In every household, there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of products that we use daily. Starting from medication bottles, up to tools, gadgets, and things we keep in the fridge. Nowadays every product has a different expiration date, and not every product should be used in the same way. It is hard to keep track of everything, and when we don’t label our products, we may end up forgetting how to use them. When we forget what the right dosage is, we may have to spend more money to buy the same product again, or we may risk breaking or misusing it. Even though most products come with instructions of use, we don’t always keep those papers, and sometimes the boxes that come with them may get damaged. So, if you want to make sure you and everyone who lives with you always know what they are looking at, without even opening the container, you should always pay attention to labeling your products.
The things we buy don’t always come prepacked, and we need to put them in a new container, or a bottle if we want to expand their lifetime. However, having dozens of bottles in your fridge or the cabinet can cause confusion, and you may end up opening everything so you can find the thing you are looking for right now. In this article, we are going to talk about the things you need to have in mind when labeling your products, and we will tell you more information about how that is going to save you a lot of time and avoid confusion.
1. Name
The first thing you should put on the sticker is the name of the product. No matter if we are talking about a medication or just food leftovers, you need to put the name of it, and if possible, a detail or two that will give you an explanation.
For example, if we are talking about pills, then you should add the name of the item, and what it helps with, like pains, aches, or if it is a part of your therapy.
Note that the name should be added with the largest font, so you don’t have to take every container or bottle into your hands to be able to read it.
2. Expiration date
The next thing you need to add is the expiration date. Note that every product has one, but depending on the item itself, it may be up to a specific month, or date, or it can be several months or years after the opening.
This is extremely important to notice especially if you are changing containers, and if you plan on disposing of the original container. If you are unsure what the expiration date is, or if you are thinking about labeling a food item, then you can easily find the information for every item online. For example, milk will not go bad at least five days after opening it, but you need to pay attention if you are keeping it properly. When it comes to cheese, you can safely store it in the refrigerator for a few months.
3. When did you open them?
This is probably the most important thing you need to pay attention to. It is said that no matter what the expiration date of the product is when you open it, the lifetime of it may change. It all depends on the way you store your items, so make sure you don’t put things in direct sunlight or wet places unless it specifically says in the instructions of use.
According to labels123.net, labeling your items at home will help you remember the most important things about the product, and you should never forget to put the exact date of when you opened and started using the items.
This way, you will know if you need to eat or drink the items in the next week, or if you can safely store it in the fridge for months to come. The same goes for cosmetics, and know that items like body milk and face serums are usually usable for about a year after opening it.
4. Ingredients
The next thing you should always put on the sticker is the ingredients. This is really important especially if you don’t live alone. As you already know, there are many people who are allergic to different things, so this will save you a lot of trouble, as well as unnecessary risks.
Write down the components of which the product is made, no matter if it is something that you should eat or drink, or put it on your hair or skin. If there are specific allergens used in the item, you can just put them, so you don’t have to bother writing everything on a smaller sticker.
5. Instructions for use
The last thing that is really important to remember is to write down the instructions for use. This is usually referred to things like medications and serums, so you don’t forget when you need to take the pills or apply the face or hair mask.
Note that you should write down the exact dosage, if we are talking about medications, or you should add the amount that should be used when putting the item on your skin or hair. In case you want to label different gadgets or tech, then you should write down how to turn it on, off, how to restart it, or if it uses batteries, you can also add when you need to change the batteries.
Note that all of these things will not be important if you don’t use the right type of stickers, and if you don’t keep the products in the right way. Never store them near water or heat, and try to avoid putting them in direct sunlight. When choosing the right stickers for you, make sure that they won’t lose the color over time, and that they won’t easily unstick. If you use the same container for different products, always remove the previous sticker, before you add a new one.