55 things you should probably replace right away

It's time to get the jump on your spring cleaning, and the gadgets around your home are a great place to start. Seriously.

Tragically, consumer goods don't last forever. Our gadgets become obsolete. Our pillows go flat and fill up with dust mites. There are a lot of things in our homes that we don't give a second thought -- or a second scrub -- as often as we should.

Such as? Well: Sure, you always replace the batteries in your smoke detector, but the US Fire Administration says you should also replace the entire smoke detector every 10 years.

Dentists recommend changing your electric toothbrush head once every three months, or sooner, if the bristles become frayed.

If you're still using an old analogue toothbrush or you're ready to upgrade to a new electric toothbrush system, consider the Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 6100, our pick for the best electric toothbrush for whitening your teeth.

If your grill grates are cracked or the porcelain coating is chipping away, it's time for new grates. Trust us: You don't want to bite into a hunk of hot porcelain in your burger.

Or, you could buy yourself a brand new grill. The Royal Gourmet three-burner gas grill is CNET's best value grill of 2019.

That rubber duck could be home to some ugly stuff. A 2018 study found that some bath toys -- specifically, the kind that water can get inside -- were home to mold, drug-resistant Legionella, E.coli and listeria.

Toys like the BPA-free Waddle Bobblers are easy to clean and won't expose your little ones to harmful germs. 

Experts say that coffee makers should be descaled every three to six months. Descaling removes mineral deposits from your machine.

If you're not a descaler, you might want to start over with a brand-new coffee maker like the Bunn Thermofresh.

You can save money and reduce your carbon footprint by upgrading your home's thermostat to a smart device like the Ecobee4 smart thermostat.

Worn-out surge protectors can cause all sorts of problems. After years of use, some of them lose their surge-protecting abilities, and your devices could be vulnerable to serious damage. Some power strips can even overheat, which is a major fire hazard.

Newer models, such as this one from Belkin, have indicator lights that tell you when your devices are protected.

Overused grill brushes can shed dangerous metal bristles onto your grill grates -- you know, where you cook your food. If some areas of your brush have fewer bristles, or if the brush is worn, those are  warning signs.

If you're shopping for a new brush, consider a bristle-free brush alternative like the Kona 360. This brush makes it easy to clean the top and bottom of your grill grates so they're as clean as they were before you grilled your first burger.

Sure, there are ways to clean your earbuds, but if they're already pretty lived-in, the cleaning process can be tedious and could result in damaged earbuds.

Treat yourself to a new pair of Apple AirPods.

The humble garbage can holds all kinds of waste and, if we're being honest, probably doesn't get quite the same cleaning attention as the rest of your kitchen.

Scratched plastic trash cans can collect bacteria just like a scratched plastic dog bowl or plastic food container.

A stainless steel trash can, like this one from Simple Human, is a lot easier to clean.

And while we're on the subject: Is your fire extinguisher past its prime? There are a few ways that aging fire extinguishers can lose effectiveness, but most remain useful for five to 15 years.

Check for dates on the inspection tag. If your fire extinguisher looks like an antique, it's probably time for a new one.

Luckily, you can get a brand new fire extinguisher on Amazon Prime.

Maybe you stay on top of changing the filter in your home's air conditioner. But have you treated your air purifiers, smart fans and dehumidifiers to a fresh filter recently?

Most smart fans, like the Dyson Pure Cool Link, will let you know with a phone notification when they're ready for new filter. The filter will last one year if you use your fan 12 hours a day.

Micro-USB cables are often the victims of what manufacturers call "rough use." People yank cables out of their devices and crumple them into luggage pockets. After a while, damaged cables can charge your devices much more slowly -- or not at all.

If you're rough on your cable collection, there are sturdily built options on Amazon with hundreds of five-star customer reviews and a 12-month warranty.

If your toilet brush's bristles have started to fray, the brush can't scrub away the bacteria it's intended to remove. 

Take a look at your trusty toilet brush and see if today is Christmas for your commode.

The OXO Good Grips Hideaway toilet brush comes with a discreet canister with ventilation slots so your brush can dry while it's stowed away.

Take a page out of the millennial handbook and replace your clunky cable box or satellite receiver with a compact streaming device. 

American households spend around $100 per month on their cable bill. Depending on the number of streaming services -- and what kinds of services -- you want on your device, you could save hundreds of dollars every year by cutting the cord.

Leftovers are great, unless the thing that's left over is bacteria. If your plastic food containers are cloudy, warped or scratched, they could be harboring germs that could make you sick.

Replacing your entire collection is cheaper than you might expect.

How long has that bottle of ketchup been in your refrigerator? Did you know that ketchup only lasts nine to 12 months after opening? 

Just buy a new bottle of ketchup.

These horrible hangers, which aways seem to find their way back into your closet, can ruin your clothes. The super-slim and often warped shape of wire hangers can stretch out your favorite shirt, and the sharp ends of the wire can catch on delicate fabrics.

Invest in nonslip velvet hangers or sturdy wooden ones to prolong the useful lives of both your hangers and your wardrobe.

Brita recommends changing the filters in its pitchers once every 40 gallons or so to maintain optimum water flavor.

The same thing goes for those old dish rags that are perpetually damp and mysteriously stained. Experts say you should throw your dish towels in the washing machine after each use and retire them if odors remain even after you've washed them. 

Get some fresh, white dish rags. Your countertops will thank you.

Sponges are supposed to be for cleaning, but you'd be surprised how many people continue using sponges past their useful lifespan -- two to four weeks, depending on how often you use the sponge.

Don't wipe more germs onto your dishes than you remove. Just invest in some new sponges.

An improperly disinfected (or improperly handled) contact lens case can become a home to germs that you really, really don't want finding their way into your eyes. Don't ask us how we know.

If you have any doubt about your lens case hygiene, it's time to buy some new ones.

Don't be the person who has an adverse reaction to year-old mascara. Mascara, specifically, only lasts three to six months before it expires. Lipsticks and foundations last around two years.

You probably need some new mascara.

Experts say makeup brushes should be cleaned every one to two weeks. It makes sense. You put them on your face.

If you don't remember the last time you cleaned your makeup brushes, today's the day to start fresh.

After years of keeping your food nice and cold, old ice packs can crack, leaking chemicals into your lunchbox.

If your ice packs have been around for a while, it might be time for some new ones.

Because there are oils in the bran layer of brown rice, the shelf life is much shorter than that of white rice. Uncooked brown rice keeps for around six months in a pantry and a bit longer, if refrigerated.

If you don't remember buying the brown rice in your pantry, get yourself a fresh batch.

Those over-the-counter drugs in your medicine cabinet don't last forever either. Make sure to check the expiration dates before treating your aches, pains and sniffles with old pills.

For example, if your bottle of ibuprofen is expired, or you detect an unusual smell, it's time to replace that bottle.

When you cook on your stove, your range hood filter catches oil, smoke and food particles. If you clean your range hood filter frequently, you can postpone replacing it.

If you pretty much never think about this filter and you cook regularly, you might want to take a peek. And if the filter is corroded, dented or warped, consult your appliance's manual to find a compatible replacement.

Plastic pet bowls can be problematic in a couple of ways. Scratches from your pet's nails or teeth can act as a breeding ground for bacteria. And some pets also develop allergies to plastics in their bowls.

Metal or porcelain bowls are much easier to keep clean.

You sleep, you sweat, you drool. Every night, our bed pillows collect body oils and dead skin cells. Most experts recommend replacing your pillows every one to two years.

Non-stick pans transform into super-sticky pans with hard-to-clean crevices once they're scratched. Good Housekeeping reports that, with moderate use, nonstick pans will need replaced every three to five years.

Experts say your refrigerator's water filter should be changed once every six months. Consult your appliance's user manual to find out which filters are compatible.

We know your dirty secret, and it costs less than $10 to replace it. Don't take another shower with a mildewed shower curtain liner. Get a new, mildew-resistant one instead.

The bottom of your toothbrush holder can be the perfect collection zone for the various bacteria that are floating around your bathroom. You should be sanitizing your toothbrush holder weekly. If you have a dishwasher, and your toothbrush holder is dishwasher-safe, that's a simple enough solution.

You could also opt for a metal toothbrush holder that doesn't collect as much moisture and is easy to clean.

The contents of your first-aid kit could probably use refreshing. For example, hydrogen peroxide lasts only six months after it's opened. Antibiotic ointments like Neosporin also may lose their potency if they've been expired for many years.

Invest in a new first-aid kit with all the essentials.

Your dryer vents hot air out of your laundry room through a vent. But some homes are fitted with plastic dryer vent covers that can melt, decay or catch fire.

Metal dryer vent covers are sturdier and less dangerous.

Olive oil lasts around two years unopened. But once you open it, you'll want to use your olive oil in 30 to 60 days to enjoy the oil's best flavors and nutrients.

A bag of white flour in your pantry will stay good only for about a year. If your flour has an unusual smell or wet-looking clumps, it's time to replace it.

If you use your disposable razor multiple times each week, your razor will go dull within a few weeks. Dull razors can cause skin irritation, and nobody wants that.

That's why they're disposable, people.

You should replace your bed sheets every couple of years or so. After years of use, bed sheets will inevitably become irreversibly stained and worn out from repeated trips through the laundry.

Plus, sheets are relatively inexpensive, and fresh sheets are fantastic.

Studies have shown that scratched-up soft wood and plastic cutting boards are nearly impossible to rid of bacteria. Soft wood cutting boards also dull your knives.

A hardwood cutting board made from a single piece of wood is your best bet for maintaining a clean cutting surface that doesn't ruin your knife collection.

You absolutely don't need to keep a plunger around that's so droopy it can no longer create a vacuum. 

Retire that bad boy, and invest in a new one that stands up (so to speak) to the test.

Spices lose their flavor while they sit in your cabinet. Experts recommend replacing your spices every couple of years or so. Don't know if your spices are still fresh? Give them a sniff. If they don't have an odor, they likely don't have a flavor either.

Some old, plastic ice cube trays could be made from plastic that contains a chemical called bisphenol A, also known as BPA. Research has shown that BPA can leach into food and liquid and could be harmful to humans.

BPA-free ice cube trays are widely available online.

If you haven't been to the beach in three years, odds are that sunscreen at the back of your cabinet is past its prime.

If your sunscreen has separated into an oil-and-film suspension and shaking it doesn't help, it's time for a new bottle.

The typical consumer-brand mosquito repellents last somewhere between 18 month and three years. 

Give the bottle a sniff if you're unsure. If it doesn't smell like it did when you bought it, it likely won't do much to protect you against insect bites.

This is just clutter taking up space in your cabinet. Nail polish this far gone won't spread onto your nails anyway. Opened bottles of nail polish stay good for approximately two years. Treat yourself to a fresh bottle of polish.

Liquors won't go bad, but mixers definitely can. Vermouth is basically just wine, and will last about three months in the fridge, and even less in your cabinet. Simple syrup will last longer, but can get cloudy or smelly. If you can't remember the last time you made an old fashioned or mojito, toss the mixes and just do shots.

Did you know that car seats expire? Their materials can degrade, and they can be supplanted by safer models. Generally, a car seat has about five or six years of life, and the expiration date will be printed on it. If your seat is old or a hand-me-down, check and make sure it's still good. If in doubt, get a new one.

Just having a disaster prep kit doesn't mean you're done preparing for a disaster. Ready.gov reminds you that expired items in a disaster kit should be replaced regularly, and emergency water rations should be changed out every five years. Yes, even water should be periodically replaced.

There are two schools of thought regarding paring knives. One is that you should get a really expensive one and sharpen it when necessary, and the other is that you should get cheap ones and replace them when they get dull. If you've got the cheap ones, chances are they're dull. They can be replaced easily.

An old sock can be warm, comforting and soft. But if it's got a hole in it, it can give you a blister or callus. They can also absorb sweat and lose their elastic. Nothing comforting about that. It's a good bet that some of your socks are a little battered, so it's a good time to do an inventory.

As long as you wash your bath towels in hot water every three to four uses, there's no hurry to replace them. But if they're starting to get thin, tired, and less absorbent, then get new ones and give the old ones to an animal shelter.

FDA regulations don't actually mandate that vitamins carry an expiration date, only a "use by" or "best by" date. Generally, vitamins will last about two or three years, and while an expired vitamin won't hurt you, it's not as potent once it gets old.

Wooden stuff lasts longer, right? It can, but if you use wooden kitchen utensils, they can absorb moisture, get cut up or chipped -- all great ways for bacteria to hide in them. Chances are, you haven't replaced these in years. It may be time to re-spoon.