When Does Pepper Spray Expire?

For those of you that have had your pepper spray in your purse for years, be warned; it might not be effective because it is expired!

Self defense sprays have an expiration date. Mostly because the canister they are in, can loose pressure. No pressure, means you won't be able to shoot the hot substance toward an aggressor.

The self defense brands WomenOnGuard.com has, Mace and Streetwise sprays, have the expiration dates on the product themselves. Mace hard cases pepper spray, usually have a white little label glued to the backside of the unit. Sometimes they have them under the canister itself. This applies to their soft cases, in which you would have to take it out of the case, in order to see the date it expires beneath it. The Streetwise products have them under their units for both the soft and hard cases, most other brands do as well. For the soft cases, again, you will have to take the canister out of the case, in order to see the bottom expiration date. With the hard case Streetwise pepper units, you would need to pull the keyring, attached to the bottom cap, away from the unit. Doing this will reveal when it expires.

Self defense is very important. Check the expiration date and make sure that your unit is in working condition. If it isn't, replace it immediately!

How Old is Your Pepper Spray?

Are you one of those women that bought her pepper spray for self defense, 4 or 5 years ago, and still has it in her purse? If your answer is yes, then that's not a good thing... because it might not work!

Photo by Hillary Stein

Reliable pepper spray usually has an expiration date printed on it. The date is normally on the bottom of the product's canister. Many pepper spray models have a plastic container covering the canister. In order to see the expiration date, you will most likely have to take the bottom lid off the plastic container. Sometimes this little round lid is snapped or screwed on. Many containers have a key ring, which makes it easier for us women to pull the lid off.

Why do self defense sprays need expiration dates, you might ask? Well, we know that pepper can burn for years, but small pressurized canisters can't sustain air pressure too long. If you use an old pepper spray, it will not reach as far or reach anything at all, because the propellent used to keep the pressure high inside of it, eventually over time, will slowly leak out. On a separate note, if your pepper spray has been sitting unmoved for a couple of weeks on a shelf, it wouldn't be a bad idea to give it a shake. Doing so, might increase the pressure inside of it.

We recommend that women or men, change their pepper spray every two years. Plus, every 6 months or so, shoot a quick spray, to test it. Also make sure that you never leave it, for example, in a very hot car or in the sun, if you are at the beach. Heat will expand the canister and it can explode with the pressure! You don't want to be present if this happens... Stay safe and buy a new Mace or Streetwise pepper spray every couple of years. It's a small price to pay for your self defense!