Replacing household items is a form of house admin that not many of us look forward to – save those of us addicted to ‘clean-tok’ accounts on social media, mind. With sustainability being a renewed focus for many in the wake of tangible climate change, household tasks like replacing appliances are shown in a different light. What is wasteful when it comes to replacing household items, and what are the timescales you should be referring to?

Carpets

One major consideration that doesn’t often cross the mind of the new homeowner is the carpet. Often it is the first thing to go when moving into a new property, in favour of something cleaner and more in keeping with the new aesthetic – but exactly how long should that carpet last you?

The answer is, annoyingly enough, “it depends”. The ‘expiry date’ of a new carpet is directly proportional to the quality of that carpet – that is, the quality of materials, weave and manufacture. Low-grade carpets on the cheaper end of the spectrum will wear much quicker, and typically have a shelf life of five years. High quality carpets, meanwhile, can last up to 20. There are ways to skirt around replacing carpets where isolated instances of wear, appear, though; spare swatches of carpet can be used to ‘patch’ stained or worn spots, and the pile of the carpet fussed to render the patch homogenous with the rest of the floor.

The Kitchen

The kitchen is home to a great many appliances and items, each of which have their own demands for replacement and repair. White goods in particular can be difficult to judge in terms of this, with some older models from different brands much more likely to last than others.

The electronics in goods produced in the 2000s are more likely to fail due to passive electrical components, while more recent fridge freezers and washing machines can fall victim to ‘planned obsolescence’. With care and a sustainable approach, though, white goods should theoretically last at least ten years before replacement should be considered.

Knives and chopping boards are the next-most used items in the kitchen, and are often prematurely thrown away. Sharpening knives is simpler than it seems, and buying a good quality Damascus steel knife can give you decades of use. Chopping boards should be disposed of the moment they discolour, especially if knife-notches start to darken – but can otherwise be sanitised and used for up to five years.

The Bathroom

The bathroom often suffers the opposite fate of other areas of the house, with items like toilet seats used until they break and then some. Toilet seats, particularly soft-close toilet seats, should be replaced every year at least – if not to ensure the mechanism works as intended, then to ensure bacteria doesn’t’ grow in the nooks and crannies you can’t reach.

Your shower head is another thing you might never replace, but limescale can build up – particularly in hard water areas. This can damage the head and even the pipes behind it. As such, your shower head should at the very least be cleaned every six months, and replaced every three years.