# Stain and conditioner longevity



## Miller Woodworks (Dec 11, 2013)

I have some gallon cans of Sherwin Williams stain and Minwax wood conditioner that have been sitting in my garage for about a year and a half. I didn't see an expiration date on them, but you guys probably know for sure. Do they go bad, or will I be fine with a good shake or stir to get them mixed up again?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Miller Woodworks said:


> I have some gallon cans of Sherwin Williams stain and Minwax wood conditioner that have been sitting in my garage for about a year and a half. I didn't see an expiration date on them, but you guys probably know for sure. Do they go bad, or will I be fine with a good shake or stir to get them mixed up again?


That would be impossible to answer but 1 1/2 years is not that long. I have some that is 4-5 years old. A lot would depend on how old the products were when you bought them and the ratio of air to stain in the can. The more air is in the can the quicker the stain will go bad. The only way to really tell if the stain is alright now is open the can and see if you can stir it and the pigment suspends in it. Sometimes the binder and the pigments harden in the bottom of the can and has nothing but mineral spirits floating on the surface. Then sometimes the binder is all curdled up in clumps. I would keep the stain until it showed signs of these things. The wood conditioner would be the same way. As long as it could be stirred into a uniform liquid it would still be usable. 

It helps the longevity of these products if they were shaken from time to time and kept in a cool place.


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