I hope everyone had such a beautiful Christmas! Kendall and I spent it with my family and it was so calm and relaxing. This was our third Christmas together we have such a nice little routine going. We even started doing our own stockings together at our apartment before heading to Laytonsville on Christmas Eve. Our first married Christmas was a total success and we were spoiled by each other and our families. We ended the celebration with the Downing tradition of a movie and sushi.
This weekend, as we wrapped up what needed to be done before Christmas, we started a big cleanup of the apartment. I have at least two boxes to donate and we also just started throwing stuff away (stale candy from the wedding, anyone?). I don’t really believe in “spring” cleaning as our space is so limited I think it should be an ongoing project.
As I get older, one thing I’m more cognoscente of is tossing things once they’ve lived their life. Obviously, if something has an expiration date you should get rid of it once that date hits, but what about items that don’t have a date printed on them? Household items can hold germs and especially this time of year, any little thing you can do to keep yourself healthy is a plus. I’ve created a little graphic for some of the most common items and how long you should use them before you replace them.
Make-up brushes: This one surprised me! Every 2 to 3 months?! I usually keep mine for years until they’re falling apart. And this recommendation is if you’re cleaning them regularly (I most certainly am not! Goal for the new year!)
Toothbrushes: You probably already know this but you should replace your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months. Depending on the size of your tube of toothpaste, you might just want to toss your brush with the tube as a reminder. Bonus: get a biodegradable toothbrush!
Hairbrushes: This was another one that surprised me. It’s recommended that you replace your hairbrush every 6 months to a year. I honestly don’t even know how long I’ve had mine, but the fact that a bristle just broke off in my hair is a pretty good sign I probably need a new one.
Disposable razors: It’s winter, so they’ll probably last longer time-wise than they would in summer, but you should replace your razors every 5 to 7 shaves.
Mascara: This is one I’m really good about already. Mascara needs to be replaced every 2-3 months, so I have my fave shipped to me from Amazon every 3 months so the new one arrives and the old one goes in the trash.
Eye shadow: I have eye shadow I’ve been using since middle or high school (FOR SHAAAAME I KNOW!) so a big project for me will be getting rid of that. Due to the risk of using dirty brushes, plus the fact that eye shadow by it’s very nature is used around the eyes which are susceptible to infection, eye shadow should be replaced every 1-2 years.
Foundation: It’s recommended that you replace your foundation every 6 months to a year. This isn’t so hard for me because I usually use about a bottle a year, even not wearing it every day. If you have trouble going through a whole bottle before it’s time to toss, be on the lookout for weird smells or discoloration.
Powder Blush: This is another easy one for me- powder blushes last about 2 years. Replace it before then if it starts feeling chalky.
Lipstick: I’ve been a known lippy junkie since 6th grade, and it’s hard for me to want to toss these. However, lipstick should be replaced after about one year. Be on the lookout for drying and bad odors before then.
This post was mostly about cosmetics or things in the bathroom- would you be interested in a roundup of other household items without experation dates? Do you already follow these or did you learn something new? Let me know in the comments below!
Check out what I'm loving right now on Amazon!
