4 Signs It's Time To Toss Your Cleaning Products (& How To Do So Safely)

Green cleaning products still use preservatives to stop microbial growth, but they tend to max out around two years—after which a product will start to go bad. Enzyme cleaners usually expire even faster. But not to worry! Since you're not eating your natural cleaning products or lathering them all over your skin (I'd hope), they usually don't pose any kind of health threat when their shelf life runs out. You might just notice that their scent starts to fade or they don't work as well as they used to.

"Expired natural cleaning products would seldom pose a threat besides not cleaning as well since their efficacy is affected over time," Angela Bell, a Grove Guide at natural cleaning marketplace Grove Collaborative, tells mbg. "Keep in mind the expiration is usually a 'Best-by Date.' This means there is some leeway in that timeline, so give it a try before you toss it on the exact date stamped on the bottle."

To help your cleaners live up to their maximum shelf life, it's important to store them properly. High temperatures can cause products to spoil faster, so Dunn recommends keeping yours in a dark room-temperature area like a sink or cupboard, out of the way of direct sunlight.

When you have spoiled products on your hands, it's important to dispose of them responsibly. If your cleaner is made using biodegradable ingredients (it should say so on the label or website), getting rid of it is easy: Simply wash it down the sink with some water and you won't have to worry about it persisting in the environment.

If you're disposing of toxic bleach-based products, the process is more complicated. "If your cleaning products contain words like hazard, danger, warning, or caution, they likely can't just be tossed out in the trash or poured down the sink," explains Marilee Nelson, environmental consultant and co-founder of Branch Basics cleaners.

In that case, you'll want to check out the Earth911 database to look for safe disposal sites near you. If you're spring cleaning and itching to get them out quickly, store in an airtight container and stow them away until you can get them to a site near you. It's a pain, but it's important.

"Taking responsible disposal seriously can have a major impact on our environment, as what ends up in our trash ends up in our groundwater and oceans—and eventually finds its way back into our lives in our food and drinking water," says Nelson.