Fall, glorious fall. Along with spectacular colors and leaves that need collecting, there is that expected and necessary “fall cleaning.” Why would a gardening column talk about fall cleaning? Well, where does the debris from the cleaning go? Down the drain . . . and into municipal piping that goes . . . where? Town creeks, fishing rivers, water supplies? Or down the drain and out into your own septic area?
Some household cleaning products can be hazardous. Many should not be flushed down the drain or disposed of in your trash. You may want to read the recommendation on the product label for the empty container. It is common for the manufacturer to recommend the container, with or without product, be disposed of only at HazMat Collection Day in an attempt to keep the product out of the landfill.
Have you read the label on your cleaning products? Look for these words: Caution. Warning. Danger. The words are on the container to alert the consumer to the degree of toxicity in the immediate use of the product. The hazard could be fumes, improper mixing, absorption or ingestion by humans or animals.
Products with the “Caution” identity label are least toxic. The “Danger” warning label indicates the highest toxicity. The toxicity reflects immediate potential hazards. Long-term hazards to humans or the environment are typically not indicated on the labels of cleaning products. Those long-term hazards include chemicals that are suspect in causing birth defects, kidney and liver damage, cancer or lung disease.
Some of the hazards enter a human body through skin—wear gloves. Use extreme care not to get splashed or have any drops get in your eye. Be especially leery of using products with NMP (n-methyl pyrrolidone) found in carpet, upholstery and metal cleaners. Potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide found in oven cleaners and drain openers can cause blindness if carelessly used. Both hydrochloric and phosphoric acid can be found in some toilet bowl cleaners. They, too, can cause blindness.
Skin absorbing poisons like the glycol ethers (butoxyethanol) are found in general purpose, glass and floor cleaners. Solvents like butoxyethanol do work, but these chemicals that should be used with goggles, gloves and plenty of fresh air. Typically, retail scourers contain silica or chlorine bleach. It takes a very small amount of silicone dust to create a problem for the lungs.
Safety Tips
– Get the material safety data sheet for info on the chemicals used to determine toxicity.
– More is not always better—use the prescribed amount.
– Use products in well ventilated areas without children, elderly or pets in proximity. Some cleaners can irritate skin lungs or eyes.
– Don’t clean and cook at the same time.
– Wear protective clothing and then wash it separately from your regular wash.
– Use extreme care when using toxic products.
– Never mix products containing chlorine bleach with products containing ammonia or acid. These mixtures can create a poisonous and lethal gas.
– Keep products in original containers.
– Keep lids tightly closed and containers in a locked cabinet, if possible.
– Keep cleaning products away from food.
– Never dump unused product down storm drains, in catch basins, creeks or rivers.
– Read the label for proper disposal instructions of each product.
Saturday, Nov. 2, from 8 a.m. to noon at 4765 Florence Rd. is the next Hazardous Waste Disposal Day. Solid Waste Department in Rutherford County can be reached at 615-898-7739. They will hold another Hazardous Waste Disposal Day in the spring.
You can always use the stated hazards as a reason not to clean. If so, expect visits from creatures that will appreciate the dirt and debris. Hoping that you do not want to invite in ants, roaches and rodents to wallow in your dirt, let us look at alternates that do work in keeping the place clean. Many of these alternates are not only safer but also cost less. They may remind you of cleaner methods that your granny used.
Alternative Cleaning Products
First, homemade products should be labeled with a list of ingredients in the mixture. I advise against using used food and drink containers for homemade solutions. The container is often identified (usually by children) as a drink container and this misidentification is a common cause of poisoning. Keep the mixtures in a child-resistant container out of reach of children and pets, and locked up. Try to avoid using dairy products, as they may encourage bacterial growth. After mixing your solution, test a small, inconspicuous area first to see if the results are satisfactory.
Recipes for many homemade cleaning products can be found on the internet. As a standard, vinegar and lemon juice are common ingredients. All-purpose cleaners can be used for counters, cabinets, stovetops and other general areas. Get some vegetable-based dishwashing or liquid soap (such as castile soap).
General Cleaner
To 8 ounces of water in a spray bottle, add ¼ to 1 tsp. of castile soap. Use a sponge or cloth to clean. Wipe dry.
Stronger General Cleaner
Use a vinegar solution by combining 1 part white vinegar to 9 parts of warm water. You can use more vinegar for a stronger solution. Use a sponge for application.
Or, sprinkle baking soda on area and scrub with a wet sponge. If a residue is left, rinse with a cold vinegar wash. Dry with a cloth.
Remove Stains
For stains on counters, squeeze fresh lemon juice on the stain and let it sit for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with baking soda and rub with a sponge.
Scouring Cleansers
Make a paste of baking soda and liquid soap. Scrub with a damp, white nylon scrubbing pad, soft cloth, sponge or very fine steel wool. Test before you use, as you do not want to break the finished surface of a pan. Rinse with vinegar and dry with a cloth.
Glass Cleaners
If windows have greasy fingerprints, remove the fingerprints with 1 tsp. lemon juice mixed with 1 quart of water in a spray bottle. Heavy grime can be removed with ¼ cup vinegar with water in a spray bottle and scrubbed with a nylon scrubbing pad. Glass can typically be washed with water and wiped clean with newsprint. Gloves will keep the print off your hands.
If there is streaking, the cleaning product is too strong. Add water and wash in the shade. Direct sunlight can also cause streaking.
Homemade glass cleaner works well on chrome, porcelain and stainless steel, too.
Oven Cleaning
For lightly soiled ovens, make a thick paste of baking soda and water. Scrub well with a nylon scrubber. Add liquid soap if the oven is greasy. If the oven has challenging areas, use a very fine steel wool to remove spots. A wet pumice bar can be used to remove the most difficult stains. Be careful not to scratch the surface.
Toilet Bowls
To clean, scrub with baking soda and/or liquid soap. To remove stains, pour ¼ cup of Borax into the bowl and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Scrub. Flush. Mineral deposits can be removed with a bar of cleaning pumice (beware of scratching).
Carpets and Upholstery
Vacuum frequently. Remove spills ASAP with method appropriate for whatever was spilled. Occasionally steam clean. Stay away from cleaners with the perchloroethylene. It is a carcinogen with no effective way to protect yourself from its harmful effects.
Metal Polishes
For copper or brass, saturate a sponge with vinegar or lemon juice. Sprinkle salt on the sponge and rub. Rinse well and dry. Be sure all salt has been removed to avoid corrosion.
Silver can be rubbed with toothpaste. Rinse with warm water, and dry.
Use liquid soap on chrome first to remove grease. Then it can be wiped down with diluted vinegar. Dry with cloth to polish.
Over-the-counter products with d-limonene are not toxic or hazardous but do pose a problem for those with an allergy to citrus. Amine oxide and methyl soyate products need to be used with care.
(The idea for this article came from the “Clean It!” resource compiled by the Bay Area Pollution Prevention Group. Keeping the waters usable for all living creatures, including humans, is one of their missions.)
Now, go outside and collect the leaves for your compost, your gardens, for use as ground cover near trees or to become layers in a garden lasagna.
