City of Sunnyvale

The American homeowner uses more than 40 pounds of toxic cleaning products every year.
Fifteen percent of all toxic pollutants that enter our streams come from our homes.
Total U.S. sales of household cleaning products were 4.4 billion dollars in 2002 (Drug Store News). These household products may help us maintain a clean home but meanwhile, they are polluting our homes as well as the environment.

Safe Alternatives: If extra care is taken to use safe cleaning alternatives, the long term result is a better environment for all of us. There are many safe alternatives to the large amount of dangerous chemicals that are on the market today.

Simple Solutions: With a few easy steps, we can cut back on hazardous chemicals used at home. Here are three remedies to some common problems.

Store out of season clothes with cedar chips instead of mothballs.
Not only do cedar chips make your clothes smell fresher, they are also environmentally friendly. Mothballs are considered hazardous waste.
Buy fly swatters instead of insecticide to get rid of pestering insects.
A fly swatter is a cheaper way to get rid of insects, it has been proven very effective, and also alleviates the responsibility of having to take the insecticide cans to a hazardous waste collection center.
Eliminate the use of copper root control products.
The practice of pouring these products down the drain or toilet to get rid of tree roots has been proven ineffective and ultimately ends up polluting the San Francisco Bay and harming wildlife.

Shop for Safer Products

Check out household product safety data!

Nail Polish
Safer nail care products are available if you read labels and shop carefully. Locally, some grocery stores and other markets are carrying products that do not contain some of the more toxic chemicals found in nail polish and that have emerged as a health concern.

According to the Wall Street Journal (Monday, April 19, 2004) several major cosmetic companies will reformulate their products to reduce product toxicity. The European Union has moved to ban two compounds (di-n-butyl phthalate, or DBP and DEHP) beginning in September 2004.

For more information about safer nail care treatments or products that do not contain Dibutyl Phthalate, Toluene and Formaldehyde, visit Natural Solutions-Holistic Beauty & Health or Care2.com.

For other information on safer consumer choices, visit one of the following online resources:

Natural Resources Defense Council or the Ecoliving Center.

Recipes for Safe Household Cleaning Alternatives

Abrasive Cleaners:

Toilet- pour 1 cup borax, ¼ cup vinegar or lemon juice into bowl. Let rest for several hours, scrub with a toilet bowl brush. Then flush.
Drain - flush with boiling water, 1/4 cup baking soda, and 2 ounces of vinegar.
Sinks - use store brands that do not contain chlorine, or scrub with baking soda.

Window/Glass Cleaners:

Windows - Measure ¼ teaspoon vegetable-oil-based liquid soap, 3 tablespoons white vinegar and 2 cups of water into clean spray bottle. Shake. Spray on window and wipe clean.
Glass - spray vinegar on glass and wipe dry with newsprint.

Metal Polishes:

Brass - polish with Worcestershire sauce. Copper - soak in vinegar and salt solution.
Silver - soak in a quart of warm water containing 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, and a piece of aluminum foil.

Air Fresheners/Deodorizers:

Sprinkle baking soda in odor-producing areas.
Set vinegar out in an open dish.
Place an open box of baking soda in the refrigerator to absorb food odors.
Pour baking soda down garbage disposal to get rid of disposal and drain odors.
Sprinkle baking soda over entire carpet and vacuum after 30 minutes.

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Ants:

Pour boiling water over the nest, then remove any accessible food and water around nest. Pour a line of cream of tartar or chili powder where ants enter the house. They will not cross this line.

Mothballs:

Place cedar chips, newspapers or lavender flowers around closets. Wool clothing should be cleaned and wrapped in plastic bags during warm weather.

Roaches:

Clean up food in area found and around house. Place bay leaves near cracks. Caulk all cracks around home and use sticky traps. Set out a dish containing 50% oatmeal and 50% plaster of Paris.

Refer to the household hazardous waste section of our links page for more information on safe household cleaning alternatives.

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