Yes, perfume and cologne do go bad. ... However, three to five years is the average shelf life of a fragrance. According to experts, perfumes with heavier base notes will last the longest. Some people compare these perfumes to a fine wine—they get better with age.

How can you tell if cologne has gone bad?

You can tell if your perfume has expired by simply checking for a number of key signs; scent - does it smell different, appearance - has the colour changed and date - some perfumes may have an expiry date. Test How it smells - one of the most obvious ways to tell if your perfume has gone off is to smell it.

What do you do with expired cologne?

The most common way to utilize your old perfume is by using it as a room freshener. You can either spray it all over the room, or add a few drops of perfume in boiling water over the stove. The steam of the perfumed water will infiltrate all over, thus spreading the fragrance all over the house.