8 Vintage Items That Could Be Hazardous to Keep in Your Home

Vintage Electrical Items

Many vintage lamps and electrical items are unfortunately fire hazards. This includes 1950s or older stereo systems, radios, lamps, appliances, heaters, fans, and any other pieces with their original wiring and/or ungrounded plugs. “Most of those items don't have polarized plugs, modern safety features, or their interior wiring may be frayed,” says PJ Gach, a thrifting expert and founder of The Grumpy Fashionista. “Some items may even contain asbestos.” 

If you do love the item, have a professional rewire and replace the electronics so you can use them safely. Otherwise, Gach says to visit your local sanitation department's website. They have information on how to package and dispose of these items safely. 

Vintage Christmas Lights

They’re really pretty, and today’s modern lights just don’t compare when it comes to a glow-off, but vintage Christmas lights are very much a hazard. This is true for the reasons outlined above (lack of safety features and fraying cords), but also because the bulbs get extremely hot. When they sit next to a Christmas tree, whether faux or real, or homewares like curtains, they can get too hot and potentially cause a fire. It’s in your family’s best interest to retire these items.

Corelle Food Dishes (Pre-2005)

Corelle dishes are a fairly common household item you’ll find in thrift stores and antique markets, but any products made before 2005 should be left behind. And if you still own some of these dishes, it’s officially time to retire them.  “Unfortunately, most Corelle wares prior to 2005 contain lead,” warns Nora Curl, appraisal expert with JustAnswer. “Usually contained in the color glazes, lead can leach into food and negatively impact your internal organs when ingested.” 

She adds that another safety issue with vintage Corelle pieces is that when they accidentally break, they shatter into thousands of hair-thin, tiny little shards that can bounce up and around several feet. “This potentially leaves one with inhaling slivers, fragments in eyes, and skin splinters,” Curl says. “When that actually happened to me, I promptly double-bagged up every piece of Corelle in my home and bid it good riddance in the rubbish bin.” 

Cookware and Dishes With Cracks

Similarly, any cookware or dishes with cracks or crazing should be retired. Both indicate there’s a defect in the product, and they can quickly become a harboring ground for food residue and bacteria. As beautiful as crazing is, these dishes should be retired. Even hairline fractures can allow moisture and food particles to seep in, making it nearly impossible to clean them thoroughly or ensure they’re safe for everyday use. If you can’t bear to part with a certain item, you can turn it into a display-only piece. 

Vintage and Antique Baby Items

They’re ripe with charm and sentimentality, but it’s important not to use vintage or antique baby items for your own child. This includes baby cribs, high chairs, wind-up swings, and infant toys. 

“Vintage baby items, made prior to 1978, can contain lead that the little one will inevitably ingest,” Curl warns. “Also, cribs and high chairs have recalls due to strangulation and entrapment risks; used items can have loose parts from wear and tear, and older toys can have small parts that pose a choking hazard as well as lead paint.” 

If some of the small items are nostalgic, keep them in a locked and secure display cabinet well out of reach of children. Cribs and chairs are great for displaying dolls—just be sure that small children are not left unattended if present around those items.  

Yellowed Plastic

Over the years, old plastic material can yellow and become brittle, which is a sign that the product is degrading and quite literally falling apart. The plastic can break off and leave behind a mess, or it may get accidentally ingested by a pet or child, Gach warns. Additionally, some older plastics can leach oils or chemicals as they degrade, which can damage fabrics or leave behind sticky residue. 

Vintage Upholstered Furniture

While not every fabulous couch or armchair needs the boot, do take stock of any existing antique upholstered or stuffed furniture in your home. Many old pieces (especially those made pre-1970s) are potentially flammable.

Also, sometimes the filling that was used, including upholstery foam, batting, straw, and horsehair, can trigger allergies. If you love the piece or it’s an heirloom, consider having it re-upholstered and/or re-stuffed. And if that's not in the cards and you really want to keep the piece, be particularly mindful of its flammability.

Alarm Clocks with Glowing Numbers

One seemingly innocent item with potential health consequences is vintage alarm clocks with glow-in-the-dark faces and dials. “Primarily made from the early 20th century through the 1960s, that neat-o glow that helps you see the time in the pitch dark of night is actually radium,” Curl explains. “It is a radioactive material that can pose serious health risks. If you have this type of clock in your possession, it is best to first place it in a sealed bag or container, while wearing disposable gloves.” 

The rules for disposal vary by state under their own radiation control programs in partnership with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Generally, a quick Google search will lead you to your state’s specific guidelines for radium disposal.