“Does Toilet Paper Go Bad?” What to Do with Leftover COVID Panic Purchases

If you were alive in 2020 (or 2021 or 2022), chances are you have PPE stockpiles and other COVID panic purchases.  I’ve seen this a lot with my clients lately, and it’s brought up questions about what to do with these leftovers.  I’ve been trying to find answers for them in our constantly changing post-ish Covid world.  Here are a few ways to handle your extra stash (bonus tips if you live in the San Francisco Bay area like me!):

It seems like a lot of my hand sanitizer has expired lately.  Can I still use it? Is it harmful?

Hand sanitizer is regulated by the FDA, and therefore requires an expiration date (in this case, three years, which explains why many folks' initial shutdown stockpile is expiring now).  Using it beyond its expiration won’t harm you, but it could be less effective.

How do I safely dispose of expired sanitizer?

It’s complicated. Sanitizer is a Class Three Flammable Liquid and is also classified as a pharmaceutical (sometimes).  That means there is a LOT of conflicting information about what you’re supposed to do with it.  The consensus is that you should not dump it down a drain or toilet, and unless the bottle is empty, it should not be thrown in the trash/recycling. SF Environment told me to treat it as hazardous waste and to bring it to their household hazardous waste facility.  In San Francisco, Recology will take up to 15 gallons of sanitizer per drop off for free disposal. 

Outside of San Francisco,  it was easy for me to go down the rabbit hole.  In Oregon, you’re not supposed to put it in the trash, sink or bring it to the hazardous waste facility (so what do you do with it?). And the EPA says that it is okay to put “small amounts” in the regular garbage (define small?).

I think it’s safe to say that we are in the pioneering days of responsible hand sanitizer disposal and folks are still trying to figure it out.  If you have heard of other places to dispose of it, please let me know in the comments!

I went crazy buying canned goods, baking supplies and other food when lockdown first happened.  Most of it is now expired.  Can I eat it?  

There have been a lot of good articles out in the past couple of years with guidance about how it is generally safe to eat packaged food that have been carefully stored beyond its due date (this article is especially helpful).  Use common sense and dispose of any cans or cartons that are damaged, bulging or severely dented.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the quantity, consider taking a discerning look at what you have.  If you would like to continue to have an emergency stockpile, think realistically about how big you want it to be (and ideally put it in a location outside of your kitchen).  Then have a look at what’s left.  Are there items that you don’t like?  One of my clients had eight cans of cherry pie filling.  I asked her if she likes making pies and she told me that she doesn’t make them and she hates canned pie filling.  We had a laugh and moved them to the discard pile.  Personally, I like surrounding myself with things that I like and that make me feel good.  Having a lot of sad cans of food that I don’t like in my pantry “just in case” seems like a downer, plus they’re taking valuable real estate.  

A special note about baking supplies:  Sugar and salt stored properly do not ever go bad, but with flour, baking powder/soda and especially yeast, tread carefully.  Expired flour is not harmful and will likely be fine for breading a piece of fish, but you may have a disappointing outcome with baked goods.  I have been so frustrated with bread that wouldn’t rise only to find out that I was using expired yeast.  And shortening (and other oils) also go rancid, so read the labels and give them a whiff before using.  All of the Christmas cookies I made in 1997 were inedible because of an old can of Crisco.  Lesson learned!

Can I donate expired food?

This was another complicated one, so I contacted Kate at the SF Food Bank, the largest distributor of food in San Francisco.  They serve over 50,000 households with groceries every week!  She told me that while they do accept some “slightly expired” (under a year) food items, they are very discerning. As she put it, “If you wouldn’t feel comfortable serving it to your family, then we don’t want it for our community either.”  She told me that lately they have been receiving large quantities of donations of food that is 10-20 years past their expiry date!  Not exactly an act of charity, I’d say.   As I looked around at other food banks across the US, there were different rules about what they would accept, so do your research before you drop off.

I have so many masks. Is it okay to throw some away?

It makes sense that we may have tons of masks, having gone through shortages and changing guidance on which were most effective.  

For masks that you’ve been wearing or are in opened packaging:

• Collect ALL of them in one place.  Immediately toss the ones that are in bad shape, have holes, and ones that you never liked or never stayed on properly.  Even if you continue to need or choose to wear masks, these are probably not the most protective anyway.

• If you have kids, have a look at the sizes.  Have faces grown? Pitch those little ones.

• Cloth masks can be recycled like any used clothes.  If you’re in San Francisco, you can put them in a clean plastic bag and put them in your blue bin.

• N95s and other plastic based masks are more challenging to recycle. Terracycle sells boxes that they ship to you that you can fill and return to them for proper recycling.  At between $88 - 219 for the service however, they may not be practical for your budget.

For unused, sealed masks:

I’m seeing homes with dozens of cases of unopened, sealed masks, where the client has said that it is too much and they want to pare it down. I’m having a hard time finding a resource for where to donate sealed masks now (and not in 2020 when hospitals desperately needed them).  

• Because they’re considered a medical device, charities like Goodwill will not take them.  

• Recares in San Francisco, Marin & Oakland takes medical supplies and devices and will take brand new, never opened packages of masks.  

• Think super locally by asking your neighborhood schools, libraries and medical offices if they could use any masks.  

Please let me know if you have heard of anywhere that is taking masks these days!

What about gloves?

Since gloves are regulated by the FDA, they expire, too - after 5 years.   But have a look at them.  Are they falling apart? They will degrade quickly if stored in a hot place.  If they are in good shape, they may be fine for non-medical uses beyond their expiration.  Most are food safe (check before using). I keep some in my kitchen for making meatballs because I hate getting bits of raw meat stuck under my nails.

Should I replace my emergency water?

Per common recommendation, bottled water should be used within two years of its production date, although there are no laws requiring companies to print a use by date on water.  If the bottled water is stored in a cool-ish, shaded place, it is likely safe to drink beyond two years.  The flavor may not taste as good, but my water stash is for an emergency only, so I’m not anticipating that I will be too picky if the worst happens.  

Using common sense is key here.  If the bottle looks damaged or degraded, it’s probably smart to dump it out and start over.  There is evidence that over time, plastic can leach into the water which can be harmful.  Again, in an emergency, I’m not sure that would be at the top of my concerns, but rotate it out if you like.

For future stashes, consider Googling “long shelf water” where you will find loads of options for water that claim to stay safe and delicious for 10 to 20 years.

Does toilet paper go bad?

No it doesn't, although I don’t need to tell you that if it looks gross and degraded, please don't use it.

I hope this helps clear things up.  If you need help dealing with your Covid stash, please get in touch!