Spray Away

So, this bug spray has an expiration date of December 2020. But… does it really? Like, we’re not talking about eggs or milk here. It’s not going to curdle. So is this just some regulatory thing, where it needs a date printed on the bottle but really it’s fine for a while longer?

Yes. Or, sort of. It’s a lot like, say, ibuprofen or herbal tea. By which we mean, it doesn’t go bad after it reaches its end date. It goes weak. At least, that’s according to an article we found on Insider:

There is no one-size-fits-all answer here, but the consensus is that bug sprays have a shelf life of about three years. At that point, you should probably throw them out — not because they will harm you, but because they may be less effective in repelling bugs.

And this goes for picaridin, too. While it’s a stable chemical that’ll last, chances are a picaridin-based repellent like this one is still gonna lose some of its power over time.

In other words, if you want to take full advantage of its insect-repelling properties, you better plan a few trips to mosquito-rich, tick-ridden areas before the ball drops. But even if you wait until next year’s buggy season and it loses some of its potency, it’ll still be pretty good. Because this stuff starts out as some of the most reliable bug spray around. Just take a look at this 15-second promo:

And if you don’t trust a video put together by the company itself, you can head over to the spray’s Amazon page. There you’ll find a bunch of reviews with titles like, “The best repellent I’ve ever used” or “sprayer is a great way to apply a great product” or simply “Effective!!!”

That’s 3-exclamation points worth of effectiveness!!!

Anyway, you should get some.