When Should You Replace Common Household Items
January 23rd, 2009 categories: Home Owners
I found this article on the Get Rich Slowly blog, orginally posted by SmartMoney.com:
Air Filters
Replace after: Six months
Why: Filters become clogged with dirt and other particles, reducing the energy efficiency of your heating and cooling systems, says Rozanne Weissman, a spokeswoman for the Alliance to Save Energy.
Fire Extinguishers
Replace after: 10 to 12 years
Why: The pressurized contents of a fire extinguisher de-pressurize over time. “Eventually, it just becomes a block of ’stuff’ inside the cylinder,” says Tom Olshanski, director of external affairs for the U.S. Fire Administration — rendering it useless in fighting fires. Extinguishers can deteriorate faster if left in a high-humidity environment. Check your extinguisher on a monthly basis for corrosion, a sure sign air is leaking out, he suggests.
Mattresses
Replace after: Seven years
Why: Mattresses wear out over time, says Kathleen Huddy, textiles director for the Good Housekeeping Institute. One that sags or is uneven won’t keep your spine in line as you sleep, which means you may have trouble sleeping. It’s likely you’ll also experience neck and back pain while awake. There’s also an ick factor to old mattresses, she explains — they collect dust, dirt and allergens that can’t be removed.
Pillows
Replace after: Two years
Why: Pressure on the pillow as you sleep causes it to flatten, and develop uncomfortable bumps and lumps, says GHI’s Huddy. To test if your pillow still has life in it, she says, fold it in half and rest your hand on top for 30 seconds. Then let go. “If the pillow pops back, it’s fine,” she says. If it remains folded, it’s time to buy a new one.
Smoke Alarms
Replace after: 10 years
Why: Constant stress on a smoke detector’s sensors from particles in the air — everything from cigarette smoke to pet dander to pollen — render it unreliable, says the U.S. Fire Administration’s Olshanski. “Its ability to sense smoke deteriorates,” he says. The result will be one of two extremes: either the smoke detector will sound the alarm for just about anything, or it won’t go off at all.
Realsimple.com has the expiration dates for more items:
Air freshener, aerosol
Replace after: 2 years
Batteries, alkaline
Replace after: 7 years
Batteries, lithium
Replace after: 10 years
Bleach
Replace after: 6 months
Dish detergent, liquid or powdered
Replace after: 1 year
Laundry detergent, liquid or powdered
Unopened: 9 months to 1 year
Opened: 6 months
Metal polish (silver, copper, brass)
At least 3 years
Paint
Unopened: Up to 10 years
Opened: 2 to 5 years
Spray paint
Replace after: 2 to 3 years
Windex
Replace after: 2 years
Wood polish (Pledge)
Replace after: 2 years
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