It was one of those weekends.

I had a chance to finally tackle whatever's hidden underneath the bathroom sink... my go-to storage area for anything bathroom-related.  Travel-size items?  Throw it underneath the sink.  Shampoos, conditioner, hairspray?  Back underneath the sink.  Nail polish?  Where else... but underneath the sink.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not hoarding stuff.  My medicine cabinet can only hold a few things, so the sink is where everything goes.  I make sure to use these items and not buy more than what I need.  BUT there are those I've neglected over the years and I've wondered what to throw out and how long is too long?

First, start with the obvious.  Headache or pain relievers that expired in 2005?  Toss it out.

Shampoo from 2006?  Gone.

Mascara I haven't opened and the date says 2008?  Not going to risk it.

In January, I found an article on www.aol.com, entitled "A Shelf Life You Didn't Realize."

Writer Gina Nguyen has taken some information from Real Simple magazine and lists products from household, to beauty, to the pantry.  She's written what the shelf life is for each.

Here's a sample.

For household products, aerosol air fresheners, window cleaners, most cleaning products and wood polish will last you 2 years.

As for  beauty products, they expire within 2-3 years.  From body lotion, to face lotion, from hair gel to eye cream, your favorite beauty items should be used immediately and won't last more than 3 years.

Need help sorting through your food pantry?  Here's what the author says.  Unopened beer should be thrown out in 4 months.  Dried pasta will last you 12 months, and vinegar (which I thought would last forever, but I was mistaken) is 42 months... that's 3-1/2 years!

So what products have an indefinite shelf life?  I read brown sugar, honey and nail polish remover.  Those are just a few.

With a change in the season just around the corner, it's probably a good idea to start thinking about how you'll handle your spring cleaning.  Be sure to add the area underneath the sink, the pantry and your medicine cabinet to your checklist.  If it's been a while since you've used the product, then it's probably a good idea to throw it out 'cause it's been too long.  Good luck!