What do paint thinner, antifreeze, pesticide, bleach, and disinfectant have in common? All of these common household items contain chemicals that can irritate your eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. If you have asthma or respiratory allergies, breathing the fumes and strong odors produced by these household products can trigger or worsen symptoms.

You probably can’t banish all chemicals from your home, but you can take precautions when handling these materials. The Environmental Protection Agency offers these tips for making sure household chemicals are a help, not a hazard:

• Use chemicals outdoors or in a well-ventilated area. If you’re working in the garage, keep the door open to improve air circulation.
• Protect your skin and lungs by wearing gloves and a face mask. If you’re allergic to latex (a common ingredient in disposable gloves), try non-latex or nylon gloves instead.
• Avoid aerosol products whenever possible. The fine mist they produce is easily breathed in and can irritate the lungs.
• Read labels carefully and follow all directions. Potentially hazardous products have warnings designed to limit your exposure to toxins.
• Never mix products unless directed on the label — you may get more than you bargained for. For example, combining ammonia and chlorine bleach products creates poisonous fumes that can damage your lungs.

When you’re not using your household chemicals, make sure they’re properly stored:

• Close all containers tightly and store them out of the reach of children. Products like gasoline, paint, and paint thinner can evaporate, so store these items in a well-ventilated section of the garage.
• Buy only what you need. If you only keep gasoline to run your lawn mower in the summer, you don’t need to store extra gas in the garage during the winter.
• Properly dispose of old or unneeded chemicals. If it’s time to get rid of hazardous materials, find out about government- or community-sponsored toxic waste collection days in your area. It’s illegal to simply throw chemicals in the trash.
• Keep all products either in their original containers or in carefully labeled jars. Mistaking antifreeze for windshield wiper fluid can do a number on your car, and your body - especially if you have severe asthma or allergies.

With the right information, and a bit of care, you can enjoy the benefits of common household chemicals without putting your health at risk. And remember that you can avoid many of these chemicals by stocking your garage shelves and the space under the kitchen sink with nontoxic alternatives.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 21st, 2007 at 6:34 am and is filed under Environment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.