How long does your chemicals last? Should companies have a date on their products? What is the recommendation of time that products can be store? What products last the longest? Powder could be stored long... Liquid breaks down faster over time... What are the best ways to keep products stored? I have wasted by buying more then needed only to find the product went bad.. What do you think?:AddEmoticons04259:
Some chems, like my jug of Microban, do have expiration dates, probably (in this case) mandated by law. Also, I have heard some folks mention that they carry their spotting chems in a cooler during summer to slow deterioration.
Shelf life is not an exact science. Most powders can last for several years if they stay dry. Moisture will often begin chemical reactions that shorten the shelf life. IMO, for most powders you are good for at least 3 years. In a closed sealed contained, it could be much longer. Many liquids go bad because mold, fungus, bacteria or other micro-organisms are growing in the moist environment. A close container might last 2 years or longer, but once opened it becomes a case of what unseen organisms entered the bottle and how much if any protection against these micro-organisms is included in the product. BTW - Bridgepoint branded products do have a small amount of anti-microbial that should keep them safe for 2 years in the original container. Pouring a liquid into another container greatly increase the chances of some microbial contamination. As DGardner mentioned, heat is also an enemy of cleaning agents. Keep in a cool, dry place for longest life. The products with the shortest shelf lives have some chemical reaction going on - oxidizers and reducers mostly. Ideally use these products in 6 months or less and take special efforts to keep them cool when in your van. Products with polymers may also have a shorten shelf life than others. This could include floor finishes, carpet and fabric protectors and some polymers in other products as well. When exposed to air, polymers begin to form. You end up with hard or sticky product or plugged up sprayers. It is also important to understand that any declining effectiveness is gradual. When a product is twelve months old, it will not be as effective as when it was 6 months old. At 13 months it is even less effective. It has lost a little more potency by 14 months. And so it goes. But that does not mean that a product reaches an age when it won't work at all, it just doesn't work as good as it once did. Even an older product may still work acceptably for some jobs. Just try to use fresher products for the most difficult cleaning challenges. Unless business is so slow or a product is so seldom used you still have half the bottle after 2 years, there is no reason not to take advantage of the savings offered for buying most products by the case or in a larger size.
