Salad has a reputation as one of the worst offenders in the fridge — bought with healthy intentions, then found a week later as a slimy bag at the bottom of the drawer. The short answer: bagged or loose leaves last about 3-5 days, while a whole head can keep 1-2 weeks. The difference comes down to how cut and how wet it is, and a few storage tricks can stretch it considerably. Here's how to make your lettuce last — and use it before it turns.
- Bagged / loose leaves: 3-5 days.
- Whole intact head: 1-2 weeks.
- Keep it dry and cold — moisture is what turns lettuce slimy.
- Bin it once leaves are slimy, mushy or smell off.
How long lettuce keeps
Shelf life depends mostly on whether the lettuce is whole or cut. A firm, uncut head holds moisture and structure far longer than pre-washed leaves with cut edges that brown and break down quickly. A quick guide, stored in the fridge crisper at 0-5°C (UK FSA):
Sturdier varieties like iceberg and romaine last longest; soft, delicate leaves the shortest.
How to keep lettuce fresh longer
Lettuce hates two things: moisture sitting on the leaves, and ethylene gas. Manage both and you'll add days:
- Keep it dry. Line a container or bag with kitchen paper to soak up moisture, and don't wash leaves until you're ready to eat them — wet storage is what causes slime.
- Use the crisper drawer. It holds humidity at the right level and keeps lettuce away from the coldest spots that can cause freezer burn.
- Store it away from fruit. Apples, bananas and tomatoes give off ethylene, which makes leaves wilt faster — see how to organise your fridge.
- Revive it. Wilted-but-fresh leaves often perk up after 15-30 minutes in ice-cold water.
How to tell if lettuce has gone off
Lettuce makes it obvious when it's done — the question is whether it's just wilted (fine) or actually spoiled (bin it):
- Texture: slimy or mushy leaves mean bacterial breakdown — throw them out.
- Sight: dark, watery patches or browning beyond a trimmed edge.
- Smell: a sour or rotten smell is a clear stop sign.
Wilted and limp on its own is fine — that's water loss, not spoilage, and often reversible. Slime is the real signal.
Salad wilts fast and hides in the drawer. Scan your receipt and Fango adds it with a short estimated shelf life, then reminds you before it's due — so the bag gets eaten, not discovered slimy a week later.
Download Fango for free
Because salad has such a short window, it's one of the items a reminder helps with most — a nudge on day two or three is the difference between a crisp side salad and a slimy bin bag. For more, see how long food lasts in the fridge and what to do when food is about to expire.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does lettuce last in the fridge?
Bagged or loose leafy salad keeps about 3-5 days in the fridge, while a whole, intact head of lettuce can last 1-2 weeks. Storage is the deciding factor: keep it dry, in the crisper drawer, and away from fruit that gives off ethylene. Once leaves go slimy or smell off, throw them out.
How do you keep lettuce fresh longer?
Keep it dry and cold. Excess moisture turns lettuce slimy, so line a container or bag with kitchen paper to absorb it, store it in the crisper drawer, and don't wash leaves until you're about to eat them. Keeping lettuce away from apples, bananas and tomatoes also helps, as the ethylene they release speeds up wilting.
Can you eat slightly wilted lettuce?
Wilted but otherwise fresh lettuce is fine — a 15-30 minute soak in ice-cold water often revives crispness. But if leaves are slimy, mushy, darkened or smell off, throw them out. Slime is bacterial growth, not just age, so it's the clear sign to bin it.
How does Fango help you use lettuce in time?
Salad is one of the most wasted foods because it wilts fast and hides in the drawer. Scan your receipt and Fango adds it with a short estimated shelf life, then reminds you before it's due — so the bag gets eaten while it's still crisp rather than discovered slimy a week later.