Does toilet paper expire?

Expiration dates are a fact of life. Sometimes they’re surprising, sometimes they’re alarming (you’ve had that herbal tea since the London Olympics) and they provide a helpful pointer on how long to keep things kicking around the house. 

But what about everyday items that don’t have an expiration date? Specifically, what about toilet paper?

Perhaps you’re about to stock up with the best value, biggest pack you can get. Or maybe you've stumbled across an old roll hidden at the back of the shelf. 

Either way, you’re asking, so we’re answering… 

Does toilet paper have a use-by date?

The short answer is no, toilet paper doesn’t expire or have a use-by date in the same way that food does. 

Use-by dates are there for products that decay over time. We call these products “perishable” because parts of them will quite literally perish or change in a way that makes them unpleasant or unsafe to use.

Toilet paper isn’t perishable, so it doesn't have an expiry date. It won't become unsafe to use after a certain amount of time, there are no health concerns associated with an old loo roll as long as it's clean. 

At Naked Paper, we include plenty of information on our boxes, from climate labelling to our King's Award. What you won't find is a "best before" date, because there isn't one. Members of our team occasionally come across old quality-control samples or seconds that have been sitting in an attic or cupboard for years and they're still fine to use. 

That said, while toilet paper doesn't expire, it can change over time depending on how it's stored.

What happens to toilet paper as it gets older?

Paper is made primarily from cellulose fibres, the same building blocks of wood and paper. That's one of the reasons paper documents, books and newspapers can survive for decades or even centuries provided they’re looked after properly. 

But paper isn't completely immune to ageing. Over time, light and moisture can alter the fibres that hold it together. 

In the home environment this would happen so slowly that most of us will use a roll long before it becomes noticeable. But if toilet paper is stored for many years you may see some changes. 

So let’s say you find a roll of toilet paper that’s somehow survived ten, or even twenty years on top of a shelf. How will it have changed?

The first thing you’ll notice is the colour. If you've ever browsed a second-hand bookshop or opened an old paperback, you'll be familiar with the yellowing that develops as paper ages.

This happens because paper contains lignin, the natural cement that holds wood fibres together. Dealing with lignin is an important part of making paper. We’ve written about it before on this blog, because lignin is what gives bleach-free Naked Paper its distinctive brown colour. 

To make any type of paper or tissue you need to reduce the amount of lignin in the raw woody material. This can be done mechanically with boiling and washing but to make paper or tissue white, you need to go to the final stage of chemically bleaching it. 

We skip this last chemical bleach step, which is why Naked Paper is brown. But let’s say the roll we found on the shelf was originally bleached. If it's been bleached white, it will stay that way forever, right? 

Wrong. Chemical bleaching doesn't remove every trace of lignin from tissue, and when the remaining lignin reacts with oxygen and light over time, it gradually gets darker. 

This is why the old books you find in charity shops often have yellowing pages, and it's why a bleached toilet roll left on a shelf for a long time might change colour. 

Can toilet paper go mouldy?

So that’s colour, and as far as we’re concerned at Naked Paper, the colour of toilet paper really shouldn’t concern us. Mould is a different matter.

While toilet paper can last for years in a dry environment, the situation changes when we introduce moisture. If rolls are stored somewhere damp like a garden shed, garage, or cellar, they can absorb moisture from the air.

And over time, prolonged dampness can lead to mould or mildew growth. If that happens, the toilet paper may develop a musty smell and visible “spots” of discolouration.

So what’s the best way to handle loo roll storage, if you’re in it for the long haul? 

How should you store toilet paper?

There’s a good reason toilet paper doesn’t come with instructions. It’s easy to use, and it’s easy to store as well. Keeping your toilet paper somewhere clean, dry and out of direct sunlight should do the job.

If you're buying in bulk, we'd recommend leaving the rolls in their original box until you need them. This will keep dust at bay and provide a bit of protection from humidity.

Beyond that, there's really not much to think about.

And no, you don't need individual paper covers to protect them. Although if you'd like to show off your Naked Paper rolls in style, we're certainly not opposed to a tasteful cotton roll cosy. Or even a crochet version, if you’re feeling crafty.

So, does loo roll expire?

No. Toilet paper doesn't expire in the conventional sense. It’s not perishable, and it won't become unsafe to use because it's reached a certain age.

However, like most paper products, it can deteriorate over time if it’s exposed to moisture or sunlight for long periods. Colour changes, odours and dark spots may indicate the roll is past its prime.

For most of us, this is unlikely to ever become an issue, but if you're planning to preserve a box of Naked Paper for future generations, we'd suggest keeping it in its lovely recycled cardboard box, somewhere dry.

Fingers crossed we end up in a museum one day.

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