Smart Money has published a guide about when to replace common household items. Here are the items they mention and the recommended replacement periods. (The complete list includes “expert” reasons for replacing each item on a particular schedule.)
- Air filters — six months. I’ve always heard that furnace filters should be checked every month and replaced every three months. We replace ours in November and March. For more info, check out “How often should I change the furnace filter?” at bookofjoe.
- Computers — four years. It seems silly to recommend a specific timespan for upgrading a computer. You should upgrade when your computer no longer does what you need it to do. I upgrade laptops frequently (every two years). But my desktop machine at work is nine years old and still running well.
- Cosmetics — three months to two years.
- Fire extinguishers — ten to twelve years. At the office, we don’t replace our fire extinguishers. We have a company come out to service them every few years.
- Mattresses — seven years. Do people really replace mattresses this often? We’ve had our mattress for more than a decade, and it has never occurred to me to replace it.
- Perfume — two years. Good grief. I have one bottle of Polo. It’s almost ten years old and only half used. No wonder Kris hates the smell!
- Pillows — two years. I’ll admit to keeping pillows longer than I ought. An old pillow is a gross thing.
- Running (and walking) shoes — 300 to 500 miles.
- Spices — one year. I like the rule of thumb provided in the article: “To tell if your spices are past their prime, open the bag or jar and take a whiff. If there’s no scent, there won’t be any flavor.”
- Toothbrushes — three months.
This list is fine as far as it goes, but what about other common household items? Shower curtains? Towels? What about wooden spoons? I always worry that our wooden spoons are harboring hordes of bacteria. I also wonder about multivitamins, and about over-the-counter drugs. I have a big tub of ibuprofen with an expiration date of 2004 — what will happen if I use this?
While researching this subject, I found a list of average life expectancies for major appliances at Mr. Appliance. (I supplemented this list with further research.)
We have some appliances nearing the end of their lifespans. We bought our first home in 1993. Most of our stuff dates from that time. Our washing machine works fine, for example, but the knob broke off a couple years ago; we have to use a pair of pliers to change the settings and to turn it on. The appliance that worries me most is our 14-year-old fridge: it has begun to make a subtle high-pitched noise, though our food is still properly chilled.
I think that it’s best to use something until it wears out. Once it’s worn out, find another use for it, if possible!
[Smart Money: Here's when to replace common household items, via Alfonso]
GRS is committed to helping our readers save and achieve your financial goals.Savings interest rates may be low, but that’s all the more reason to shop for the best rate.Find the highest savings interest rate from Ally Bank, Capital One 360, Everbank, and more.
This article is about House and Home
Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.
Discover is a paid advertiser of this site. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the Discover online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards.
SEARCH FOR RECENT ARTICLES
I have a few pillows that are more than 15 years old and they’re fine…I throw them in the washer once in a while. I bought my box spring in 1980 and it’s still in good shape, and I replaced the mattress only five years ago. I’ve also had my down comforter for more than 20 years. The only serious issue with keeping bedding that long is that you can build up a thriving community of dust mites.
I don’t think you need to worry about the wooden spoons, as long as you keep them clean. I’ve had my wooden spoons since the early 1980s, and my wooden cutting boards for nearly as long, no problems.
There are a few appliances that make sense to replace before they start to die. The fridge is one, because new Energy Star fridges use way less electricity than older models, and the fridge is one of the biggest energy consumers in your home. The washing machine is another, and that’s another case where it pays to upgrade before your old one dies. Our front-loading Energy Star model uses 1/3 the electricity, 1/3 the water, and requires much less soap than the conventional washing machine we used to own.
loading....
I agree on the suggestion that a new fridge or washing machine might actually save you money.
I don’t know if you’ve covered this already, but a home energy audit can save you a lot of money by identifying areas of heat loss. I got mine from http://www.reepwaterlooregion.ca/ (in Canada — I’m sure they’re available in the States).
loading....
10-12 years on a fire extinguisher!?! That didn’t sound right to me, and after a hasty Google search, the longest I found was 7 years. I know the ones we buy, rated for all types of fires, have expiration dates of about 3 years. I’d recommend going with the date printed on the extinguisher (who knows how long it was on the shelves before you bought it?). You can donate expired extinguishers to your local volunteer fire department or other safety organizations to use for training.
As for the air filters for the central air, I replace mine monthly in the summer time. The cheep, replicable ones cost me $1.50 at Home Depot (about $9/season). I suspect we save much more than that by minimizing residence on the electric fan and making more efficient use of the coils, plus it increases the life of the whole unit.
I’ve heard vitamins, ibuprofen and the like start to loose their effectiveness as they age. I’m not one to take chances with things I put into my body (including food cooked with old wooden spoons).
loading....
I’ve heard that if a water heater lasts longer than 7 years it’s on borrowed time and you should have the funds to replace it, since those are NO FUN when the bottom falls out of them. My mom just replaced her washing machine last year after 30 years of use and two moves.
If your meds are expired, throw them out. How does one discern 300-500 miles in a pair of shoes?
Replace your towels MORE often, or demote them to rags, towels for carwashing, garden markers, etc. This is one area where my folks could improve, and where my husband and I could improve as well. They’re not so expensive that you should be drying your body (or dishes) with frayed rags.
loading....
Nine years for your desktop? Wow, if you need some punchcards just tell them. Thanks to the exact demand planning of the soviets the basement of our computer science institute is still full of them. (Sorry, didn’t want to make fun of your computer, but I just … could … not … resist.)
loading....
Hmm, I’d go with my own sense of smell before relying on an artificial timeline for throwing out my cologne. I usually keep it in a dark cabinet anyway, so it’s not like it’s constantly being exposed to light. Same with spices.
As for shoes, you can tell when shoes are worn out. The tread on the soles wears away, and they noticably lose their cushioning effect.
loading....
I wrote about this to:
http://www.digmann.com/2007/02/21/how-long-should-i-keep-that-insert-common-household-item.html
loading....
Christian, that’s nothing. Our business used to run on Atari ST computers from 1985. In fact, we still did a lot of our work on the Atari until just a few years ago when the last one died.
loading....
“It seems silly to recommend a specific timespan for upgrading a computer.” …The silliness extends to a lot of items in the list
I would probably not upgrade anything unless there is too much trouble. So yeah your 14 year old fridge might need a replacement if it starts disturbing your sleep or something.
Interestingly, energy considerations do not come to my mind when it comes to replacing things (I should start thinking in those terms more often).
@ computers…we are using a 1993 computer that runs Windows 3.X version and has that huge 5″ floppy drive.
But, it’s still sort of a breadwinner for our laboratory.
loading....
For my running shoes, I figure I run about 15-20 miles per week (less in the winter, more in the summer). Since I treat my running shoes as athletic equipment and never (or hardly ever) wear them when I’m not running, that works out to replacing them about every 4-6 months.
But I just like buying new running shoes. Even if I just buy the newest version of Brooks’ Adrenalines!
loading....
I own one bottle of perfume, and when I bought it I mentioned to the salesperson that I would only be using it on rare occasions. She said that storing it in the fridge would help it to last longer. That also makes it more refreshing when you spray it on!
A plastic shower curtain can be washed in the clothes washer with a cup of white vinegar to get the scum off.
loading....
If you have a bicycle helmet, keep in mind that the UV action of the sun will gradually break down the EPS. The recommended lifetime is about 5 years, after which you should throw it away and get a new one (even if you never wore it).
loading....
Golbguru wrote “energy considerations do not come to my mind when it comes to replacing things (I should start thinking in those terms more often).”
Yes, you should! Read this from the Energy Star site:
“While the exact energy use depends on your particular model number, on average refrigerators manufactured before 1993 cost over $50 more per year to operate than new ENERGY STAR qualified models. Refrigerators manufactured before 1980 cost about $150 more per year!”
Energy Star even has an online calculator that helps you figure out how much money you could save by retiring your old fridge.
loading....
In stead of using disposable air filters, one should purchase and electrostatic filter for about $100. Not only do these provide significantly better filtration, every few months all you do is wash it and put it back.
While gas water heaters are listed as lasting nine years, I think it is prudent to point out that tankless water heaters last around 15 years. So in addition to saving significant in the cost to heat water (the second most expensive utility use in your home) it lasts longer.
My running shoes tend to only last about 300 miles. Nonetheless, a running shoe is worn out BEFORE it appears tattered and worn. But when the running shoe has worn out, it becomes a great disposable shoe or walking shoe. On the other hand, if you have a good running form, such as the form taught in the Pose method of running or the Chi method of running, then your shoes will last thousands of miles. Interesting.
While computers are listed as lasting four years, the federal tax tables list the life as 5 years on the desperation table. If you use semiannual desperation calculations, then it actually is desperation over six years.
loading....
“While the exact energy use depends on your particular model number, on average refrigerators manufactured before 1993 cost over $50 more per year to operate than new ENERGY STAR qualified models.”
If your MARR is 10% (approx. the return from the S&P 500 since 1990), and you were going yo be buying a $500 refrigerator, then you actually are not saving any money. Always consider the time-value of money when making derisions. Calculations made with an interest rate of 0 are deceiving.
loading....
We’ve had all of our appliances for the lifetime of our house (8 years).
It surprises me how we (I’m using an “all-inclusive” we here, I realize many are more prudent than this) accept replacing gizmos that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars every few years (cell phones, iPods, computers, etc..) but complain if our major appliances last less than a couple decades.
loading....
that should have read “hundreds or thousands of dollars”, not “hundreds of thousands of dollars”
loading....
JM is wrong. When you buy a high-efficiency appliance, you not only enjoy operating savings and higher reliability (and improved designs) immediately, you also reduce your exposure to energy price hikes that are inevitable now that we are at or near the peak in world oil production. This is going to cause a terrific hike in all commodity prices (see corn prices, for example) and electric prices as well (since the electric next-day market price is set by the costliest energy…which will be natural gas).
There is a real value to this. The frugal person puts a real premium on trading fixed expenses for reductions in operating costs (that will surely rise) because it makes planning work, and frugal people need to plan more than wastrels.
This is all aside from the powerful environmental benefits, which also redound to your benefit through lower environmental remediation costs later. (Those are shared with the wasters though, but are real anyway.)
loading....
I think some of the numbers above are valuable even if you don’t actually replace your appliances based on a timeline because they can help you budget. Calculate how many years you have left on each item, estimate the cost of replacement, divide the cost by how many paychecks you’ll be getting during that time, and now you know how much to contributed to your appliance replacement fund.
Prevention’s The Busy Woman’s Guide to Clean says to replace a plastic or vinyl shower curtain liner every 6 months or buy a nylon liner and wash it every 3-4 months.
They also talk about how often to clean household items, a related issue. For example, I’ve heard people to say to replace your kitchen sponge or your toothbrush pretty often, but if it’s just to get rid of germs, you can do that by cleaning them. (Microwave your sponge for at least a minute or throw it in the dishwasher every day; boil your toothbrush for a while periodically.)
loading....
@ JM
“In stead of using disposable air filters, one should purchase and electrostatic filter for about $100. Not only do these provide significantly better filtration, every few months all you do is wash it and put it back.”
That’s actually incorrect. The washable electrostatic filters will not compare in filtration/efficiency to a quality disposable filter like 3M’s Filtrete series.
loading....
@ Anthony
“That’s actually incorrect. The washable electrostatic filters will not compare in filtration/efficiency to a quality disposable filter like 3M’s Filtrete series.”
3M’s Filtrate series is a top quality filter. It is also relatively expensive compared to other disposable filters.
loading....
Kind of off topic, I have a disgusting story about replacing old pillows. One day we got new pillows and threw out the old ones. I couldn’t fit the old pillows in the trash can, so I rested them on top. When we got up in the morning the pillows were gone!
Why anyone would want an old sweat-stained pillow is beyond me. That’s really gross.
loading....
my experience with replacing a refrigerator came very unexectedly. the frig was 8 years old and the parts/service cost nearly $400. so i bought a new basic frig for $400. 3 years later the frig broke down requiring similar service, i went and bought another new basic frig for $400. i can’t believe this stuff is manufactured to be disposible. then again i find it more unbelievable for people to spend $3000 on fancy looking refrigerators that are prone to the same breakdown problems as the basic $400 models. fancy and basic refrigerators has the same generic parts of plastic and metal. the price really shoots up when you apply the stainless steel look.
loading....
Ha! My washer and dryer are at least 20 years old. I say at least because they were there when I first bought the house 11 years ago. They were old and rickety then but still work. Not the most efficient electrically I’m sure but I live alone and done use them often.
loading....
“Kind of off topic, I have a disgusting story about replacing old pillows. One day we got new pillows and threw out the old ones. I couldn’t fit the old pillows in the trash can, so I rested them on top. When we got up in the morning the pillows were gone!
Why anyone would want an old sweat-stained pillow is beyond me. That’s really gross.”
Not really. All you would have to do is wash them. It’s amazing what a little Clorox bleach will do.
loading....
Taking care of things and keeping them clean will go a long way toward how long they will last, and how good they will look. A lot of people throw things away before they even attempt to clean them. I say, what have you got to loose? You were going to throw it away anyway. If your cleaning method doesn’t work, big deal, go ahead and trash it. If it DOES work, then voila, you have a perfectly usable item now.
loading....
[...] When to Replace Common Household Items ? Get Rich Slowly How long should common household items (consumables, small appliances, and major systems) be expected to last? (tags: appliances household replacement home reference lifespan) [...]
loading....
[...] que llegan a durar hasta 550 millas de uso(que son como 1000 kilómetros). Ahí mismo encontré el promedio de vida que tienen otros artículos que empleamos en el hogar. [...]
loading....
[...] Get Rich Slowly has a great story of When to Replace Common Household Items. [...]
loading....
im trying to find out if its really required to refill an ABC dry chemical fire extinguishers every 2 years even if the pressure gage is still very good and physically in good condition. The people who sold these fire extinguishers gave a warranty of two years, and after two years they come back and required us to have these extinguishers refilled for a fee. We have 9 fire extinguisher all in all, and these expenses might be unnecessary. please enlighten us… thanx!
loading....
My parents bought a chest type freezer when I was about 7 years old. They downsized and gave it to my wife and I when I was 37. We used it about ten years and gave it to a friend when we were in the process of moving.
I used to work for a communications company, servicing intercom, telephone,and paging systems. We got a call for service from a manufacturing company who said they had some of our equipment. We had never heard of them and thought it was a mistake, but I went out to check it out. Sure enough they had equipment manufactured by out company. It was an old tube type amplifier that was installed in 1945. It hadn’t been touched (the accumulated dust on the cover was good evidence) until I opened it up in 1992. I replaced a tube and we never heard from them again.
I say use it till it wears out. Too much stuff gets trashed unnecessarily.
loading....
My mother kept the gas furnace going in our old house for over 40 years with good care!
loading....
So nice to find this article when I needed it! I had read that clothes washers are average of 14 yrs for top loaders, dryers are 14 yrs, dishwashers are 11 years and refrigerators are 15 years. Got that info from ehow. Anyways, our clothes washer and dryer just went out within a week of each other so they must’ve been the original appliances when the house was built 16 years ago. Glad we have the money to cover it but now I’m thinking the dishwasher and fridge will break down soon too. So have to be cautious with money this year. Thought I’d post so maybe this info could help others plan. Thanks!
loading....
I bought a 1947 shotgun house a few years back “as is” Boy what a mistake, the first to go was the HAVC system. The repair person, could fix it but could not gaurantee the fix. I installed a water to air system, It works beautifully. We drill wells and return the water to the surficial system and the monthly savings are great. With no true insulation in the outside walls, I have a monthly electric bill of about $88.00. and of that $33.00 is fees & taxes. Of course the fridge went and the stove, maybe a gift because I have the energy star products now. I am waiting on the water heater to go – then I will go to an inst-heat system and use gas.
loading....