Expiration Dates For Everything

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Did your beer supposedly only lasts four months? Yet mayonnaise can last indefinitely if it isn't opened? Here's a guide to the "shelf life" of common food and household items that normally don't have expiration dates.

# Beer

Unopened: 4 months.

# Brown sugar

Indefinite shelf life, stored in a moistureproof container in a cool, dry place.

# Chocolate (Hershey bar)

1 year from production date

# Coffee, canned ground

Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 1 month refrigerated

# Coffee, gourmet

Beans: 3 weeks in paper bag, longer in vacuum-seal bag (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Ground: 1 week in sealed container

# Coffee, instant

Unopened: Up to 2 years
Opened: Up to 1 month

# Diet soda (and soft drinks in plastic bottles)

Unopened: 3 months from "best by" date.
Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected.

# Dried pasta

12 months

# Frozen dinners

Unopened: 12 to 18 months

# Frozen vegetables

Unopened: 18 to 24 months
Opened: 1 month

# Honey

Indefinite shelf life

# Juice, bottled (apple or cranberry)

Unopened: 8 months from production date
Opened: 7 to 10 days

# Ketchup

Unopened: 1 year (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Opened or used: 4 to 6 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

# Maple syrup, real or imitation

1 year

# Maraschino cherries

Unopened: 3 to 4 years
Opened: 2 weeks at room temperature; 6 months refrigerated

# Marshmallows

Unopened: 40 weeks
Opened: 3 months

# Mayonnaise

Unopened: Indefinitely
Opened: 2 to 3 months from “purchase by” date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

# Mustard

2 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)



# Olives, jarred (green with pimento)

Unopened: 3 years
Opened: 3 months

# Olive oil

2 years from manufacture date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

# Peanuts

Unopened: 1 to 2 years unless frozen or refrigerated
Opened: 1 to 2 weeks in airtight container

# Peanut butter, natural

9 months

# Peanut butter, processed (Jif)

Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 6 months; refrigerate after 3 months

# Pickles

Unopened: 18 months
Opened: No conclusive data. Discard if slippery or excessively soft.
# Protein bars (PowerBars)

Unopened: 10 to 12 months. Check "best by" date on the package.

# Rice, white

2 years from date on box or date of purchase

# Salad dressing, bottled

Unopened: 12 months after "best by" date
Opened: 9 months refrigerated

# Soda, regular

Unopened: In cans or glass bottles, 9 months from "best by" date
Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected

# Steak sauce

33 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

# Tabasco

5 years, stored in a cool, dry place

# Tea bags (Lipton)

Use within 2 years of opening the package

# Tuna, canned

Unopened: 1 year from purchase date
Opened: 3 to 4 days, not stored in can

# Soy sauce, bottled

Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 3 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

# Vinegar

42 months

# Wine (red, white)

Unopened: 3 years from vintage date; 20 to 100 years for fine wines
Opened: 1 week refrigerated and corked

# Worcestershire sauce

Unopened: 5 to 10 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Opened: 2 years

For more information, see:
How to Protect Your Produce
How to Save an Open Bottle of Wine


Household Products
# Air freshener, aerosol

2 years

# Antifreeze, premixed

1 to 5 years

# Antifreeze, concentrate

Indefinite

# Batteries, alkaline

7 years

# Batteries, lithium

10 years

# Bleach

3 to 6 months

# Dish detergent, liquid or powdered

1 year

# Fire extinguisher, rechargeable

Service or replace every 6 years

# Fire extinguisher, nonrechargeable

12 years

# Laundry detergent, liquid or powdered

Unopened: 9 months to 1 year
Opened: 6 months

# Metal polish (silver, copper, brass)

At least 3 years

# Miracle Gro, liquid

Opened: 3 to 8 years

# Miracle Gro, liquid, water-soluble

Indefinite

# Motor oil

Unopened: 2 to 5 years
Opened: 3 months

# Mr. Clean

2 years

# Paint

Unopened: Up to 10 years
Opened: 2 to 5 years

# Spray paint

2 to 3 years

# Windex

2 years

# Wood polish (Pledge)

2 years

Beauty Products
All dates are from the manufacture date, which is either displayed on the packaging or can be obtained by calling the manufacturer's customer-service number.

# Bar soap

18 months to 3 years

# Bath gel, body wash

3 years

# Bath oil

1 year

# Body bleaches and depilatories

Unopened: 2 years
Used: 6 months

# Body lotion

3 years

# Conditioner

2 to 3 years

# Deodorant

Unopened: 2 years
Used: 1 to 2 years
For antiperspirants, see expiration date

# Eye cream

Unopened: 3 years
Used: 1 year

# Face lotion

With SPF, see expiration date. All others, at least 3 years

# Foundation, oil-based

2 years

# Foundation, water-based

3 years

# Hair gel

2 to 3 years

# Hair spray

2 to 3 years

# Lip balm

Unopened: 5 years
Used: 1 to 5 years

# Lipstick

2 years

# Mascara

Unopened: 2 years
Used: 3 to 4 months

# Mouthwash

Three years from manufacture date

# Nail polish

1 year

# Nail-polish remover

Lasts indefinitely

# Perfume

1 to 2 years

# Rubbing alcohol

At least 3 years

# Shampoo

2 to 3 years

# Shaving cream

2 years or more

# Tooth-whitening strips

13 months

# Wash'n Dri moist wipes

Unopened: 2 years
Opened: Good until dried out

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