: 1 year from purchase date Opened: 3 to 4 days, not stored in can 33 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.) 34 Vinegar 42 months 35 Wine (red, white) Unopened: 3 years from vintage date; 20 to 100 years for fine wines Opened: 1 week refrigerated and corked 36 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 ------------------ 37 Air freshener, aerosol 2 years 38 Antifreeze, premixed 1 to 5 years 39 Antifreeze, concentrate Indefinite 40 Batteries, alkaline 7 years 41 Batteries, lithium 10 years 42 Bleach 3 to 6 months 43 Dish detergent, liquid or powdered 1 year 44 Fire extinguisher, rechargeable Service or replace every 6 years 45 Fire extinguisher, nonrechargeable 12 years 46 Laundry detergent, liquid or powdered Unopened: 9 months to 1 year Opened: 6 months 47 Metal polish (silver, copper, brass) At least 3 years 48 Miracle Gro, liquid Opened: 3 to 8 years 49 Miracle Gro, liquid, water-soluble Indefinite 50 Motor oil Unopened: 2 to 5 years Opened: 3 months 51 Mr. Clean 2 years 52 Paint Unopened: Up to 10 years Opened: 2 to 5 years 53 Spray paint 2 to 3 years 54 Windex 2 years 55 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. 56 Bar soap 18 months to 3 years 57 Bath gel, body wash 3 years 58 Bath oil 1 year 59 Body bleaches and depilatories Unopened: 2 years Used: 6 months 60 Body lotion 3 years 61 Conditioner 2 to 3 years 62 Deodorant Unopened: 2 years Used: 1 to 2 years For antiperspirants, see expiration date 63 Eye cream Unopened: 3 years Used: 1 year 64 Face lotion With SPF, see expiration date. All others, at least 3 years 65 Foundation, oil-based 2 years 66 Foundation, water-based 3 years 67 Hair gel 2 to 3 years 68 Hair spray 2 to 3 years 69 Lip balm Unopened: 5 years Used: 1 to 5 years 70 Lipstick 2 years 71 Mascara Unopened: 2 years Used: 3 to 4 months 72 Mouthwash Three years from manufacture date 73 Nail polish 1 year 74 Nail-polish remover Lasts indefinitely 75 Perfume 1 to 2 years 76 Rubbing alcohol At least 3 years 77 Shampoo 2 to 3 years 78 Shaving cream 2 years or more 79 Tooth-whitening strips 13 months 80 Wash'n Dri moist wipes Unopened: 2 years Opened: Good until dried out ------------------------------------------------------------ Link via http://del.icio.us/popular/ ------------------------------------------------------------ AYO GALANG SOLIDARITAS UNTUK MEMBANTU KORBAN MUSIBAH DI ACEH & DAN SUMATERA UTARA !!! ================ Kirim bunga, http://www.indokado.com Info balita: http://www.balita-anda.com Stop berlangganan/unsubscribe dari milis ini, e-mail ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peraturan milis, email ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
