Good Health Starts at Home: Hazardous Household Products 1 May 2014

Learning Objectives  Knowledge: Recognize that many household products are hazards to health—and children may be especially at risk  Comprehension: Identify examples of hazardous household products, list possible dangers  Application: List actions to protect the home from hazardous products:  Post the Poison Control number  Buy wisely: select less hazardous products and/or make your own cleaning products  Store safely  Use safely and use less  Safe disposal 2

Resource: Help yourself to a healthy home Indoor Air Quality Asthma & Allergies Mold & Moisture Carbon Monoxide Lead Drinking Water Hazardous Household Products Pesticides Home Safety 3

Eight Tips for Keeping a Healthy Home Keep It:  Dry  Clean  Pest-free  Ventilated  Safe  Contaminant-free  Maintained  Thermally- Controlled 4

What are hazardous household products? (Knowledge) Household chemicals used for cleaning Pesticides used for killing pests around the home Automotive products Cosmetics and personal hygiene products Air fresheners Medications 5

Why do we care? (Knowledge) Many household products can be dangerous to your health Because children’s bodies are small, poisonous chemicals can cause even more problems for them In 2000, nearly 20,000 children were exposed to or poisoned by chlorine bleach In 2013, 10,000 laundry packet exposures to children ≤ 5 years More than 60,000 children poisoned by other people’s medications each year 6

Exercise: (Comprehension) Name some hazardous household products 7

What are the risks? 8 Healthy Indoor Air for America’s Homes

What Can You Do?  Use Safely  Use Less  Store Safely  Safe Disposal 9

Use Safely Signal Words: Caution Warning Danger Danger-Poison Look up MSDS for product 10

Use Safely NEVER mix products Use in well-ventilated areas Protect eyes, skin, nose Pump sprays vs. aerosol sprays DON’T use bug bombs or foggers Don’t use sprays around children or pets 11

Use Safely  Never leave the product where children can see it or reach it  Don’t eat or drink when using hazardous products  Always put the cap back on after finished using it  Buy products in child-resistant containers 12

Chlorine Bleach 13 bellavidaorganiccleaning.com naturalhealthtechniques.com

Plastics: BPA Bisphenol A (BPA) Usually found in hard, clear plastics Found in linings of tin cans Can leach into food and drink Some plastics labeled #7 are BPA-free 14

Plastics: Phthalates Chemicals used in air fresheners, cleaning products Endocrine disruptors May increase risk of asthma and allergies Found in some products with #3 plastic code 15

Use Less Only buy what you need Use only enough to do the job Use safer cleaning methods: Prevent pests in the first place Use a plunger to unclog drains Use door mats to trap dirt Use microfiber cloths 16

Use Less Buy less-toxic products Make your own “green cleaners” 17

Store Safely  Keep hazardous products away from children. Store in locked, secure place.  ALWAYS keep products in original containers.  Keep medicines out of sight and out of reach of children. Remember purses!  Keep pesticides, hazardous products at least 150 feet away from wells.  Keep flammable products away from heat, sparks and direct sunlight.  Request child-resistant medicine containers. 18

Poisoning Hazardous household products stored in child accessible area 19 X

Poisoning Dangerous Look Alikes 20

Safe Disposal  Take leftover products to community hazardous waste collection site  Share extras with someone else  Read the label for disposal instructions  Never burn hazardous products  Recycle used motor oil  Recycle products with mercury at approved locations  National Drug Take Back Day 21

Let’s reflect: Application List actions to protect the home from hazardous products home. Use safely Use less Store safely Safe Disposal 22

Thank you! Questions? Comments? 23 Good Health Starts at Home Hazardous Household Products