Alternatives to Household Hazardous Products

Household hazardous products are not only bad for the environment, but they are potentially harmful to your health. Check below, and on our Pinterest Page for alternatives to hazardous household products. 

Cleaning Products

Most of your home can be cleaned with different combinations of vinegar, baking soda, dish soap or castile soap, borax, and rubbing alcohol. You can use essential oils for additional disinfecting powers and to add scent. Items with an asterisk (*) in the recipe guide are optional.

Green Cleaning Recipes

Notes:

• NEVER combine hydrogen peroxide and vinegar! It creates peracetic acid, which is corrosive and dangerous!
• Baking soda and vinegar are excellent cleaners on their own, but if you combine them, the acidity of the vinegar is cancelled out by the base properties of the baking soda. Remember high school chemistry? Combining these in a bottle basically gives you salt water.
• Never use vinegar on granite counter tops, as the acid can damage the porous surface. 

Paint and Paint Materials

• When purchasing paint, make sure that you don't buy too much. This will save you money, and ensure that you don't have hazardous materials laying around. 
• Paint strippers may not be necessary, try sanding the item before resorting to chemical interventions.
• Avoid metal based paints

Pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides

• Different combinations of the ingredients listed above, and certain essential oils may be able to take the place of these solutions. Recipes for "green" alternatives can be found online.