What’s the deal with no expiry dates on liquid soap in large containers?
1): Ivory Snow Stage 1: Newborn Hypoallergenic Baby Laundry Detergent Liquid Soap, 3.4 L (80 Loads)
2) Nature’s Miracle JFC Stain & Odor Remover (Lavender Scent) - 128oz
Why would you think soap ever expires? It’ll be good as new 50 years from now. If it dries out a bit over the decades, add some water & stir gently.
I worked at a personal-care products company early in my career. Every one of our products (shampoos, hand lotions, deodorants, etc.) had an “expiration date” (technically, a “best before” date) on the package, usually three years after the manufacturing date.
It’s not necessarily that such products “spoil” or “go stale,” the way that food products do, but over time, the mixtures can begin to break down or separate, the fragrances can begin to fade, and (AIUI) it’s possible that bacteria can start to grow in them. Our chemists formulated the products in a way that they were fairly certain that they would remain stable and effective, and essentially remain “as manufactured,” for three years, but after that time, they couldn’t guarantee that the formulations would still be as effective and wouldn’t begin to break down.
For @Carolxi : if your container of liquid soap doesn’t have a date on it, it may be that the manufacturer has determined that, if any changes do happen to that particular formulation over time, such changes are unlikely to occur for several years, and/or are small enough to not have any significant impact on performance and user satisfaction – in other words, the product is likely to have been used up long before any changes occur.
I am, once again, so glad we have you around to give us The Straight Dope. Thank you!
Hi K, well…I did read that liquid laundry soap breaks down quickly.
The baby soap is for my dog clothes. I have 2 Italian greyhounds and they need clothes for spring, fall and winter, since they have very short hair and one-third less body fat than regular dogs. Also, one has allergies so I’m using the baby soap on all my bedsheets, and wool balls in the dryer, not fabric softener. I’m stuck with a large bottle of fabric softener as well.
“Quickly” is probably a relative thing, in this case. Laundry soap is primarily one or more surfactants, a type of molecule which is used to lower the surface tension in water, and help to remove dirt from clothing; surfactants are also used in shampoos, body washes, etc.
Based on my own experience and understanding, your big bottle of laundry soap is probably good for a couple of years, but if you find that you’re still on the same bottle after two or three years, it might not be a terrible idea to toss it, and consider buying a smaller bottle (if possible) next time.
I find the smells go off after a while, becoming unpleasant and making me wonder what else might be brewing in the container.
Might be something growing, but it might also just be the fragrance fading. A lot of fragrances in products like these use volatile oils, which (much like perfumes) fade over time. When the fragrance in laundry soap, shampoo, etc. fades, what you’re left smelling is the other chemical ingredients in the product, which aren’t always pleasant-smelling by themselves.
When I worked in the industry, even the “Unscented” products had a masking fragrance, because even consumers who didn’t want a heavily-fragranced product were turned off by how shampoos, skin lotions, etc. smelled when they had no fragrance at all.
I knew it!!!
I certainly wouldn’t eat it one minute after its “best if used by” date. 
But, would you eat liquid laundry soap one minute before its “best by used by” date? 
Yup.
…
It says it’s still good on the label. And all-natural to boot. So why not?
Interesting thread! I still have a few liquid soaps and shower gels from a pretty much defunct brand that have held up extremely well… On the other hand, I’ve had a couple of occasions where a bottle of liquid laundry detergent definitely had something not nice growing inside.
I’m wondering if the OP has a specific identifiable issue with their products (funky smell, etec) or whether they’re just guessing there might be an issue some day, and wondereing when that some day might be.
Or whether they know the packages are new, are old, or are uncertain of their age.