5 uses of Expired Shampoo you never knew about

0

Shampoo word originated from champi

There are very few houses where you will not find at least a couple of half-filled Shampoo or shampoo (as it is pronounced in many parts of the world 🙂 ) still lying around forgotten or rejected. Generally, the normal shampoo is never harmful even after expiry. An Expired shampoo is just not that effective anymore. Also, it is no longer the manufacturer’s liability. So we are under our own supervision and “No one to blame” ;-).

Shampoo word originated from champi - expired shampoo
Did you know? Champi means to give a head and/or a body massage 💆

Coming back to expired shampoo; as with all items that have past their best before date, we do need to have a careful look at the shampoo bottle before we continue using it. Let us check out a few options before deciding to throw the damn bottle.

Continue using the expired shampoo !!

Strange as it may sound but expired shampoo is safe to use as long as the feel, colour or smell has not changed. The colour is an easy indication, although colour can change due to atmospheric conditions and hence not reliable. If you cannot see any mould or bacteria formations then it should be fine. Just trust your nose and eyes! But with time the active ingredients may deteriorate and won’t be as effective as before. Don’t expect anti-dandruff or anti-hair-split shampoo to do that anymore. But it should continue to clean your hair.

Expired Shampoo for hair
Keep using it if you still like the look and smell

Once the bottle has been opened the elements and bacteria can do damage to the formula. If moisture has gone into the bottle or if the shampoo is water-based, then the chances of bacteria increase. But if the bottle has not been opened then there is a great chance that it is still effective. Although sunlight, heat and humidity can reduce the effectiveness of even a sealed bottle.

Check out our article on how best to store your cosmetics so as to increase their self-life.

1. What about pedicures and manicures with expired shampoo?

So you are not ready to risk using expired shampoo on your hairs? Then you can try it on other parts of your body 🙂
Using expired shampoo for pedicures and manicures is a good idea if you have sensitive skins. Make a foam/bubble water with the shampoo and soak your feet or hands in it for some time. After the feet/fingers have become smooth use a scrub to clean them. Or try massaging your hands and feet with shampoo and covering them with gloves or socks for 30 minutes. You will be amazed to find them softer than ever.

kpmdreamz Expired Shampoo for pedicure
Expired Shampoo for Manicure/Pedicure

2. And the obvious bubble bath !!

Every one of us has at least once in our lifetime used a shampoo as a substitute for soap or shower gel because of situation, choice or sheer laziness. So we all know shampoo can be used when soap is not around. And many of us find it very pleasant.

kpmdreamz Expired Shampoo for bubble bath
Use Expired Shampoo for a bubble bath

If you have a bottle of expired shampoo and you happen to like the smell of it, then it can be used to make up some bubbles in your bath. It is smooth and gives a very pleasant feeling. And after a bit of soaking try a scrub on your feet and fingers – This makes for a quick pedicure and manicure routine while you are having the bubble bath.

3. We thought of pedicure and bubble bath – What about Mr dirty goofy?

If the expired shampoo is good enough for your bubble it is good enough for your dog or cat as well. And you can afford to go generous as well since it would be much cheaper than the pet shampoo. It feels smooth, cleans the hair perfectly and smells great as well. If it was a child’s shampoo the dog or the cat would love it.

kpmdreamz Expired Shampoo for pet wash
Expired Shampoo is great for pet wash

4. Clean up shower curtains and the bathroom of scale and hair spray stains?

The shampoo is designed to clean hair products and other cosmetic leftovers. Even if expired, the shampoo will do a great job in cleaning up your dirty shower curtains. A great remedy if you have your bathroom curtains stained with hair sprays and other cosmetics. It also works great for cleaning the bathroom tub, the tiles on the walls, the mirror, the window glass, the fibreglass partitions, the metal towel rings etc.

kpmdreamz expired shampoo to Clean Shower Curtains and bathroom
Expired shampoo to clean Shower Curtains and bathroom items

5. We cleaned the bathroom. Let us do laundry now 🙂

Not all laundry can be done with expired shampoo, but it does a great job in cleaning delicate socks, stockings, tights, lingerie and soft toys. If you are out of your stain remover spray try using a bit of the shampoo to remove paint stains, blood stains or collar/cuff stains. You can also soak Carpets, floor mats, refrigerator covers, tv covers etc in shampoo water to give them a new shine. (Do not use on laundry if the expired shampoo bottle has started forming moulds or the liquid has changed colour)

The best use I have made of my expired shampoo over the years has been to give my muddy and stained sports shoes a nice shampoo bath. Just leave the shoes in a bucket of shampoo foamed water overnight. Rinse the shoe the next day and you will find them shiny. The only thing that might offend you will be the wonder-smell from the shoe if the shampoo happens to be an aromatic one :). If you do not like the smell dry the shoe under the sun and the smell would go away. But if you happen to like the smell dry the shoes in shade. This method gives amazing results to canvas shoes.

Expired Shampoo for cleaning shoe
Expired Shampoo is great for cleaning dirty shoes

Final thoughts from kpmdreamz.com

The shampoo is one of the safest cosmetics which can be used long after its best before date. Before you decide to throw them out, check the above tips and see if you can find a new use for that bottle of unused shampoo.

If you ever wondered on how to extend the life of other cosmetics, check out our other article.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *