Fact Sheet Notebook

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FACTS ABOUT HOUSEHOLD CLEANING

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SAFETY FIRST!

Even though manufacturers formulate cleaning products to ensure that they are safe or have very low risk during use and when following package directions, human health effects can still result from accidents due to unintended exposure. Some simple precautions will help prevent accidents from occurring.

DO ...

Read and follow label directions for proper use, storage and disposal.
Store cleaning products in an area which is away from food and is not accessible to young children.
Store products in their original containers, keeping the original label intact. Product usage and disposal instructions, precautions and first aid instructions vary according to their ingredients. It can be dangerous to use a product incorrectly or to follow the wrong emergency treatment guidelines.
Put cleaning products away immediately after removing the amount needed for the cleaning job at hand. This will limit accessibility to young children and help prevent accidental spills.
Properly close all containers, especially those with child-resistant caps.

DON'T ...

Mix cleaning products. Products which are safe when used alone can sometimes become dangerous if mixed with other products, As an example, avoid mixing products containing liquid household bleach (sodium hypochlorite) with products containing ammonia or acids. Such mixtures will release hazardous gases.
Reuse an empty household cleaning product container for another purpose. The label instructions and precautions for one product may be dangerous to someone trying to use those instructions for a different purpose.

GENERAL INFORMATION

LABEL DIRECTIONS

Labels on household cleaning product packages contain important information about a product and its safe and effective use (What's on a Label?).

CARE OF HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS

To preserve effectiveness and maintain the strength of household cleaners, the following steps should be followed:

Open all packages according to directions.
Reclose all packages after each use to preserve the product, to prevent spillage, and to minimize moisture pickup by granular products. Properly close all containers, especially those with child-resistant caps.
Store products in a cool, dry place.

SHELF LIFE

Many types of household cleaners have an unlimited shelf life. Others, particularly those containing sodium hypochlorite, do lose their effectiveness over time. For these products, the most desirable storage temperature range is between 50 and 70 degrees F. Some product labels provide specific shelf life recommendations.

DISPOSAL

You can properly dispose of unused products and empty containers by following some simple procedures. If you find you cannot use up all of a product, give it to a friend, but make sure the label is intact and legible. However, if you must dispose of an unused product, follow these steps:

1. Read and follow any label directions.
2. If there are no disposal directions, think about how you use the product. If it mixes with water, it's water-soluble. Most liquid and powder water-soluble household cleaners can be disposed down the drain with running water.
3. Most solid products (scouring pads, etc.) can be placed in the trash.
4. For other cleaning products, such as oven cleaners, crystal drain openers and furniture polishes, call the manufacturer's toll-free number (or write to them) for disposal recommendations, or check with your local waste disposal facility.

To dispose of the empty container, check with your community recycling center to see what type of plastic, paperboard and metal containers they accept. Most plastic cleaning product containers and all empty aerosol cans are recyclable. Follow local guidelines for the proper procedures to follow.

Discard the container into a receptacle that is not easily accessible to children or pets: for example, into an outside trash can secured with a lid.

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