Product Shelf Life

Here is a quick guide to the shelf life of common items and when to change them. Here is a rundown of the goods most of us hang on to for far too long. Batteries and food aren't the only household items that have a limited shelf life. Check this list and if you need to, make the switch. Some items could cause an accident or serious damage.

Motor oil: 5,000 to 20,000 miles (or as recommended in your owner's manual)
     Consider using synthetic oils. Yes, they are more expensive but they do a better job of protecting your engine from heat and wear on certain kinds of cars.

Smoke alarm: 10 years
     The National Fire Protection Association recommends replacing your smoke alarms every 10 years. Make a hash mark on it every time you replace the batteries, which should be annually. If you have 10 marks, it's time to go shopping.

Vitamins: 3 years (if there's no expiration date on the bottle)
     The active ingredients in vitamins break down over time, causing the pills to lose their potency.

Toothbrush: 3 to 4 months
     Old brushes may harbor bacteria, increasing your risk of gingivitis. Plus, frayed and splayed bristles do an inferior job of scraping plaque. Also consider buying a new brush after you've had a cold or the flu.

Contact lens case: 3 months
     You'll reduce your risk of eye infections from parasites and fungi that grow in the case.

Pillow: 1 year

Mattress: 9 to 10 years
     You flatten the coils over time. A lumpy mattress can stress your back.

Bedsheets: 1 to 2 weeks (wash)
     Germs from your skin, mouth, and nose multiply on dirty sheets and can cause respiratory,  gastrointestinal, skin, and eye infections. It's best to wash linens in hot water.

Running shoes: 7 months (if running 10 to 19 miles a week)
     Shoes lose their shock absorption and stability, putting you more at risk of knee and ankle injuries.

Passwords: 30 to 90 days
     Hacking programs can zip through 30,000 words in one second. For a password that is tough to crack yet still easy to remember, convert a sentence into letters and numbers. For example, turn "I want to go to Maui in 2014" into "iw2g2m4"

Best Before When?

Food shoppers frequently believe "best before" "expires on" and "sell by" dates are one and the same. They're not. And much of the time, these dates are indicators of food quality, not safety. Here's what you need to know about the shelf life of your groceries.

Best Before and Use By:

Typically found on shelf'-stable products, such as condiments and canned food, these dates refer to how long the item will remain at its best quality when unopened. If the date has passed, look, sniff and taste the item to gauge its quality. Most items, once opened should be tightly sealed and stored in the refrigerator.

Sell By:

Found on perishables, the sell-by date lets grocers know how long they can keep items on their shelves. Consumers can safely store the product at home use the food after this time. For example, refrigerated poultry can be used up to two days past the sell-by date and milk may still be good up to a week later.

Expires On:

Toss any food item-unopened or not- after this expiration date has passed.