Hand Sanitizer Shelf Life

Submitted by Final_Assistant_9629 t3_y6h3jj in BuyItForLife

I have about 10 32oz bottles of hand sanitizer. They say they're expired a month ago. Are they still safe to use? I assume they are still good for years, I would just have to use maybe a greater amount for effect? I don't wanna throw them away if not. Maybe good for something else if not hands?

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pitterpattergedader t1_isp6l10 wrote

I think we just found the guy that bought all the toilet paper in April of 2020.

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Orangiraff24 t1_ispusvc wrote

I work for a place that tests hand sanitizers. For us, we have tested it for 2 years + and it has shown to be the same percentage of alcohol for at least 2 years. After that it is either they don't want the paperwork hanging around for longer or the container evaporates the contents so it is no longer what the stated contents says. E.g. our bags get only 1.5 years because the alcohol and other contents evaporate at the same rate but evaporate more quickly than bottles. So...the alcohol content is most likely good it's just that it may not be 32 oz after it expires, which would make the FDA sad.

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redbucket75 t1_isp4c35 wrote

They should be fine. The date is either random or when they no longer have confidence in the bottle to be air tight. As long as the bottle looks fine and there's no significant evaporation noticeable it's fine.

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abi0p t1_isp7hev wrote

Most of the time when you see an expiration date on something that doesn't seem like it would expire, it's referring to the plastic leeching into whatever substance is inside it, rather than the substance itself. Like bottled water for example.

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Arcal t1_isr3dg3 wrote

It's usually the worst case scenario with the plastic bottle in full sunlight, not relevant here or in most cases.

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Cranky_Windlass t1_isp9mpp wrote

If you notice any evaporation just top it off with some vodka

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Faeglantina t1_isrmq0r wrote

I don’t think vodka necessarily has a high enough alcohol content to compensate for alcohol evaporation. At that point, you’d want to add something with significantly more than 60% alcohol for me to feel comfortable using it as hand sanitizer.

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waorak t1_ispkzmd wrote

If it is gel, it probably will turn into liquid.

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Arcal t1_isr36yw wrote

The liquid? Forever. The worry is the bottle, or, if it has a pump, possible rust issues with the spring or one way valve. Visually inspect for corrosion, if no, you're good. Then give it a sniff, still strong alcohol? Good. If it still burns vigorously, it's at least 50% and you're still pretty good. Expiry dates are largely ass covering and sales tactics.

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Sofiwyn t1_isq8skg wrote

Use it to test it. If there's still alcohol in it your hands should feel slightly cooler.

Hand sanitizer definitely doesn't last indefinitely, once the alcohol is evaporated it's useless.

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Cunninghams_right t1_isp742d wrote

I don't think there is actually any evidence that hand sanitizer makes any positive impact at all. I know purell was in legal trouble before for claiming that they actually had an affect.

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Cranky_Windlass t1_ispa0c3 wrote

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2813169/

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Cunninghams_right t1_isphpu9 wrote

  1. that study does not prove an actual improvement of health benefit, just reduction in bacteria on hands. that may or may not translate directly to health outcomes as a 50% reduction in bacteria does not necessarily translate to a 50% reduction in health issues
  2. this is the study of bacteria, not viruses. OP may be using it for covid prevention
  3. sanitizing frequently can reduce baseline exposure, which can impact immune function/development. kids who grow up on farms, for example, tend to have a better immune system. so the sanitizer can be counter productive for some situations.
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