does everything really "expire"?

[believer]

I am decluttering, and in my bathroom cabinet, I found rubbing alcohol that had an expiriation date of 1997. :blush I dumped it out, but it still smelled the same. Does it really expire? I have two other open bottles of rubbing alcohol - did not find exp dates on them. And I have an old bottle of baby oil - probably over 10 years old. Does that "expire"? :shrug3

[purstrength]

I don't know, but I'll bump for you because I'm curious too.

I've always assumed that things like that lose their potency over time, but probably still work longer than their expiration date. Don't know that I'm right though. :shrug3

[believer]

I subbed in a science class earlier this week and asked one of the science teachers about the isopropyl alcohol and he said it may weaken some, but that is more likely w/ hydrogen peroxide, which is why that is in brown bottles and that the alcohol I threw out was probably still fine.
I don't know about the baby oil, but I imagine it is fine too.

[kwisie]

Maybe the oil would get rancid. :think

[believer]

Maybe the oil would get rancid. :think
If it was a food oil, perhaps. I am not sure about mineral oil. I will sniff it and see.

[Auroras mom]

Alcohol is hydrophilic, so it attracts water over time, and so would become more dilute. It probably would not be able to grow any microorganisms though, and should still be safe, if less concentrated/effective.

Hydrogen peroxide absorbs water from the air and also oxidizes when air hits it, and so becomes useless, although not harmful.

Mineral oil is 100% saturated hydrocarbons, and so cannot become rancid. Nor can it harbor or grow any microorganisms.