Does Surgical Face Mask have Expiry Date?

Surgical face masks have expiry dates and it varies. Some have a 3 years expiration date from its manufacturing.

Some of 3M’s surgical masks have an established 5-year shelf life. These are for their 1804/1804S, 1860/1860S, 1870, 1870+ models.

The direct answer is yes, all surgical masks have an expiry date and the duration will be dependent on the manufacturer's guidelines and information. 

How do I know when will the surgical mask is expiring?

When buying on a physical store, do check the packaging, usually on the back part to check the “use by” date.

If buying online, you can ask the supplier for the expiration date before purchasing the surgical masks.

You can also check the packaging in the picture if the expiry date can be seen. Better yet, have the supplier’s assurance that the masks are not expired and ask for the specific expiration date.

This will prevent you from receiving and purchasing expired surgical masks.

If the surgical masks are not marked with shelf life information, how can I know the age of the surgical masks?

When you come across this, all you have to look at is when it’s manufactured and you’ll know if it’s still good to use. 

If you’re buying online, ask the supplier if it has a use before date. If there is none, you can ask the supplier what’s the date of manufacture on the packaging.  

This would put you in a good position of being informed of the date when the surgical masks were manufactured and produced.

It doesn’t require a lot to get your money’s worth. You just have to know the vital information you need. This will enable you to be guarded and secured from purchasing expired products in general.

Trust me, it would save you a lot of stress, troubles, returns and unwanted purchases that are all draining to deal in the first place.