How Long Can You Keep Household and Personal Items

Get More Out of Them Before Throwing Away

How long can you keep household and personal Items before throwing them away? I know there are probably a lot of things around your house that you've wondered this about. I know I have, and I've mostly gone by the expiration date, that is if I can decipher it. Because some expiration dates either can't be determined or they are in a code that only the manufacturer can
understand.

So here is a simple list of items for you, so that you best determine when it's time to get rid of the old, and bring in the new.

How Long To Keep Flour

You should probably only keep flour for about a year. After a year it begins to spoil because the oils in it start to degrade.

But if you want to keep it longer than a year, then put it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It's okay to keep your flour in the canister on your counter during the winter months, but during the hot summer months it should go in the refrigerator.

The heat will increase the oxidation process, and cause your flour to spoil faster.

How Long To Keep Your Toothbrush

Throwing your toothbrush out after 3 months seems like a short time, but think of the germs, viruses and bacteria it is exposed to daily.

And if you've only had your toothbrush for 1 month, and you have a cold or sinus infection, throw it away. There is no reason to re-infect yourself from using this toothbrush.

If you want to keep your toothbrush longer than 3 months however, run your thumb over the bristles, under running hot water. This helps clean your toothbrush to some degree.

You can also kill germs by soaking your toothbrush in an antiseptic mouthwash or hydrogen peroxide for about an hour, then rinse it and dry it.

How Long To Keep Wine

A very short time before the wine starts to taste bitter! Five days for white wine and three days for red wine.

To keep it longer, you should re-cork and store red wine in a dark and cool place, and re-cork your white wine and store in the refrigerator.

Since wine doesn't really go back, it just starts to taste bitter, why not keep it and use it for vinaigrette salad dressings, vinegar, or in your cooking.

How Long To Keep Coffee