Hazardous products are around us all. Polishing your metals, cleaning your toilets, unplugging your clogged drains, painting your rooms, and spraying for insects are common activities. Less hazardous alternatives, products or actions can replace many things we use for these purposes. However, in a few cases there are no safe choices. Therefore, it is important to take special care of hazardous products used. For proper disposal of unused amounts of these products take them to the Benton County Regional Moderate Risk Waste Facility (942-7502).

LESS TOXIC ALTERNATIVES: REDUCING THE RISK

One of the best means of avoiding exposure to household hazardous materials is to use less toxic alternatives whenever possible. Included in this section are time-honored recipes and suggestions to help you make the switch toward less toxic household products. Ingredients followed by instructions will guide you through an array of easy-to-make, easy-to-use, and safer alternatives. Some ingredients recommended as alternatives are safer, but not nontoxic. Making your own simple and effective products is fun and economical. We think you will be happily surprised with the results.

AEROSOLS

Aerosols contain an active ingredient and a liquid or gaseous propellant that is packed under at least 40 pounds of pressure per square inch. These pressurized aerosol containers are explosive and may be flammable. Depending upon other ingredients, the aerosol sprays may be irritants, corrosives, poisons or contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

Prevention: Use non-aerosol (pump-spray, roll-on or liquid) products.

AIR FRESHENERS

Most commercial air fresheners do not freshen the air at all. Instead, they mask one odor with another, coats your nasal passages with an undetectable oil film, or diminishes your sense of smell with a nerve-deadening agent. For a safer alternative, you may wish to try one of the following.

Prevention: Locate the source of the odor problem and take corrective action.

Repair: Repair structure to correct moisture problems. Add vents, vapor barriers, detour water drainage away from structure, etc.

Ventilation: Open windows or doors in the house for at least a short period every day. This will also help to reduce toxic fumes that may be building up indoors.

AIR FRESHENERS - All Purpose

Vinegar: Distribute partially filled saucers of vinegar around the room or boil 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in 1 cup of water to eliminate unpleasant cooking odors.

Cinnamon and Cloves: Boil these spices for a fragrant smell. For ease of cleaning, make a cheesecloth bag to contain these spices, and boil the cheesecloth bag. An excellent alternative when entertaining is to steep spiced tea or cider.

Potpourri: Buy or make your own potpourri from you favorite herbs and spices. Place the potpourri in a small basket or jar or in small sachet bags.

Orange, lemon, or lime, and cloves, orris root powder, and ground cinnamon: Make a citrus pomander by inserting cloves into the citrus fruit. If the skin is too tough, make small holes with a toothpick first. When the entire fruit is covered with cloves, roll in a mixture or 1/2 teaspoons orris root powder and 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Wrap in tissue and store in a drawer, cabinet, or closet.

Kitchen and Food Odors

Vanilla: Place pure vanilla on a cotton ball in a small saucer. Place the saucer in the car or refrigerator to remove odors. It is reported to remove even skunk odors. Keep the cotton ball out of reach of children; vanilla has a high alcohol content.

Baking Soda: Place a partially filled saucer of baking soda on the refrigerator shelf. Replace every two months and when you do, pour the contents of the used box down the drain to remove odors and keep the drain clean. Baking soda can also be used to deodorize bottles by filling them with undiluted baking soda and allowing the bottles to soak overnight. Then wash as usual.

Borax: Empty the garbage frequently and clean the can as needed. To inhibit growth of odor-producing molds and bacteria, sprinkle 1/2 cup Borax in the bottom of the garbage can.

Vinegar or Celery Stalk: To avoid or remove onion odors from your hands, rub white vinegar on your hands before and after slicing. Rubbing hands with the end of a celery stalk will also remove the odor.

Salt: Rubbing salt into a wooden cutting board will eliminate odors as well as lift stains.

Lemon or Lime: Rub a cut lemon or lime on the cutting board to get rid of onion, garlic or fish odors.

APPLIANCE CLEANERS

Rubbing alcohol: Instead of using commercial waxes, shine with rubbing alcohol.

Whitening paste: To get rid of yellowing on appliances mix together: 1/2 cup bleach, 1/4 cup baking soda and four cups of warm water. Apply with a sponge and let set for 10 minutes. Rinse and dry thoroughly.

Club soda: Use club soda to clean and polish at the same time.

ARTS AND CRAFTS

Permanent felt-tip markers, rubber cement, spray fixatives, powdered clay and instant paper-mache are standard arts and crafts supplies found in many homes. All of these materials contain chemicals that are hazardous. If inhaled, absorbed or swallowed. Children are especially prone to mishandling, chewing, sucking, inhaling or swallowing art materials and decorating their hands and face with them. In order to choose safe art supplies to keep at home, for school projects or just for fun, consider the following tips:

Avoid: Powdered tempera paints, pastels, chalks or dry markers that create dust.

Substitute: Liquid tempera paints, crayons, oil pastels or dustless chalks.

Avoid: Epoxy glue, instant glue, airplane glue and solvent based adhesives.

Substitute: White glue, school paste or preservative-free wheat paste.

Avoid: Permanent felt tip markers (may contain toluene and other toxic solvents) or scented felt-tip markers which teach children bad habits about eating and sniffing art materials.

Substitute: Water-based markers.

Avoid: Fiber-reactive dyes, direct (household) dyes and other commercial dyes.

Substitute: Natural dyes, such as dyes made from vegetables, onion skins, tea, flowers and other food dyes.

Avoid: Instant paper-mache (may contain asbestos fibers and lead from pigments in colored printing inks).

Substitute: Paper-mache made from black-and-white newspaper and library paste, white paste or flour and water paste.

Avoid: Aerosol sprays.

Substitute: Brushes and water-based paints in splatter techniques.

Avoid: Oil-based paints, turpentine, benzene, toluene and other rubber cement and its thinner.

Substitute: Water-based paints, glues, inks, etc.

AUTOMATIC COFFEE MAKER

Vinegar: Remove mineral deposits and unclog the coffee maker by pouring in one cup of vinegar and running it through as you would water; then run two pots of water through to remove the vinegar taste. To keep the vinegar smell minimized you might want to do this under the stove exhaust fan.

BATTERIES, DRY CELL, BUTTON, DISC, ETC.

Dry cell, button and disc batteries are used in flashlights, radios, cameras, hearing aids, watches, toys, calculators and other items in the home. These batteries may contain zinc, lead, alkaline, mercury, nickel. cadmium, silver and electrolytes. If batteries leak or explode the chemical substances contained in these batteries can cause internal and external burns and irritation. These batteries also contain heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, lithium, manganese, silver, zinc, cadmium, and nickel which can accumulate in ground and surface water, wildlife and humans when disposed of improperly.

Prevention: Use rechargeable batteries. Avoid battery operated products.

BLEACH (CHLORINE)

Household bleaches which claim to disinfect are classified as pesticides under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. Liquid household bleaches contain approximately 5% sodium hypochlorite solution. Chlorine bleach liquid and vapors are irritating to the skin, eyes, nose and throat. Bleach when mixed with substances such as ammonia, toilet bowl cleaners, drain cleaners or vinegar, forms toxic gases which can cause coughing, loss of voice, a feeling of burning or suffocation, and even death. DO NOT MIX BLEACH WITH OTHER CLEANERS. Consider using these alternatives when ever possible:

Lemon juice: Use lemon juice in the wash cycle to "freshen" clothing.

Hydrogen peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide, in a standard 3 percent solution is an oxidizing bleach, is safe enough to also use as a disinfectant.

Borax: For household disinfecting, borax is an option.

Baking soda: Reduce the amount of liquid bleach used in your wash and add baking soda as a booster.

Oxygen (dry) bleach: For washing clothes, oxygen (dry) bleaches work well.

BROILER PAN CLEANER

Laundry detergent: Sprinkle the burned food areas with a dry laundry detergent, cover with a damp paper towel, let set a few minutes and then rinse.

CARPET/RUG (ALSO SEE SPOT/STAIN REMOVERS) IF YOU PLAN TO SHAMPOO YOUR CARPET, FIRST TRY A PRE-CLEANING TREATMENT.

Sweep the carpet, which will make the nap stand up and loosen the imbedded dirt. Next vacuum. With this work alone, the rug should show a noticeable improvement, so much in fact that you may decide to delay the shampooing. To neutralize odors: Borax and cornmeal. Sprinkle the carpet with a mixture or 1 cup Borax and 2 cups cornmeal. Let this mixture stand for an hour before vacuuming. Another alternative is Baking Soda. Making certain that the carpet is dry, sprinkle baking soda liberally over the entire carpet. Wait at least 15 minutes, or overnight if the odor is particularly bad, before vacuuming.

Wine spills: Pour a thick layer of salt on red wine spills: to absorb the wine, get as much of the salt into contact with the wine as you can; then sponge up the salt.

CHIMNEY

Prevention: Burn dry clean wood (firewood should be seasoned at lest 6-8 months before use); a hot fire will burn the wood more completely and cleanly. Watch your chimney; if you can see smoke, the air supply to your fire should be increased. Do not damper too far; smoldering fires cause the most soot and creosote buildup, as well as pollute the air. Follow operating instructions for your wood store and use a flue brush.

CLEANERS, ALL PURPOSE

Baking Soda: Dissolve 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart warm water for a general cleaner. Or use baking soda on a damp sponge. Baking soda will clean and deodorize all kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

Pumice stick: A pumice stick, available at many hardware stores, contains no harsh detergents or other chemicals. It will effectively clean oven racks and barbecue grills, remove rust from tools and handle many other cleaning jobs.

Vinegar and Salt: Mix together for a good surface cleaner.

DECAL REMOVER

Vinegar: To remove no-slip decals from the bathtub, saturate a cloth or sponge and squeeze hot vinegar over decals. Vinegar also removes stick-on hooks from painted walls. Saturate a cloth or sponge with vinegar and squeeze the liquid behind the hook so that the vinegar comes in contact with the adhesive. In addition, vinegar can be used to remove price tags and other decals from glass, wood, and china. Paint the label or decal with several coats of white vinegar. Give the vinegar time to soak in and after several minutes the decal can be rubbed off.

DISHWARE CLEANER

Borax: Borax is a good grease cutter and disinfectant.

Baking soda: Scrub with baking soda to remove coffee and other stains on dishware.

DISINFECTANT

Soap: Regular cleaning with plain soap and hot water will kill some bacteria.

Keep things dry: Mold, mildew, and bacteria cannot live without moisture.

Borax: Borax has long been recognized for its disinfectant and deodorizing properties. Mix 1/2 cup Borax into 1 gallon hot water and clean with this solution.

Isopropyl Alcohol: This is an excellent disinfectant. Sponge and allow to dry. (It must dry to do its job.) Use in a well-ventilated area and wear gloves.

DRAIN CLEANERS AND DRAIN OPENERS

Prevention: To avoid clogging drains, use a drain strainer to trap food particles and hair; collect grease in cans rather than pouring it down the drain; pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain weekly to melt fat that may be building up in the drain; or weekly put some vinegar and baking soda down your drain to break down fat and keep your drain smelling fresh.

Plunger: A time-honored drain opener is the plunger. This inexpensive tool will usually break up the clog and allow it to float away. It may take more than a few plunges to unclog the drain. DO NOT USE THIS METHOD AFTER ANY COMMERCIAL DRAIN OPENER HAS BEEN USED OR IS STILL PRESENT IN THE STANDING WATER.

Baking Soda and Vinegar: Pour 1/2-cup baking soda down the drain. Add 1/2 cup white vinegar and cover the drain is possible. Let set for a few minutes, then pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain to flush it. The combination of baking soda and vinegar can break down fatty acids into soap and glycerine, allowing the clog to wash down the drain. DO NOT USE THIS METHOD AFTER ANY COMMERCIAL DRAIN OPENER HAS BEEN USED OR IS STILL PRESENT IN THE STANDING WATER.

Salt and Baking Soda: Pour 1/2-cup salt and 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain. Follow with 6 cups boiling water. Let sit overnight and then flush with water. The hot water should help dissolve the clog and the baking soda and salt serve as an abrasive to break through the clog.

Mechanical Snake (and Garden Hose): A flexible metal snake can be purchased or rented. It is threaded down the clogged drain and manually pushes the clog away. If used in conjunction with a running garden hose, it can even clear a blockage in the main drain to the street. First crank the snake and feed it into the pie. Next withdraw the snake and flush the pipe by inserting a garden hose with the water turned on full. With some luck, it may save you the expense of a plumber.

FLOOR CLEANERS AND FLOOR POLISHERS

All Purpose Floor Cleaners

Vinegar: A few drops in the cleaning water will help remove grease particles. Dull, greasy film on no-wax linoleum can be washed away with 1/2 cup white vinegar mixed into 1/2 gallon water. Your floor will look sparkling clean.

Club Soda: Polishing your floor with Club Soda will make it sparkle.

Sour Milk or Skim Milk: Rather than polishing, mix sour milk or skim milk in the rinse water. The floor will shine.

Murphy's Oil Soap: Use according to package directions.

Floor Cleaners: For wood floors: Vegetable Oil and Vinegar: Mix a 1 to 1 ratio of oil and vinegar into a solution and apply a thin coat. Rub in well.

For painted wooden floors: Washing Soda: Mix 1 teaspoon washing soda into 1 gallon hot water and wash the floor with a mop, sponge, or soft bristled brush. This solution can also be used to remove mildew.

For rubber tiles: Mild detergent: Avoid oils, solvents, and strong alkalis as they will harm the surface. Wash with clear water, a mild detergent, and a clean mop.

For brick and stone floors: Vinegar: Mix 1 cup white vinegar into 1 gallon water. Scrub the floor with a brush and the vinegar solution. Rinse with clean water.

For ceramic tile floors: Vinegar: Mix 1/4 cup white vinegar (more if very dirty) into 1 gallon water. This solution removes most dirt without scrubbing and doesn't leave a film. Washing ceramic tiles with soap does not work very well in hard water areas as it leaves an insoluble film.

For Linoleum: Mild Detergent, Baby Oil, and Sour Milk or Skim Milk. Damp mop using a mild detergent and water for day to day cleaning. Keep water away from seams and edges to prevent loosening of the tiles. To preserve the linoleum floor you may wish to add a capful of baby oil to the mop water. Adding sour milk or skim milk to the rinse water will shine the floor without polishing.

Wax Remover: For Vinyl and Asbestos Tiles: Club Soda: Remove wax buildup by pouring a small amount of club soda on a section. Scrub this in well. Let it soak in a few minutes and wipe clean.

For Linoleum Flooring: Isopropyl Alcohol: To remove old wax by mopping, mix a solution of 3 parts water to 1 part rubbing alcohol. Scrub this in well and rinse thoroughly. Be sure the area is well ventilated and wear gloves.

Special Problems

To remove black heel marks: Baking Soda: Rub the heel mark with a paste of baking soda and water. Don't use too much water or the baking soda will lose its abrasive quality.

To remove tar: Butter or Margarine: Scrape up excess tar with the side of a dull knife, then rub vigorously with butter or margarine. Rub again with your fingernail or anything that won't scratch the floor. Finally, wipe up the tar with a dry cloth.

To remove crayon marks: Toothpaste: Crayon marks on the floor may be removed by rubbing them with a damp cloth containing toothpaste. Toothpaste will not work well on wallpaper or porous surfaces.

To remove grease from wood floors: Ice Cube or Cold Water: If you spill grease on a wood floor, immediately place an ice cube or very cold water on the spot. The grease will harden and can then be scraped off with a knife. Then iron a piece of cloth over the grease spot.

FURNITURE POLISH

The idea behind furniture polish for wood products is to absorb oil into the wood. Many oils commonly found in our kitchens work very well.

All Purpose Wood Polishers: Olive Oil and Vinegar: Mix 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Apply and polish with a clean soft cloth.

Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil and Lemon Juice: Mix 2 parts oil and 1 part lemon juice. Apply and polish with a soft cloth. This leaves furniture looking and smelling good.

Wood Polishers: For Unfinished Wood: Mineral Oil: Mineral oil is flammable. Apply sparingly with a soft cloth. For lemon oil polish, dissolve 1-teaspoon lemon oil into 1-pint mineral oil. CAUTION: Mineral spirits should never be substituted for mineral oil as it can be dangerous when inhaled or absorbed through the skin.

For Oak Wood: Beer and Sugar and Beeswax: Boil one quart beer with 1teaspoon sugar and 2 tablespoons beeswax. Cool, wipe onto wood, and allow to dry. Polish when dry with a chamois cloth.

For Mahogany: Vinegar: Mix equal parts white vinegar and warm water. Wipe onto wood and then polish with a chamois cloth.

Special Problems

For Grease Spots: Salt: Immediately pour salt on the grease spot to absorb grease and prevent staining.

For Scratches: Lemon Juice and Vegetable Oil: Mix equal parts of lemon juice and vegetable oil. Rub into scratches with a soft cloth until scratches disappear.

For Water Spots: Toothpaste: To remove water marks, rub gently with toothpaste on a damp cloth.

For Washing Wood: Mild Soap: Dampen cloth with a solution of water and mild soap, such as Ivory or Murphy's Oil Soap. Wring the cloth almost dry and wipe the furniture section by section, drying with a clean dry cloth as you go so that no section stays wet.

For Refinishing Old Furniture: Murphy's Oil Soap: Before you set to work on an old piece of furniture with chemical finish removers, try an old stand-by, Murphy's Vegetable Oil Soap. This simple, nontoxic solvent may be all the help an antique needs. Follow label directions.