do you really think that alcohol wipes can expire? other than just drying out? or is this another make money scam?
It's a total moneymaking scam. The same goes for expiry dates on pen needles and lancets. I realize that everything deteriorates over time, but I'd gladly risk using expired lancets. I won't use insulin or glucagon past their expiration, but that's different.
agree
I don't use alcohol wipes (just wash with soap and water), but I'd lean toward drying out. (Not a medical professional. My personal opinion)
Alcohol expires? Does this mean I have to throw out that 10-year old bottle of rubbing alcohol I have in the linen closet???
Seriously, I don't think alcohol expires; the wipes may dry out, but the alcohol itself should be fine. After all, we use it to KILL bacteria, so presumably no bacteria can LIVE in an alcoholic environment.
As for the wipes...I have found that the BD wipes last the longest and are definitely worth the price difference. When I've bought store brands, half of them are dry even if they haven't expired.
Ruth
I actually have some alcohol wipes from BD that are close to 20 years old. I am mostly a soap and water guy; hence the reason they are around so long. Last time I pulled one they worked fine. They were in those good foil packs back then. I have never thrown any rubbing alcohol out. Don't think it goes bad; just dries out if its compromised.
Hmmm...not a chemist here, but I think alcohol(Isopropyl or rubbing alcohol) oxidizes to acetone. However, the oxidation takes a very very very long time. And we may have to factor in the kind of container, storage location, humidity.weather, etc. And as far as I know (not sure with other countries/States) expiry dates are required by law.
Yep they do expire. Im a nursing student and we recently had a conversation about this. Everything oxidizes and the paper/foil they come in breaksdown. They could still be good past the expiration date, all depends on how they where stored. I would go on the side of caution and replace them, just because their purpose is to kill pathos on your skin.
:) just my Two Cents
i havent bothered w/ the wipes since the skin on my fingertips became so calloused that there is no point in drying them out anymore. i just wash my hands often during the day.
rarely use them... but I suspect that, within reason, the expiration dates are not important... ie expired last year, just fine... older than you, maybe not