Tips for you

Below is a list of less toxic alternative products. By using these homemade substitutes you will save money and make your home a safer place to live.

DRAIN CLEANER

Clean clogged pipes with a snake or plunger. Run boiling water down the drain.

RUG and UPHOLSTERY CLEANER

Clean immediately with soda water and baking soda paste, then vacuum.

SPOT REMOVER

Immediately soak in cold water, lemon juice, club soda, or corn meal and water.

TUB and TILE CLEANER

Rub area with one-half lemon dipped in borax or baking soda. Rinse and let dry.

TOILET BOWL CLEANER

Use toilet brush and baking soda, mild detergent, or ½ cup bleach.

WINDOW WASH

Use ¼ to ½ teaspoon vegetable oil-based soap (Murphy's Oil Soap), 3 tablespoons vinegar, 2 cups water, spray bottle. Place all ingredients in a spray bottle, shake, and use as you would any commercial window washing brand. Another way to clean windows is use 2 tablespoons vinegar in 1 quart water, and wipe glass with newspaper.

FURNITURE POLISH

Make a non-toxic polish by melting 1 tablespoon Canauba Wax into 2 cups mineral oil. For lemon oil polish, dissolve 1 teaspoon lemon oil into 1 pint mineral oil.

PAINT STRIPPER

For lead-free paint, use a heat gun with sandpaper or a scraper.

BRASS and COPPER CLEANER

Scrub with a used half lemon dipped in salt.

SILVER CLEANER

Soak in 1 quart warm water with 1 teaspoon baking soda, and a small piece of aluminum foil.

Buy only what you need.

Follow label directions. Use only what is needed for the job. Twice as much doesn't mean twice as clean.

Wear gloves and protective clothing to prevent skin contact.

Use products in well ventilated areas.

Do not mix products unless directed to do so by label instructions. This can cause dangerous chemical reactions or an explosion.

Avoid aerosol products. Aerosols spray the substance in tiny drops that can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin.

Store hazardous products safely, out of reach of children and pets, in well ventilated areas.

Leave products in their original container.

Give unwanted leftover products to a friend or neighbor to use up.

Care must be taken to dispose of hazardous products in the proper way to reduce the environmental impact and safety hazards caused by disposal. Toxic products carelessly tossed in the trash can damage collection vehicles, injure sanitation workers, or leak into the environment. Similarly, when dumped down the drain, some products can cause water pollution, and damage plumbing and septic systems. Products poured on the ground or in a storm sewer pollute our water supply.

The best way not to have to worry about hazardous products is to use non-toxic alternative. Since this is not always possible, the Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste Management District is working to increase the availability of recycling and/or disposal options for many hazardous materials. If you miss a collection program and have used oil to dispose of try calling a local auto parts store or lube shops to see if they offer an exchange program. If you have unwanted paint and want to dispose of it properly and you've missed the collection event, we suggest you pour "kitty litter" into the old paint cans, this will solidify or make solid and you can place into your regular waste stream.