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Nothing lasts forever. Still, we always try to recommend things that at least won’t break quickly and end up in a landfill—for the sake of your wallet and the planet. But there are plenty of items (otherwise-good items we recommend!) around your home that will need to be replaced every so often. Some of them trap germs and bacteria over time. Others lose efficacy as the years wear on. Here’s a handy guide to when and why you should swap out some Wirecutter picks that you (probably) use every day.

Toilet brush: You should replace your toilet brush every few months or when you see the bristles start to bend—whichever comes first. Regularly spraying your brush and its holder with disinfectant or bleach solution can extend its life, but bacteria buildup isn’t the only reason to swap your brush for a new one. As the bristles on your brush flatten over time, the brush handle could start scraping the porcelain bowl, providing new places for germs to burrow.

Water filters: Filters keep your drinking water clean from contaminants and impurities. To make sure they keep doing that job well, the filters need to be replaced regularly. Faucet-mounted water filters typically last three to six months, and most pitcher filters should be swapped every two months. (If you’re not sure about your filter’s replacement schedule, check the owner’s manual.) If you have a refrigerator with a built-in water dispenser, its filter should be replaced every six months.

Earplugs: Depending on how frequently you use them, universal-fit earplugs (like those you’d wear to a concert) should be replaced every three to six months. Earwax, dust, and sweat can all contribute to earplugs’ deterioration. Typically, this means you need to buy a new set of plugs. But if you’ve got a pair of the Loop Experience—the top pick in our guide to the best earplugs for concerts—you’ll need to swap out only the tips (which can be purchased separately for $10).

Custom earplugs, on the other hand, are more expensive than universal plugs like the Loop. But custom plugs are designed to last significantly longer, if you treat them well. If you wear earplugs daily, a custom pair could be the most cost-effective option in the long run.

Foam earplugs (the kind you get at the drugstore that look like tubes or bullets) should be washed with soap and water. And they should be replaced every few days or if they’re showing any wear, according to OSHA guidelines. If you’re just using them to sleep, senior staff writer Lauren Dragan says you’re not risking safety by holding out a few days more. But she still recommends replacing them after a week.

Mascara: Germs and microbes can fester inside a mascara tube after the wand has gone from your eye to the tube several dozen times. It’s smart to replace your mascara every two to four months.

Surge protectors: If your surge protectors lack an auto-shutoff feature, replace them every three to five years. Otherwise, they’ll continue to pass power to your devices long after their surge protection has worn out, effectively rendering them useless. Also keep in mind that you should replace surge protectors after any large event—like multiple outages in rapid succession or a lightning strike nearby—regardless of how long you’ve had them.

Infant car seats: Seats typically have an expiration date of six or seven years from their manufacture date. Keep this in mind if you’re hanging on to a car seat for future use or thinking about giving it to a friend. And if you’re in a significant car accident, you’ll want to replace the car seat immediately, no matter how long you’ve had it.

Plastic cutting boards: Frequently used plastic cutting boards should be replaced about every two years. You’ll know it’s time for a replacement when a sponge snags on deep cuts or scratches along the board. Lingering bacteria can fester and hide in those grooves.

SodaStream bottles: SodaStream bottles need to be replaced every few years—otherwise you run the small risk of the older, weakened plastic exploding. SodaStream helpfully prints the expiration date on either the cap, the side, or the bottom of the bottle, so you won’t have to rack your memory for a purchase date.

Sunscreen: If you have a leftover bottle of sunscreen from last summer, you might want to toss it. Sunscreen breaks down over time, and most bottles are labeled with an expiration date that’s a year or two from when you buy it. And if sunscreen is left in the car or in direct sunlight, it can deteriorate faster. If your bottle has no date, the Mayo Clinic recommends that you trash it after three years.

Air purifier filters: Purifier manufacturers typically recommend yearly HEPA filter replacements. But this advice can vary from brand to brand, so always check the owner’s manual. Most purifiers also display a “change filter” light when it’s time, but these are easy to overlook, so we suggest that you set a calendar reminder as well. That said, we’ve also found in our testing that HEPA filters continue to perform almost like new after a year of constant use. The world won’t end if you’re a few months behind schedule.

Smart and dumb smoke detectors: All smoke alarms, whether or not they are smart, need to be replaced 10 years from the date of manufacture—not the date of installation. You can find the date your alarm was made printed on the unit itself. If your smoke alarm doesn’t have a date, that means it was manufactured before 2000, when expiration dates were legally required to be printed on the unit. You’ll definitely want to replace that one.

Convertible car seats and booster seats: Convertible car seats and booster seats both typically expire after 10 years, giving them a longer usable lifespan than that of infant car seats. If you’re in a significant accident, though, you’ll want to replace the convertible or booster seat immediately afterward.

Bike helmet: The lifespan of a helmet will vary, but you should always replace yours after you’ve been involved in a crash—even if you don’t detect any surface damage. Once the foam underneath a cycling helmet’s plastic shell has been compressed in an accident, it can no longer do its job. You won’t always be able to tell what’s going on under that hard shell, though, which is why we suggest you err on the side of caution after an accident and replace your helmet.

Foam roller: It’s hard to say exactly how long a foam roller will last. But if you’re looking to get the most use out of yours, opt for something firmer made from expanded polypropylene (EPP). Rollers made of softer materials have the potential to warp over time, especially if they are used frequently.

Pillows: “There’s no firm lifespan for pillows because bodies, pillow fillings, and sleep habits are different,” says senior staff writer Jackie Reeve. “But if you start noticing over time that you’ve got new neck, shoulder, or back pain when you wake in the morning, or if you start getting headaches in the night, these are all good signs that your pillow might need replacing.” Still, there are a few things you can do to prolong a pillow’s life—such as throwing a down or down-alternative pillow in the dryer to fluff it up or punching and moving the stuffing around in a shredded foam pillow.

Mattresses: The typical warranty for a mattress is 10 years. But mattresses made with more-durable materials, such as latex, may have longer warranties, according to senior staff writer Joanne Chen. However, just because the warranty says the mattress will last 10, 15, or 20 years, that doesn’t mean it will be in good condition for the entire time. Depending on the quality of the mattress materials, your weight, your build, and how good you are about regularly rotating your mattress, you might notice body impressions within just a few months. These indentations could be deep enough to be annoying and yet not deep enough to be covered by the warranty. Lower-density foam mattresses and thick, fluffy Euro- or pillow-top mattresses are especially prone to premature impressions, Joanne says. Sleepers who weigh considerably more than 200 pounds may do better with a memory-foam top layer that’s 4 or 5 pounds per cubic foot or with a latex mattress. You can read more about this in our guide to buying a mattress.

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by Christina Williams and Wirecutter Staff

These 100 useful things were the most-purchased Wirecutter picks in March 2022.

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