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Ten easy solutions to rid your kitchen of hazardous products and make an eco-friendly home. Household poisonings are a threat to your children.
1. LOOK UNDER YOUR KITCHEN SINK- Take a close look at the labels of your oven cleaner, bug sprays, wax and polishes. See the words 'danger' 'warning' 'poison' or
'caution'? Those target words should tell you that you must get rid of these products. They are not safe. Most communities offer residents a household hazardous

pickup day.
2. NEVER POUR HAZARDOUS PRODUCTS DOWN THE DRAIN!
The chemicals could get into the air and pollute your living quarters not to mention
what they can do if they get on your skin or in your eyes. Call your city hall or
recycling center to understand how to dispose of these materials properly.
3. REPLACE TOXIC PRODUCTS
Choose nontoxic, biodegradable substitutes.
4. LEARN HOW TO USE KITCHEN CUPBOARD INGREDIENTS AS NONTOXIC CLEANSERS.
Learn how to make your own home-made recipes. A splendid book that is very easy to
understand and that I highly recommend is CLEAN & GREEN by Annie (Care2's Healthy
Living channel producer). Sign up for her newsletter- it's FREE!
5. USE NATURAL, REUSABLE SPONGES, MOPS AND ACCESSORIES
A lot of the store bought sponges with antibacterial ingredients contain harmful
ingredients. Use cloth rags instead of paper towels to save our trees. I use old,
holy t-shirts for rags to save on money.
6. LEARN ABOUT YOUR WATER
If you have hard water you will need to clean with detergent instead of soap or it
will leave soap scum.
7. ALTERNATIVE FOR CHLORINE BLEACH.
Chlorine bleach can cause cancer causing chemicals to form in the waste water stream.
Chlorine bleach is causing cleaning resistance after years of use.
8. CONSERVE WATER.
Don't run the water unless you are using it. Clean water is a precious resource that
we can't afford to waste! Put a mat by the door so that it catches mud and dirt so
that you do not have to wash the floor so often.
9. DON YOUR KITCHEN WITH HANGING PLANTS.
Or table plants. Not only are they attractive but they clean our air, naturally!
10. USE ALL OF YOUR SENSES
Your nose will let you know when food is rotten or when toxic chemicals might be
leaking from old product bottles. In my home, my nose tells me when to clean the
cat's litter box. Using your sense of touch will let you know when items are sticky
or greasy ext.!
It's time to turn that Kitchen into a haven of health instead of a place of
possible danger.

Learn more about this author, Denise Difalco.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

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