It's universal knowledge that food items, medicine and makeup have expiry dates.

We check them often to ensure that we're consuming fresh products that won't cause harm to our bodies. But, did you know that almost everything around the house can also expire?

Personal care and household items like towels, pillows, power strips, and cleaning agents should only be used for a limited amount of time before they need to be replaced. We tend to hang on to some of these items a little longer than recommended because they don't necessarily show signs of wear and tear until well past their expiry date.

Asides from losing their efficacy, items like pillows and slippers harbor harmful bacteria that can affect overall health if they're overused.

We've created a short guide with 12 items you probably use every day but didn't realize have expiration dates. Check it out below:

If you'd like to find out the expiry dates of other items around your home, Real Simple has an extensive list of items on their website.

Are you surprised by this list? Share your thoughts in the comments!