LESS TOXIC METHODS FOR
HOUSEHOLD CLEANING

Indoor air pollution is one of the greatest threats to public health of all environmental problems!

ALTERNATIVES TO DETERGENT

Disinfectants are substances meant to kill bacteria, germs, and other organisms. Many of these substances contain chemicals that may be dangerous to your health and our environment. Always look for non-toxic, or less-toxic products.

• Keep surfaces dry. Bacteria, viruses and mold thrive in damp areas.
• Soap and hot water works well for most of your household disinfecting/cleaning needs.
• Vinegar and lemon juice are both good at cutting grease.
• Baking soda dissolved in hot water is a good cleaner. Sprinkle baking soda on tubs and sinks as a scouring cleanser.
• Use a mixture of half-cup vinegar in 1-quart of warm water as a general cleanser/disinfectant for surfaces and floors.
• Mix quarter-cup white vinegar in 1-quart of water and use with newspaper to clean glass.
• Choose vegetable oil-based soap for handwashing dishes.
• To clean and disinfect your drains, pour boiling water once a week down the kitchen drain to keep it grease free. When needed, toss a handful of baking soda and half-cup vinegar down the drain. Cover to seal in the carbon dioxide gas bubbles as they loosen the gunk in your drain and let it sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with 2-quarts boiling water. Follow with plunger. Put a strainer on all drains as a preventive measure.

MILDEW REMOVERS

• Scrub spots with borax and water using a nylon-scouring pad.
• Mix half-cup borax and 1-gallon of water to clean mildew from a shower curtain. Or, try vinegar full strength. Rinse off with water.

ALTERNATIVES TO BLEACH

Bleach is a harsh toxic chemical that is found in many household products. Chlorine bleach can produce a toxic gas if mixed with ammonia or acid-based cleaners (some toilet bowl cleaners contain acids). DO NOT mix bleach with any other chemicals. Here is what you can do to reduce the use of bleach, which can be found in toilet bowl cleaners, laundry detergents, laundry bleach, scouring powders, mildew removers and floor cleaners:

• Use baking soda to whiten clothes.
• When cleaning, use a non-chlorinated scouring powder (i.e. Bon Ami).
• Scrub with borax and water using a nylon scouring pad.

FLOOR CLEANERS

• For vinyl and linoleum floors: mix quarter-cup white vinegar and quarter-cup baking soda in 1-gallon warm water.
• Use toothpaste to remove scuff marks on linoleum floors.
• Use Murphy's Oil Soap to clean wood floors. Dry immediately.

TOILET BOWL CLEANERS

• Mix half-cup borax and 1-gallon of water. Use it to clean and deodorize.
• Make a solution with baking soda and water. Sprinkle it around the rim.
• Avoid toilet bowl cleaners containing acids. Mixed acids and bleach release a toxic chlorine gas.

Information provided by the Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo (ECOSLO) as part of the Central Coast Environmental Health project. For more information call ECOSLO at 544-1777.

HAZARDOUS WASTE

Please dispose of household toxic materials in a safe manner. Items that are toxic include:

• Paint Products
• Automotive Products
• Household Cleaners
• Hobby/ misc. (wood preservatives, glue)
• Pool Chemicals
• Yard Pesticides
• Computer Monitors
• Household Batteries
  (including sizes AA, AAA, C, D, 9-volt, etc.)

To dispose of such items properly, take items to Household Hazardous Waste Facilities located at Chicago Grade Landfill, Cold Canyon Landfill or Morro Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant. Items that are accepted include, but are not limited to, those listed above. No charge to SLO County Residents. There is a 15-gallon or 125 lb. limit per visit. For more information call 1-800-400-0811

Please do NOT dispose of such items into the ground or storm drains.

HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

If you are a conditionally exempt small business and generate less than 27 gallons or 220 lbs. of hazardous waste per month, we can provide hazardous waste collection and disposal service for you. Just call 1-800-481-9213 for more information. (Not available to businesses in the City of Paso Robles.)

RESOURCES

Check your SBC Smart Yellow Pages for the Integrated Waste Management Authority’s 2005 Recycling Guide. For seasonal recycling tips, you may also check the Templeton Matters Quarterly Newsletter and Soaring Eagle Press.

For more helpful recycling tips, questions or comments please contact Michelle Costa, Recycling Coordinator at Templeton C.S.D. 434-4900.

JUNK MAIL

How you can prevent junk mail from coming to your home?

If it comes to your home and you don’t want it and won’t read it, it’s junk mail. Unsolicited junk mail can be reduced or eliminated by following these easy steps:

STEP 1

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is one of the main US organizations involved in compiling direct mailing list, and will remove your name from it’s members’ mailing list, if requested.

It is important to check the labels on your mail to include all variations of your name when requesting that your name be removed from the marketing lists. Lists are updated quarterly, so it may take awhile to notice a reduction in your volume of mail.

STEP 2

Credit reporting agencies’ file information are frequently used as a basis for developing mail list. Consumers can follow a simple procedure to “opt out” of inclusion in mail list. Just call one of these toll-free numbers to “opt out”:

• Experian (formerly TRW): 1-800-353 0809
• Trans Union / Equifax: 1-800-567-6888

Your request is good for two years. Additionally, you may request a form that will allow creditors and insurers to take your name off these credit bureau lists permanently.

STEP 3

Enclose statements in return postage paid envelopes to get off lists you are already on. If possible, put the exact address label from this particular company on the back of the note or write your name and address on the back.

All of the information in this document is from Integrated Waste Management Authority Recycling Guide 2001.

Are You Pouring Grease and $$$ Down the Drain?

Have you ever had your sewer plug up and back up into your home? Hopefully not but if you are not careful, it can happen. A large number of sewer backups are caused by grease. Grease blockages are caused by disposing fats, oils and greases down the drain. Over time they build up inside the pipe that connects your home to the public sewer system, eventually plugging it completely. When this happens, the sewer draining from your home backs up and overflows into your home. Below are some things that you can do to avoid grease caused sewer backups in your home.

HOMEOWNERS can greatly reduce the chance of grease blockage by not using the kitchen sink and garbage disposal for food scraps. Instead, always use a paper towel or rubber spatula and thoroughly scrape plates and pans into the garbage can before washing. Let melted oils used for cooking solidify in a container on the counter or in the refrigerator before placing them into the garbage. Vegetable and meat scraps, salad dressing, rice, butter, cooking oils, and many other common items quickly turn to grease that will eventually block your sewer. Also, garbage disposals use a large volume of water, so reducing or eliminating the use of your garbage disposal can lower your water bill.

What do these items have in common?

Rose petals
Adding machine tape
Strawberry stems
Jack O'lanterns in November
Geraniums
Wet hay
Peas in a pod
Sawdust
Teabags
Boughs of holly
Dryer lint
Soiled hamster bedding
Eggshells
Deer or rabbit droppings
Apple cores
Wood ash
Orange rinds
Wisteria vines
Peanut shells
Lawn clippings
Cucumber peelings
Oak leaves
Corn husks
A vacuum cleaner bag's dust
Wall Street Journal
Popcorn garland
Water Air

THE ROTTEN TRUTH

They are all great items for a composting pile. Remember that composting piles need both carbon sources (wood, dry leaves, shredded paper etc.), nitrogen sources (grass clippings, vegetable scraps etc.), air, and occasionally water, to decompose properly. The final product is a rich soil additive that is free and earth-friendly. Need more composting info?

Contact Michelle Costa, TCSD @ 434-4900.