Organizing isn’t for everyone. I get that. I count on that for my business actually. But one thing everyone can do is throw something away. In fact there’s a very good chance you already do that on a daily basis (at least I hope you do!).
I know one of the first assumptions people make about professional organizers is they come in to the house and just start throwing things away. But guess what… that’s simply not true. HOWEVER, if something has expired then yes, it definitely needs to go and professional organizers will be the first person in line to chuck those items in the trash. Not because all expired items are harmful but they do lose some of their potency and/or taste once they reach the date of expiration. Below is a list of items with expiration dates, and some of them might surprise you:
Dried pasta: 12 months
Maple Syrup: 12 months
Mustard: 2 years
Olive Oil: 2 years
White Rice: 2 years from date on box
Aerosol Air Freshener: 2 years
Bleach: 3-6 months
Windex: 2 years
Body Lotion: 3 years
Lipstick: 2 years
Nail Polish: 1 year
Blush/Bronzer: 18 months after first use
Mascara: 3 months
Face Moisturizer: 12 months after first use
Soap: 2-3 years
Dishwasher detergent: 1 year
Spray Paint: 2-3 years
Laundry Detergent: 6-12 months
Disinfectants: 2 years
So today, go through a room, a closet, a cupboard or a drawer and start checking expiration dates and then start chucking. If you aren’t sure if something has an expiration date you can probably find it on-line. Here’s a helpful link to get you going:
77 Surprising Expiration Dates
Once you’ve cleared out the expired items from a localized spot, suddenly organizing isn’t quite so overwhelming.
Hmmmm, I have a ton of things I probably need to throw out 😉 Including way old nail polish. 1 year, huh, who knew!
I know! I was surprised by some of the items on the list as well!