The Healthiest Time to Toss It!

Time to Toss

Courtesy of Prevention

The ritual of deep cleaning doesn't just clear the cobwebs from your ceilings (and your head) -- it's essential for great health, too. Knowing when to pitch everything from medication to your smoke alarm helps you and your family sleep better, stay safer, heal faster, and more. From pills and pillows to mattresses and shampoo, here's a reality check on when to replace 14 common household items.


Water Filters: Drink Purer, Safer H2O

Keep 20 longer than recommended. "Filters that make health claims like lead removal are designed to provide a margin of safety in case they're not changed on time," says Rick Andrew, operations manager at NSF International, an Ann Arbor, MI-based company that tests filters. (This applies to most drinking water purifiers, including models from Culligan, Brita, and PUR.) Those equipped with expiration indicators (such as trigger lights) last 20 longer than their recommended life--so a filter certified to clean 100 gallons actually purifies 120. Filters without an indictor last even longer, cleaning twice the number of gallons claimed.


Pillows: Reduce Allergies

Replace every year. Hair and body oils will have soaked into a pillow's fabric and stuffing after a year of nightly use, making it a breeding ground for odor-causing bacteria and allergy-triggering dust mites. Using protectors can double the life of your pillows.


Mattress: Get Deeper Sleep

Toss after 5 to 10 years. A good mattress lasts 9 to 10 years, according to the National Sleep Foundation, but consider replacing yours every 5 to 7 years if you don't sleep well. A study at Oklahoma State University found that most people who switched to new bedding after 5 years sleep significantly better and have less back pain.



Smoke Alarms: Be Alert to Danger

Change after 10 years. After a decade of continual vigilance, a unit's sensors become less sensitive -- putting you at greater risk from smoke or fire should a blaze erupt. Test smoke alarms monthly and replace batteries with new ones every year. To safeguard your family, install alarms on every level of your home, in bedrooms, and outside all sleeping areas. Scary stat: One-fifth of US homes have smoke alarms that don't work.



Air Conditioners: Stay cool and save $$$

Keep until they die. With proper maintenance, including annual servicing, a room or central air conditioner can easily run for up to 15 years, especially if you don't operate it year-round, says Bill Harrison, president-elect of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers. Check the filter at least every 6 weeks, particularly in humid weather. "If dirt covers the filter so you can't see the original material or view light through it, clean it or buy a new one," he says.


Vitamins: Maintain Pills' Potency

Replace after 2 years. Independent tests find that most nutritional supplements are good for 3 years if stored in a cool, dry place, says William Obermeyer, PhD, vice president for research at ConsumerLab.com. Because the product may have been sitting on store or warehouse shelves for a year, chuck it 2 years after purchase if there's no expiration date.


Fire Extinguishers: Keep Blazes at Bay

Toss every 10 years. Portable extinguishers may lose pressure over time and become ineffective--whether or not they've been triggered, says Lorraine Carli, national spokesperson for the National Fire Protection Association. If your extinguisher is rechargeable, have it serviced every 6 years or when the pressure is low. (Look for service companies in the Yellowhttp://publishing.aol.com/tools/kegallerypub/csfeed.edit.adp?FEED_ID=347630&CHANNEL_ID=body
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Cutting Boards: Protect Against Foodborne Bacteria

Hold on to indefinitely. How you sanitize the board -- and not its age -- is what kills bugs such as E. coli and Salmonella. "The decision to replace one is ultimately based on when you think it looks too beat up," says Brenda Wilson, PhD, an associate professor of microbiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Even a board with deep cracks or grooves is safe if it's sanitized after each use: Wash the board with detergent and hot water; then rinse and flood with a solution of 1 part full-strength white vinegar to 4 parts water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Rinse with clean water, pat with a clean towel, and air dry.


Contact Lens Solution: Keep Eyes Healthy

Discard contact after 3 months. "Once the seal is broken, germs can contaminate bottles that are left uncapped or that lack a backflow device, increasing your risk of infection," says Louise A. Sclafani, OD, an associate professor of ophthalmology at University of Chicago Hospital. Get a new case every 3 months, too.