3 THINGS to toss right now

by Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief, PREVENTION The scene: Me, this morning, dredging the remains of a lip gloss a year or so past its prime. But I love the shade and couldn’t find another, so I poked around for one last smidge and then relegated it, finally, to the trash. Now, it’s unlikely that a gloss would do me any harm, but my mascara might—the applicators used to apply liner, shadow, and mascara are repeatedly exposed to bacteria in the air and on your lashes, and should be replaced after 6 months. Here, a few more everyday items that won’t live forever—and the healthiest time to give them the boot: 1) The Best Time to Toss Your Vitamins: After 2 years. Although independent tests found that most nutritional supplements are still good after 3 years if stored in a cool, dry place, there’s a good chance they sat on a shelf for a while before you bought them. If there’s no expiration date, chuck ’em after 2 years. (They won’t necessarily hurt you; they just won’t work well.) Or check out this handy vitamin encyclopedia that has the latest news and details on hundreds of vitamins and supplements. 2) The Best Time to Toss Your Toothbrush: Every 3 to 4 months. The reason: Frayed bristles don’t clean well, which can leave you vulnerable to tooth decay 3) The Best Time to Toss Your Air Conditioner: Not until it dies. I don’t know where you live, but in the Northeast (where I do) it’s hot and muggy—prime AC time. Unless yours is definitely, irreversibly kaput, it may just need a little maintenance if it’s not properly cooling a normal-size room. Save yourself money and check the filter every 6 weeks before you run out for a whole new unit—there’s a good chance the filter needs cleaning or a replacement. Courtesy of Healthy Living, Shine from Yahoo!