75 Surprising Expiration Dates Maya Kukes & Lisa Smith Keate, RealSimple.com http://yhoo.it/euCjj6 http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/505/77-surprising-expiration-dates/
A handy keep-or-toss guide to 75 foods, beauty products, and household goods.
Food
| 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 (PowerBars) | 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 |
| 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) |
| 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 |
| Vinegar | 42 months |
| 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, nonrechargeable | 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 |
