19 Household Items You Should Have Tossed Long Ago

If you are keen on decluttering your home, you have to start accepting the fact that not everything is meant to last forever. You’ll be surprised at just how much storage space you’ll free up once you ditch these common household items Welcome to Hello Cleaner’s DIY and here are Household Items You Should Have Tossed A Long Time Ago.

1. Throw your dish sponges out after month. Your dish sponge goes through a lot of surfaces. In between washing the dishes, or cleaning the sink or the countertop, your sponge can come in contact with a lot of germs and other microorganisms. To prevent spreading these germs all over your kitchen, it is crucial that you switch out your sponge at least once every month. You should also make sure to disinfect your sponge after a few uses using vinegar, high heat or even bleach.

2. Discard expired food on or near the expiration date. You may not realize how much junk you have stored at the back of your refrigerator and how much more space you can have if you’ll just chuck this forgotten food towards the garbage bin. You should regularly take stock of what you have inside your fridge and check the expiration dates on each item. Those that have expired or already have a funky smell should immediately be disposed of.

3. Get rid of plastic storage containers every few years or right away for disposable packaging. There’s a reason why disposable plastic containers are called as such. It’s because they are not meant to be kept forever. Doing so can also place your health at risk, especially when you’re using these to store food. As time passes, plastic will break down, which can then cause chemicals to seep into your food. You should regularly check these plastic containers for signs of wear and tear. Any containers that you find that have discoloration, a weird smell or cracks should immediately be disposed of. In addition, single-use plastic containers like yogurt containers should never be recycled.

4. Change pillows every few years. The material found inside pillows tends to break down after a period of time. With it comes all the dust, oil, and debris that has transferred from the pillow’s surface. Also, dust mites can call the pillow home, which can have an adverse impact on a lot of people, especially those who suffer from respiratory diseases or have allergies.

5. Remove household cleaners after years As time passes, a lot of the elements found in household cleaners and disinfectants will break down, thereby lessening their effectiveness. As such, you should always take note of what you have in your cabinets. Find the products that you have had for a couple of years and replace them with new bottles. However, given the nature of the chemicals inside these items, you shouldn’t just throw these anywhere. Check the manufacturer’s instructions on how to properly dispose of the contents and follow those explicitly.

6. Get rid of cooking oils like olive oil every years and year for herbs and spices. Exposing these items to light and heat can break down the elements found in these products, thereby making them less effective. If you want to extend their shelf life, you should store them in a cool, dry area. Oils that are no longer useful can have a rancid smell while spices that are useless will no longer have their distinct aroma.

7. Change your toothbrushes after months. Toothbrushes get used at least three times a day, and so, they get worn down easily, impacting their effectiveness. After using your toothbrush for a while, bacteria may also call your toothbrush home. And so, it’s best if you throw away toothbrushes after using them for a few months. If you are using an electric brush, you should replace the removable head after every three months or when you notice that the bristles are wearing down.

8. Throw away your photo negatives right now. Photo negatives break down over time and are very tricky to keep. If you want to preserve your photographs, there are many services that can scan your images and provide you with digital copies. But if you want to really get hands-on with the process, you can purchase a negative scanner and digitally store them yourself.

9. For eye makeup, discard it after months. Eye makeup usually has preservatives in it to keep it like new. However, bacteria can overcome these protections after a few months, which can lead to irritation or even infection in your eyes and face. To prevent this, you should always take stock of what you have and when you bought it. Generally, you should replace mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, and other eye makeup products after using them for six months.

10. Toss business cards you have right now. Business cards are crucial components of doing business but the downside is that these can pile up and take up precious space on your desk. Rather than keeping all of these cards, what you can do to minimize clutter is to take the information from these cards and place it on your smartphone or laptop. To expedite the process, there are even apps that can scan the card and immediately add the information to your contact list.

11. Get rid of vitamins after two years, or after the expiration date. Vitamins will deteriorate over time, and this is why you should always be aware of when the expiration date of these are. If you haven’t used them by the time the expiration date arrives, do not hesitate to discard them. There are also proper ways of disposing of vitamins like dropping them off at a drug take-back facility.

12. Dispose of sunscreen every summer, or based on the expiration date. The chemicals found in sunscreen degrade over time, lessening its ability to block out the harmful rays of the sun. However, if you aren’t sure of when the expiration date of the sunscreen is, you should just throw them away once summer has ended.

13. Opened nail polish should be thrown away after a year. Once nail polish has been used, the ingredients can evaporate and result in inconsistent application and color. If you want to prolong its shelf life, keep your nail polish in a cool and dark area of your home. But if you notice that the nail polish has become discolored and viscous, it’s a telltale sign that you should throw it away.

14. Dispose of gift cards right now. Gift cards have a tendency to get forgotten inside your wallet. Rather than keeping these gift cards, you can use an app to digitize the information and keep it in your phone. This way, your wallet is kept from getting bulky, and the information that you need to redeem the gift is stored safely inside your smartphone.

15. Opened wine should be discarded after – days. Once a wine bottle is opened, the exposure to oxygen, heat, and daylight will cause the wine’s aroma and flavors to slowly dissipate. If you want to prevent this from happening, you should immediately recork or seal the bottle with a wine stopper at the soonest possible time. Then, you should keep the unfinished bottle in the refrigerator and plan to consume within the next two days.

16. Opened paint should be thrown away after – years. Once a can of paint is opened, specific elements of the pain begin to degrade. This can make the paint challenging and very cumbersome to mix. If you want to repaint your room, you should take note of the color formula specifications and bring this to your local hardware store. You can then ask them to mix a new can of paint that matches what you need.

17. Old CDs can be discarded right now. CDs and the plastic cases they are stored in can take up a lot of storage space. In this era of digital music, it’s easier and more convenient to save your favorite songs in a digital library, whether on your laptop or in cloud storage. But if these CDs have sentimental value, you can take the CDs and keep them in archival boxes.

18. Appliance manuals can be tossed right now. These days, appliance companies have made it easier for you to gain access to manuals by making them available online. And even if they aren’t, there are plenty of online forums that can provide you with the answer to your appliance questions.

19. Bleach should be disposed of after – months. The chlorine that is in bleach disperses over time, thus causing the cleaner to slowly become ineffective. If you want to make the most out of an open bottle of bleach, then one good tip is to store it in a cool and dry place. If the bottle has been around for more than a year, you should replace it right away.

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