Association for the Betterment of Billington Sea, Inc. Dear Neighbors! You can make a difference when you choose to use products for your home and yard! Did you know that each of our homes has an average of 3-10 gallons of hazardous materials on hand? It's up to each of us to switch to safe and effective substitutes. We need to stop using chemically harmful items we take for granted and to dispose of dangerous leftovers as quickly and safely as possible. Use PHOSPHATE FREE products only! Never flush chemicals down the drain or dispose in trash. Never dump waste oil or solvents on the ground. Remember, what you put into the ground today may be in your drinking water next week! |
| INSTEAD OF: | TRY THESE: |
| All-purpose cleaners | Add 1/2 cup white vinegar & 2 tablespoons cornstarch to 1 gal. warm water, or 2 tablespoons borax to every 3 cups warm water. |
| Ant & roach poison | Pour line of cream of tartar or red chili pepper at entry points; chopped bay leaves or cucumber skins likewise. Try boric acid on roaches, but keep children & pets away. |
| Bleach | Add 1/2 cup baking soda to boost detergent or soap cleaning power. Use powder bleach, not liquid, if at all. |
| Detergents | Replace with washing soda or pure soap flakes. If using detergents, use phosphate-free, biodegradable brands only! |
| Drain cleaners | Pour boiling water down drains weekly. If drain is plugged, force in mix of 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup salt, 1 cup white vinegar. After 15 mins. pour in boiling water to flush. Or use plunger or metal snake. |
| Fertilizers (Americans have 20 million acres of lawns) | Replace with mulches & compost. Switch from grass to ground cover, wood chips, edible landscaping. |
| Floor cleaners & wax | Mix 1 cup white vinegar in 2 gals. water to remove greasy build-up. Polish with club soda. Add sour or skim milk to rinse water to shine floor. |
| Flea collars & sprays for pets | Mix brewer's yeast in pet food — fleas are repelled by its taste. Start with a small amount & build up daily. |
| Furniture polishes | Mix 1 part lemon juice & 2 parts vegetable or olive oil, or use Carnauba wax. |
| Metal polishes | Soak silver in boiling water containing salt, baking soda & piece of aluminum foil; use lemon juice & salt on brass & copper, white vinegar on chrome. |
| Mothballs | Place newspapers, cedar chips, or lavender flowers on closet floor. Store woolens in plastic containers with cedar chips. |
| Oven cleaners | Use baking soda & steel wool for scouring. Place cookie sheet below pies, casseroles, etc. |
| Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides | Use insect traps; introduce beneficials, such as lady-bugs; hose plants vigorously; hand pick bugs; spray with soapy water, then rinse. Build healthy soil with compost & mulches for healthy plants that resist pests. |
| Salt/de-icers | Use sand or unscented kitty litter. |
| Septic system cleaner (1 gal. can pollute 22 million gals. of groundwater) | Pour 1 cup baking soda down toilet each week. This creates good pH balance for better sewage digestion of waste. Also, pump system every 2 years to protect drinking water, streams & .coastal waters. |
| Spot Removers | Cold water immediately; lemon juice, club soda, or corn meal & water (for soaking). |
| Toilet/tub/tiles/shower stall/chrome fixture cleaners | Sprinkle baking soda on damp sponge or soft brush and gently scour (same for car head & tail lights, mirrors, windshields). |
| Window cleaners | Rub newspaper on wet glass. |
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| ITEM: | SOLUTION: |
| Aerosol cans (not yet empty) | Take to hazardous waste collection. Don't buy more — they harm the ozone layer that protects the Earth. |
| Antifreeze | Take to next hazardous waste collection. Buy safe vegetable-based antifreeze at hardware or boat stores. |
| Asbestos | Call Health Dept. or authorized removal company. |
| Brake & transmission fluid | Take to service station or local recycling center. |
| Latex paint | Allow to air-dry; paint container may then go in trash. |
| Motor oil (1 qt. down the gutter can pollute a million gals. of water). | Recycle at local landfill equipped to handle it or return to dealer where purchased. Can be re-used for heating or refined for new use. |
| Oil-based paints, stains, primers | Store carefully & take to hazardous waste collection area. |
| Paint remover | Sand off old finish in well-ventilated area; if using heat gun, be super cautious. |
| Small batteries & rechargeables | Take to next hazardous waste collection. |
| Unused medicines, antibiotics | Take to next hazardous waste collection (these harm septic systems). |
| Vehicle batteries | Trade in, take to recycling center, or to next hazardous waste collection. |
WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER! What we do makes a difference in protecting our precious water supply, as well as waters for recreational purposes! Produced in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |