I just recently found an old box of cotton balls and swabs in my basement. They were obviously put there by my mother. My mother died in January 1996, so they must be at least 25 years old, maybe even 30.
Anyway they appear to be in pristine condition. And I could really use them now, especially the cotton balls.
Are they safe to use?
I know cotton comes from a plant. And organic materials do deteriorate over time. So you can see my confusion.
:):):):):):)
Cellulose should be stable, assuming it was not exposed to moisture, acid, etc.
If they’ve been kept dry and avoided dirt and dust all those years they should be fine. Cotton is pretty stable stuff as long as it’s kept dry.
Unless you plan on ingesting them with disinfectant, you should be fine.
Do you have any cotton clothes, sheets, towels, etc., that are very old? Maybe not, but it will last. The cotton fibers are almost pure cellulose and they’ve been washed and bleached before being made in other products.
I would test the swabs to make sure the cotton stays on the stick.