Laundry detergent doesn’t ‘go off’ like food does, but it has a shelf life and can go bad.
How long your laundry product lasts depends on how you store it and its form: pods, regular liquid, detergent sheets, or traditional washing powder.
Let’s look at how long different types of laundry detergent last and the best way to store your product to guarantee its lifespan.
What Happens if I Use Expired Laundry Detergent?
If your laundry detergent is exposed to direct sunlight, extreme temperatures, or even moisture, the active ingredients will start to break down and change.
One of the first things you’ll notice if you use expired laundry detergent is that it’s not nearly as good at cleaning and removing dirt and stains. A telltale clue is that the fragrance has faded; this may be the first thing you notice.
You might also see soapy residue on your clothes, a general hazard of using liquid detergents. The residue will worsen if the product changes its chemical composition, leading to obvious spots, streaks, and marks.
Liquid detergents contain color protection additives, which lose their efficacy over time. It means your clothes could start to fade due to the washing process. Delicate fabrics may suffer and look tired with frayed fibers. But there could be even more serious implications.
Chemical changes within the detergent (which may not be visible to the naked eye) can impact human health.
Degraded ingredients can cause skin irritation, particularly for people with pre-existing conditions. In isolated cases, expired detergent has released toxic particles and fumes, causing a cough and respiratory compromise. The reason?
The chemicals in many liquid laundry detergents and pods are toxic and have a history of causing respiratory issues for some people. If you use expired detergent, you have a much higher chance of experiencing a health problem.
If your laundry detergent is just past its ‘use by’ date, it’s probably still okay. However, you may find it’s gone lumpy or clumpy, so always shake the bottle well before pouring the liquid into the dispenser drawer.
How Long Can You Keep Laundry Detergent?
Laundry products have varying shelf lives. Proper storage is essential to get the maximum out of your washing detergent and can extend its usable life.
Traditional Liquid Detergent
The bottle will have a ‘use by’ date, usually six months from when it appears on the store shelf. However, if stored in a cool, dry place and kept sealed, the product often remains usable beyond that date. Always check for changes in color, smell, or texture before use.
Laundry Pods
Single-use pods generally have a shelf life of up to a year if they’re not contaminated by moisture. If you look more closely at the container, you’ll see two dates.
The first is for unopened products, and that’s twelve months. However, if the detergent has been opened, it’s suitable for six months.
Laundry Sheets
Laundry detergent sheets last, on average, 2-3 years if kept in a cool, dry place and an airtight container. The container protects the detergent sheets from exposure to humidity.
Even detergent sheets nearing the end of their shelf life are still suitable for use, as they don’t usually contain harmful chemicals.
At Freddie, our detergent sheets are free from harmful ingredients like optical brighteners, parabens, dyes, phosphates, and 1,4-dioxane.
Store them carefully in a dry location, and they’ll provide the same cleaning power two or three years down the line—the same as the day you bought them.
It’s just another benefit of choosing Freddie laundry detergent sheets: they’re designed to care for your clothes, your household, and your machine—while minimizing environmental impact compared to traditional liquid detergents.
Laundry Powder
Powdered laundry detergents are not as sensitive to environmental conditions and temperature changes as liquid detergent products, so typically, they don’t have an expiry date.
If you store laundry powder in a cool, dry place, it will last forever—or until you’ve finished the box, anyway.
Laundry powder is sensitive to moisture, so it will clump together in hard lumps if it gets damp. Using it like this will leave soap deposits on your clothes and inside the machine.
Do Dryer Sheets Expire?
Dryer sheets don’t expire; the worst that can happen is that they dry out or may develop mildew in a humid environment, or if exposed to dampness. If there are signs of mildew (gray or white patches of powder), then throw the sheets away.
If the sheets are dry but mildew-free, you can re-moisten them by adding water from a plastic spray bottle.
Signs Your Detergent Has Gone Bad
A rancid smell or even just color changes could indicate that the chemicals in the product have started to alter: there may even be bacteria present. Another telltale sign is when the liquid begins to form lumps.
Even if the liquid appears unchanged in texture and there’s no unpleasant odor, streaks of detergent residue on your clothes or more residue than usual in the washer drum could be a sign that things are not quite right.
Got Expired Laundry Detergent? How You Can Still Make Use of It
Expired laundry detergent has some unexpected uses around the home if you don’t want to pour it down the drain. Just make sure you dilute it with water first. Here are some suggestions:
- Floor cleaner
- Bathroom cleaner
- Cleaning outside toys or outdoor furniture – remember to rinse well
- Surface cleaning via a plastic spray bottle
- Cleaner for kitchen appliances
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Use 10-Year-Old Laundry Detergent?
Using 10-year-old laundry detergent to wash your clothes or as a general cleaning fluid around your home to avoid wastage is not advisable. The chemicals in laundry detergents start to degrade after around a year, may no longer be suitable for use, and could cause skin irritation or fabric damage.
How To Dispose of Expired Laundry Detergent?
Expired laundry detergent is useful for routine cleaning around the home, but ensure you always dilute it with water first. That said, it may be ineffective as it’s not really designed for this purpose. An alternative is pouring it down the drain, but you must do this in small amounts and flush with plenty of water. Don’t do this if you have a septic tank.
Final Thoughts
Laundry detergent doesn’t expire like foodstuffs, but some products are stamped with a ‘use by’ date and will undoubtedly become less adept at cleaning if they’re too old. A more significant worry is that expired laundry detergent can have health implications for you and your family.
Choose Freddie laundry detergent sheets, a laundry solution formulated to deliver strong cleaning performance, convenience, and long expiry dates. They’re a great choice for convenient cleaning, thoughtful ingredient selection, and less packaging waste than many traditional liquid detergents.
