Stocking up on cleaning supplies has many advantages. Obviously, it carries the usual benefit of purchasing items at a lower price. And in light of recent events, many are looking to stock up on extra cleaning supplies to combat potential illness.
However, some cleaning items should never be purchased in bulk. Despite the fact that an item is intended for cleaning or sanitizing, it can expire just like a bag of crackers in the back of the cupboard. Here are four cleaning supplies you should never buy in large quantities and why.Â
1. Bleach
Bleach is a powerful cleaning agent. However, it should not be bought in bulk. In most cases, bleach is diluted with water before use depending on its purpose. As a result, different purposes require different concentrations of bleach. Due to the fact that a little bit of bleach goes a long way, buying large quantities of bleach is not as cost-effective as buying other cleaning supplies that can be consumed quickly.
Additionally, bleach’s cleaning power weakens with time and accelerates with temperature changes. Most likely, it will expire or lose some effectiveness before you’re able to use it all at a safe dilution percentage.
2. Hydrogen Peroxide
If you use hydrogen peroxide often, you may want to pay close attention to when you open it. When sealed, hydrogen peroxide can last for up to three years. Once opened, however, the shelf life drops drastically to just two months.
If you’re unsure when you opened your bottle of hydrogen peroxide, test it out by pouring some into your sink. If it fizzes or bubbles, it’ll still work as an effective cleaning agent.
3. Laundry Detergent
With large families, doing laundry almost feels like a daily ritual, so buying detergent in bulk may seem appealing. Again, however, buyers will need to pay attention to the expiration dates. Both dry and liquid forms of laundry detergent begin losing their potency after a few months. If you’re buying large quantities of laundry detergent, make sure only to purchase a few months’ supply at a time.
4. Dishwasher Detergent
Last but not least on our list is dishwasher detergent. However, this category has some caveats. You can rest easy if you just purchased a one-year supply of dishwasher pods in bulk from Amazon. Items such as dishwasher detergent pods and dishwashing soap designed for hand-washing dishes can be purchased in bulk with no worries.
However, other types of dishwasher detergent, such as liquid detergent, are only effective for a short period of time. If you use standard automatic dishwasher detergent in bottles, be sure to use your supply within a few months of purchase for maximum effectiveness.