CLEANING PRODUCTS

We all use a variety of cleaning products in our homes - including bleach, aerosols and bathroom cleaners. Some are quite harmless while others must be handled with extreme care.

Some cleaning products are corrosive while others are designed to kill small organisms. Cleaning agents, waxes, polishes, spot and stain removers, as well as clothing that has recently been dry-cleaned, may contain chemicals that could affect your health.

It's common sense that you wouldn't eat or drink household cleaners. It's important to remember that you can absorb those same chemicals through your skin or through inhalation when you use them.

Many of these cleaners are just milder versions of industrial chemicals. While you don't need special training or equipment to clean up around the house, you can still be smart about minimizing your exposure to chemicals.

Household cleaning products can contain dangerous ingredients including carcinogens, allergens, neurotoxins, central nervous system inhibitors and heavy metals.

While these products are used in small quantities in our homes, the toxins they contain can accumulate in the environment and threaten our health. Heavy exposure to these toxins has been linked to cancer, respiratory problems, reproductive abnormalities, allergic reactions and behavioral problems.

Protecting Our Health And Environment

You wouldn't pour your dirty cleaning bucket over your garden. But when we use excessive chemicals around the house, we're pouring those cleaners into our drinking water supply.

When you need something stronger than ordinary soap and water to get the job done, choose the least-toxic alternative. Always read labels and follow precautions.

Here are some general tips:

• Do the job with as little cleaner as possible.
• Use laundry detergents and liquid bleaches instead of powder - it cuts down on the amount of heavy metals in wastewater.
• Air out your dry-cleaning outdoors if possible.
• Look for products that contain citrus-based solvents instead of more toxic petroleum distillates.
• Don't forget old-fashioned "elbow grease" - sometimes it's the best cleaner of all and a bit of hard scrubbing often works better than applying chemicals.
• Don't mix cleaners - combining chemicals can be very dangerous.
• Full loads of dishes and laundry are more efficient and reduce the need for both chemicals and energy.

Natural solutions

Nature often provides us with the best ways to get cleaning jobs done.

Air fresheners:

• Open windows and doors for short periods.
• Distribute partially filled dishes of vinegar to reduce unpleasant cooking odours.
• Boil cinnamon and cloves in a pan of water to scent the air.
• Sprinkle a half-cup of borax in the bottom of garbage pails or diaper pails to inhibit mold and bacteria growth that can cause odors.
• Rub vinegar on hands before and after slicing onions to remove the smell.
• Use bowls of potpourri to give inside air a pleasant scent.

Disinfectants:

• Clean regularly with soap and hot water.
• Mix a half-cup of borax with one gallon of hot water to disinfect and deodorize.
• Use isopropyl alcohol as a disinfectant.

Drain cleaners:

• Try a plunger first!
• To open clogs, pour half a cup of baking soda down drain, add half a cup of white vinegar and cover the drain - the reaction of the baking soda and vinegar will break down fatty acids and allow the clog to wash down the drain.

Floor cleaner and polish:

• Try a few drops of vinegar in water to remove soap traces.
• A capful of baby oil added to water can preserve and polish vinyl or linoleum.
• For wood floors, apply a thin coat of oil and vinegar (even proportions) and rub in well.
• Use one teaspoon of washing soda and four litres of hot water for painted wooden floors.
• Combine one cup of white vinegar and four litres of water to wash brick and stone tiles.

Metal cleaners and polishes:

• For aluminum, use a solution of cream of tartar and water.
• Use a solution of lemon and baking powder, or vinegar and salt, on brass.
• Polish chrome with baby oil, vinegar, or aluminum foil (shiny side out).
• Clean gold with toothpaste.
• You can clean pewter with a paste of salt, vinegar and flour.

Oven cleaner:

• Start by sprinkling baking soda on a moist surface, then scrub with steel wool.
• Use baking soda or dry table salt as scouring powder.

Toilet bowl cleaner:

• You can make toilet bowl cleaner with straight bleach (NOT mixed with any other substance except water), baking soda and vinegar, or borax and lemon juice.

Tub and tile cleaner:

• Rub a damp sponge with baking soda and rinse (you can also wipe it with vinegar first).
• Follow up with baking soda as a scouring powder.

Window and glass cleaner:

• To avoid streaks, don't wash windows when the sun is shining.
• Use solutions made from vinegar-and-water, cornstarch vinegar-and-water, or lemon juice and water.
• Wipe with newspaper.