In general disinfectants do not have an expiry date. They can be stored and gradually used over time so there is no real need to dispose of them. Large quantities of disinfectants must not be flushed into the sewer, as they may kill the bacteria in a sewage works and so stop the biological treatment of the sewage. Similarly large quantities should not be put into watercourses since the disinfectants will damage aquatic life. Small quantities of diluted disinfectant may be disposed of by discharge to a sewer providing the operation is supervised by a pharmacist and the quantities are strictly controlled to set limits. The guideline control proposed is 50 litres total per day, with the disposal spread over the whole working day.

If possible, disinfectants should be used, for example for toilet cleaning in hospitals. Some disinfectants with strong bactericidal and antiviral activity, such as Lysol (50% cresylic acid), may have an expiry date. If this date has passed, the material can still be used for general disinfection purposes at an appropriate dilution decided by a pharmacist, or disposed of in a chemical waste disposal facility or a cement kiln. Many countries do not have chemical waste disposal facilities, so the materials may have to be shipped out of the country. However this is an expensive and complicated operation and should only be contemplated if there is no viable alternative.

The World Health Organization publishes chemical safety sheets for common disinfectants and pesticides. The sheets provide data on the chemical composition of the substance and indicate suitable methods of disposal. The sheets may be obtained from WHO¹⁴.