A Guide to Alternatives to Hazardous Household Products

Alternatives and handling procedures for specific products:

Automotive | Pesticides & Garden | Hobby & Recreation | Household Cleaning | Other Household Products |
Paint, Stains, Adhesives |

Automotive

Product	Hazardous Property	Safe and Proper Disposal	Less Toxic Alternative
Antifreeze	Irritant Toxic	Reuse antifreeze by filtering through coffee filter. Place dried filter with residue in garbage. Do not dump in sewer, storm drain or onto ground. See our Recycling Database for antifreeze recyclers.	Unknown, but can use recycled antifreeze.
Automotive Batteries	Corrosive Toxic	Trade in used battery when you buy a new one or see our Recycling Database for automotive battery recyclers.	Unknown
Auto Paint and Primers	Flammable Toxic	If possible, use all product. Take spray paints toSARCAN for recycling. For non-aerosol paints, contact your municipality for disposal options.	Avoid auto paints packaged in non-aerosol spray cans.
Transmission Fluid, Power Steering Fluid, Hydraulic Fluid	Flammable Toxic	Use all product or take to your nearest used oil collection point.	Unknown, but can used recycled transmission fluids.
Carburetor Cleaner	Corrosive Toxic	Use all product, give to local service station to use or contact your municipality for disposal options.	Non-chlorinated solvents
Engine Cleaners and Degreasers	Flammable Toxic	Use all product, give to local service station to use or contact your municipality for disposal options.	Non-chlorinated solvents
Gasoline, Diesel, and Kerosene	Flammable Toxic	Use all product in lawn mowers, small engines or outboard motors or contact your municipality for disposal options.	Unknown
Motor oil	Toxic	Do not dump into sewer, storm drain or onto ground. Take to your nearest used oil collection point.	Unknown, but can used rerefined oil.
Oil Filter	Toxic	Take to your nearest used oil collection point.	Unknown
Windshield Washer Fluid	Irritant Toxic	Use all product.	For summer, mix 3 parts vinegar to one part water.

Pesticides and Garden Products

Product	Hazardous Property	Safe and Proper Disposal	Less Toxic Alternative
Ant Killer	Irritant Toxic	Use all product or contact your municipality for disposal options	Keep food areas clean and apply red chili powder or cream of tartar across path or point of origin. Apply borax to anthill opening.
Chemical Fertilizers	Toxic	Use all product or give to someone else.	Compost, aged livestock manure, bone meal, blood meal, fish fertilizer, liquid seaweed.
Flea and Tick Collar, Shampoo, Spray or Powder	Irritant Toxic	Follow label directions or give to someone to use.	Give pet 5 ml brewer's yeast per kg of pet's weight, daily (in their food) during flea season or use ratio of 5ml vinegar to 1 litre for their drinking water (per 20 kg pet weight). Frequently vacuum area.
Insect Repellant	Irritant	Use all product, give to someone to use or contact your municipality for disposal options	Citronella oil or burn citronella candles.
Moth Balls	Irritant Toxic	Use all product, give to someone to use, or contact your municipality for disposal options.	Cedar chips or store in airtight containers lined with newspaper, dried lavender or mint.
No-Pest Strip	Toxic	Follow label directions	Burn citronella candles or coat a strip of paper lightly with honey and hang.
Pesticides and Herbicides	Irritant Toxic	Use all products following label directions. Never flush these products down drain. Store in a safe place and contact your municipality for disposal options.	Contact horticulturalist for recommended plant varieties. Maintain good soil fertility. Keep garden clean and weed free. Consult library or garden centres for less toxic alternatives.
Rat and Mouse Poison	Toxic	Use all product or contact your municipality for disposal options.	Remove all sources of food, plug opening where rodents enter or use humane live traps.
House plant and household insecticides	Irritant Toxic	Use all product, give to someone to use, or contact your municipality for disposal options.	Spray leaves with soapy water (mix 30ml dishwashing liquid with 500 ml water), use insecticidal soap, e.g., Safer's or use pyrethrin powder.

Hobby & Recreation

Product	Hazardous Property	Safe and Proper Disposal	Less Toxic Alternative
Art/Hobby Supplies	Toxic	Use all product or give to someone to use. Open container and allow residue to harden in a safe, well-ventilated area, then put in garbage. Contact your municipality for disposal options.	Water-based inks, paints, adhesives and non-toxic glues. Avoid supplies containing lead, chromium, cadmium and other toxic pigments.
Ammunition	Explosive	Drop off at the nearest police station or branch of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation.	Unknown (bow and arrow?)
Dyes	Corrosive Toxic	Use all product or give to someone to use.	Natural pigments from plants.
Firearm-Cleaning Solvents	Flammable Toxic	Use all product, give to someone to use or contact your municipality for disposal options.	Unknown.
Photographic Chemicals	Corrosive Toxic Irritant	Give to local photo shop or school to use or contact your municipality for disposal options.	Unknown
Pool Chemicals	Corrosive Toxic	Use all product or give to school or local pool to use.	For disinfectants: ozone or UV light system. For pH: baking soda
Solvent-Based Glues	Flammable Toxic	Use all product or give to someone to use. Open container and allow residue to harden in a safe, well-ventilated area, then place in garbage or contact your municipality for disposal options.	Non-toxic glues when possible.

Household Cleaning Products

Product	Hazardous Property	Less Toxic Alternative
Abrasive Cleaners and Scouring Powders	Corrosive Toxic	Baking soda or borax on damp cloth, or 1/2 lemon dipped in borax, scrub rinse and dry. Toothpaste and a little elbow grease for light stains.
Ammonia-Based Cleaners	Corrosive Irritant Toxic Reactive	White vinegar and water mixture or dissolved baking soda.
Bleach-Based Cleaners and Chlorine Bleach	Corrosive Reactive Toxic	For disinfecting: mix 1/4 c borax with 2 quarts hot water; For a general household cleaner that disinfects and whitens: mix 1/4 c baking soda, 1/2 c borax, 1/2 c vinegar, and 1 gallon water.
Carpet & Upholstry Shampoo	Irritant Toxic	Deodorize: use dry baking soda or corn starch, sprinkle and leave 15 minutes (or up to overnight), then vacuum (250 ml for medium sized room). Shampoo: clean immediately with soda water or baking soda and water paste, then vacuum; or make cleansing foam by mixing 1/4 cup vegetable-oil-based liquid soap with 3 tbsp. water. Whip into a foam, rub into problem area. Rinse well. Heavy-duty cleaner for colour-fast carpet: mix 1/4 c salt, 1/4 c borax, 1/4 c vinegar; rub into stain, leave several hours, vaccuum thoroughly. Mud: rub with salt, sit one hour, vaccuum Coffee: rub with club soda, clean with sponge Red wine: cover with salt while wet; let dry, vaccuum Chocolate: mix borax and water into paste, rub into stain, dry, and vaccuum. Grease: cover with cornstarch/cornmeal, let sit, rub in, vaccuum.
Disinfectants	Corrosive Toxic	125 ml borax in 4 litres of boiling water, a dilute rubbing alcohol and water mixture, or undiluted white vinegar.
Floor Cleaners	Corrosive Toxic	Soap and wet mop or 125 ml vinegar and 2 litres water.
Glass and Window Cleaners	Corrosive Toxic	Wash with equal parts vinegar and warm water, or 15 ml lemon juice in 1 litre water; use newspapers or cotton cloths.
Oven Cleaners	Toxic	Mix 1/4 c baking soda, 2 tbsp salt, and hot water to make a paste. Spread it on the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes, then scrub (use steel wool for the tough bits). Or mix 2 tbsp liquid soap, 2 tsp borax, 1 qt warm water into a spray bottle, spray in the oven, wait 20 minutes, then clean.
Spot Remover	Flammable Irritant Toxic	Cold water immediately or 60 ml borax in 250 ml cold water.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner	Corrosive Irritant Toxic	Pour 1/4 c baking soda into the bowl, and spritz with vinegar; let sit 15 to 30 minutes. Scrub and flush. Use borax for tough stains.
Drain Openers and Cleaners	Corrosive Toxic	Pour 125 ml baking soda and 125 ml vinegar down drain,cover and let stand for 15 minutes, then flush with boiling water. Use plunger or plumber's snake. Repeat each week to help prevent clogs.

Disposal: The first option for disposal should always be to contact your municipality to see if they provide Household Hazardous Waste disposal (such as does the City of Saskatoon). Using all the product, or finding someone else who will use it up, is also preferable to disposal down the drain or in the landfill. Check product labels for safe disposal.

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Other Household Products

Product	Hazardous Property	Safe and Proper Disposal	Less Toxic Alternative
Aerosol Spray Can Products	Flammable	Spray and use all of product then contact your municipality for disposal options	Equivalent products in pump sprays. For air fresheners, use baking soda, leave a small bowl of vinegar out overnight, burn scented candles or clean garbage can more often with baking soda.
Prescription and over-the-counter drugs	Toxic	Many pharmacies have collection programs. Ask your pharmacist.	Explore non-drug options if appropriate.
Floor Polish	Flammable Toxic	Use all product.	1 part lemon juice to 2 parts vegetable or olive oil.
Furniture Polish	Flammable Irritant Toxic	Use all product.	3 parts olive oil to one part white vinegar for finished wood, mineral oil for unfinished wood.
Home Hair Care Products (hair dye, permanent solution, etc.)	Irritant Toxic	Flush small amounts down drain with lots of water. Rinse container before putting in garbage.	Ammonia-free products for permanents and plant-derived rinses for dyes.
Rechargeable Batteries	Toxic	See our Recycling Database for recycling locations.	Wind-up products, AC adaptors.
Household (Alkaline) Batteries	Toxic	Check our Recycling Database for recycling options, or they may be taken to a municipal HHW disposal event.	Wind-up products, AC adaptors, rechargeable batteries.
Nail Polish and Remover	Toxic	Use all product or give to someone to use. Open container and allow residue to harden in a safe, well-ventilated area, then put in garbage or contact your municipality for disposal options.	Nail buffers.
Shoe Polish	Flammable Toxic	Use all product.	Shoe polish that does not contain trichloroethylene (TCE), methylchloride and/or nitrobenzene.
Silver Polish	Toxic	Allow contents to solidify in container, then put in garbage.	Soak in boiling water with baking soda, salt and a piece of aluminum or polish with toothpaste.
Smoke Detectors (ionizing type)	Radioactive	Return ionizing-type to manufacturer.	Use photoelectric type instead of ionizing type.

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Paint, Stains, Adhesives

Product	Hazardous Property	Safe and Proper Disposal	Less Toxic Alternative
Adhesives	Irritant Toxic	Contact your municipality about HHW Days. Use all product or give away. Open container and allow residue to harden in a safe, well-ventilated area, then put in garbage.	White or yellow glues.
Enamel or Oil-based Paints	Flammable Irritant Toxic	Use all product or give it away. Take it to any SARCAN depot for recycling.	Latex or water-based paints (still can be toxic, though, see below) or natural earth-pigment finishes.
Latex or Water-Based Paints	Toxic	Use all product or give it away. Take it to any SARCAN depot for recycling.	Limestone-based whitewash or cassein-based paint.
Fiberglass and Epoxy Resin	Irritant	Contact your municipality about HHW Days. Mix resins and hardener, allow to react and solidify, then put in garbage.	Unknown.
Furniture and Paint Stripper	Flammable Toxic	Contact your municipality about HHW Days. For water-based stripper, flush small amounts down drain with lots of water. Do not put petroleum or solvent-based stripper down drain. Open container and allow residue to harden in a safe, well-ventilated area, then put in garbage.	Sandpaper, power sander, steel wool, scraper or heat gun depending on surface to be stripped.
Stains, Varnishes and Lacquer	Flammable Toxic	Use all product or give it away. Take it to any SARCAN depot for recycling.	Latex paints or natural earth-pigment finishes.
Thinners, Solvents and Turpentine	Flammable Toxic	Contact your municipality about HHW Days. Store in a closed container until particles settle, then filter and store in a separate container for reuse.	Water-based paints so that thinner is not necessary.
Wood Preservative	Flammable Irritant Toxic	Contact your municipality about HHW Days. Use all product. Give to wood-treating companies, fence and sign post installers, local parks departments or campgrounds.	Naturally resistant wood or water-based wood preservatives. Seal treated wood with urethane, varnish, shellac or water-based products. Consider wood alternatives, such as plastic wood.