Many of the products we use around the home contain hazardous materials that can be dangerous to us and the environment. Try using non-toxic alternatives - they are safer, cheaper, and easier to dispose of. Following are some recipes and suggestions to take the place of hazardous materials in household chores. Click here for suggestions from the Environmental Protection Agency and Purdue University.

Click here for the latest Recycling Guide, and Earth Friendly Alternative Household Products.

• Use powdered, phosphate-free detergent; use only the prescribed amount. For extra whitening, use soap flakes and washing soda.
• For perspiration stains, weak water solutions of white vinegar, lemon juice or aspirin can be used as a pre-soak to remove stains, or soak clothes in a solution of corn meal and water.
• Try a water and vinegar mixture on weak stains as a stain remover. On tough stains try soaking the spot in a mixture of ¼ cup borax & 2 cups of cold water before washing. Rub corn meal and water into greasy stains then rinse with lemon juice before machine washing.
• Club soda and cold water will remove fresh blood stains and chocolate stains. Blot with a clean cloth.

• Instead of using fertilizers, compost your waste & use as fertilizer or use organic fertilizers such as bone meal, fish emulsion, and manure.
• Instead of using herbicides, cover your garden with plastic or mulch such as alfalfa hay to prevent weed germination. Pull weeds when they first appear.
• For ants: sprinkle boric acid on ant trails and where ants are found.
• For slugs and snails: place bowls of beer around the garden or sprinkle sawdust, ashes or lime around the affected areas.