Items like smoke detectors, bike helmets, and pepper spray have a shelf life.
There are some lifesaving products in your home that have a shelf-life of their own.
One example is fire extinguishers. Over time they can simply stop working.
“They can lose pressure, as this one has. They can have internal corrosion,” Consumer Reports engineer John Galeotafiore says. “This could be a disaster waiting to happen.”
Fire extinguishers and smoke detectors do not come with an expiration date, but Galeotafiore says they still need to be replaced every ten years — not just the battery, but the entire unit.
Bike helmets are another item that needs replacing. After five years, bike helmets lose their effectiveness, experts say. Galeotafiore says helmets can start degrading.
Inside Edition visited New Jersey mother Kristin Pierre to see what expired producers were in her house.
Pierre says she has had the same mascara for a year. Mascara may not list an expiration date, but after three months experts say the bacteria growing inside can cause pink eye.
Bleach is an item that gets 20 percent less effective every year, according to experts. Shower loofas should be tossed every two months.
In her purse, Pierre carried pepper spray, which turned out to have expired in 2019.
A car seat Pierre was given for her child to use when he got older had expired in February of this year, which is written on the car seat’s label. Car seats expire after around six years due to degradation.
“I had no idea,” Pierre says. “I’m so glad I know.”
