Discover if laundry detergent expires and how to tell if it’s still effective.

This does not mean that laundry day is a favorite activity on the chore chart .

However, just because doing laundry isnt the most beloved task, doesnt mean it shouldnt be done right.

Laundry Detergent in laundry room

Credit:LAUREY GLENN

That starts withsortingand finding the right laundry detergent for the job and your washing machine.

Whether youre usinghigh-efficiency or regular detergent,powdered or liquid, is up to you.

And like cooking oil, it does have a shelf life of around 12 months.

Im not sure why it has to be oil-based, except thats how the chemistry works!

Those surfactants work by trapping dirt and removing it from the surface of the item.

Oil is a big part of that cleaning magic, but it can expire.

Its not just the oil, though.

Other ingredients can spoil too, like enzymes which become less effective over time, says Dunn.

Instead, the detergent merely loses some of its effectiveness for getting clothing spic’n’span.