Comments on: How Much Do You Care About Expiration Dates?

By: Mrs. Accountability

Mrs. Accountability — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:51:50 +0000

Hi Funny!! I wonder if the dishwasher detergent – is it powder form that you’re referring to? I wonder if that’s why it can go bad, because typically doesn’t the powder stuff come in a cardboard box? Maybe that adds to the problem. You are lucky to have a relative who can give you the real scoop on what meds to keep and which to toss due to expiration dates. The thing about people having to throw out their meds to buy new, that’s how I felt about the asthma medication I was using in the powder container thing. I wondered if it was just a scam to get me to buy it more often. I couldn’t get anyone to admit to it though, so I kept to the 45 day limit pretty strictly. Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting!!

By: Mrs. Accountability

Mrs. Accountability — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:49:20 +0000

Hello Abigail, how’s life in the desert treating you and your main squeeze? Did you get a chance to plant anything? I’m with you on moldy bread. And I have heard you can cut the mold off of cheese, but I’ve also heard spores have grown throughout the hunk so for someone who is sensitive to mold that’s the best option. Thank you SO much for stopping by and joining in the conversation!

By: Mrs. Accountability

Mrs. Accountability — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:47:19 +0000

Melissa, oh boy, definitely, stale bread is so perfect for french toast and no one is the wiser, except for the cook. You’re making me hungry right now. LOL. Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting and commenting!

By: Mrs. Accountability

Mrs. Accountability — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:46:26 +0000

Hi Little House! I see we’re in agreement on a couple of things. Thank you for taking the time to comment, I love it when you guys talk back to me! Thanks so much!

By: Funny about Money

Funny about Money — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:52:09 +0000

I’ve heard that dishwasher detergent (not the liquid stuff that you use in the sink) loses its potency over time, especially if it’s kept someplace that gets hot during the summer, like the garage.

There’s a difference between expiration date and shelf date. Many goods are just fine after their shelf date passes. With food, you might want to be careful when you reach the actual “expiration” date. As for drugs: many of those dates are on there so that people will throw out their pills and buy new, expensive meds. Some actually do lose their potency; some do not. A relative who is a doctor said most painkillers (for example) are just fine long past their alleged expiration dates.

By: Abigail

Abigail — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:37:43 +0000

We’re pretty casual about expiration dates. So long as the milk smells okay, it’s okay by us. That’s probably the item we watch most closely. Bread goes when we notice mold. Given how sensitive Tim is to mold, though, cheese has to go as soon as we find any. (My mom always taught me to just cut it off and use the good part. But Tim will actually throw up from being too close to mold.)

That said, I’ve had canned corn that was a year or more past its date. It was completely fine. After a certain point, I would throw it out on principle. But usually I take the dates as a suggestion/precaution rather than a rule.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:10:03 +0000

It depends on the product. I could care less about most shelf stable food. I likely wouldn’t even notice if my ketchup passed its expiration date. If my milk is a day or so past its expiration date, I will likely still use it when I cook, but I’m not sure I would use it in my breakfast cereal. Bread goes the same as milk. I can tell when bread is getting close to molding. When it gets to that point, I’ll use it in something I cook (french toast for breakfast, anyone?).

By: Little House

Little House — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:48:13 +0000

I mind the expiration dates on food items, but I don’t freak out if it’s a day or two over the expiry date. As for medical items, like hydrogen peroxide and things that would help heal cuts, I ignore the expiration date. I really don’t see Neosporin expiring and being completely useless within a year or two of production. Good topic to discuss!