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Alternatives
To Hazardous Household Chemicals For Everyday Use
This
list is being compiled by the City of St. Pete Beach - Public
Works Department and was made possible through a Community Education
Grant extended to the City by the Pinellas-Anclote River Basin
Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
Try a few of these alternatives and continue to look
for other environmentally-friendly alternatives to the chemicals
used in our homes everyday.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Abrasive
cleansers |
Rub
surface with a cut lemon dipped in borax and rinse. |
| Aerosols |
Use
pump spray or other non-aerosol versions of cleaning and
grooming products. |
| Air freshener |
Simmer
cinnamon and cloves in a pot on the range (low temperature
to avoid fire hazards). |
| Ant repellant |
Spread
a bit of red chili powder at entry points around house. |
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B
| Bleach |
Substitute
borax, lemon juice or hydrogen peroxide where you would ordinarily
use bleach. |
| Brass polish |
Substitute
with Worcestershire sauce. |
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C
Car battery corrosion
remover |
Mix
a bit of baking soda with water. |
| Ceramic
tile cleaner |
Mix
1/4 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1 cup ammonia
into a bucket and stir until until soda dissolves. |
| Chrome
polish |
Clean
with an amount of apple cider vinegar. Then polish with baby
oil. |
| Cleansers
(general household) |
Substitute
a mixture of baking soda and water. |
| Clothes
detergent |
Use
phosphate-free laundry soaps. |
| Coffee
cup stain |
Substitute
an amount of moistened salt. |
| Coffee
pot stain remover |
Substitute
an amount of vinegar. |
| Copper
cleaner |
Substitute
a mixture of lemon juice and salt. |
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D
Decal
remover |
Soak
object in white vinegar. |
Dish
detergent - grease cutter |
Mix
1/2 cup baking soda with the usual amount of liquid detergent
used. |
Disinfectants |
Use
rubbing alcohol or mix 1/2 cup of borax combined with 1 gallon
of hot water. |
Drain
cleaner |
Use
plunger vigorously and follow with a mixture of 1/2 cup of
baking soda, 1/2 cup of vinegar and 2 quarts of boiling water. |
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F
| Ferilizer |
Substitute
with compost. |
| Fiberglass
stain remover |
Sustitute
with a paste of baking soda and water. |
| Flea and
tick |
Disperse
pine needles, fennel, rye or rosemary on or in your pet's bed. |
| Fleas
(on pet) |
Feed
your pet brewer's yeast, Vitamin B or garlic tablets. |
| Flies
(insects) |
Grow
a well-watered basil plant. |
| Floor
wax and stripper |
To
polish linoleum and vinyl floor, without commercial wax, mix
one part boiled starch with one part soap suds. Rub mixture
on the floor and polish dry with a clean soft cloth. To removed
old wax, poor a small amount of club soda on a section of the
floor and scrub well. Let soak for a few minutes, then wipe. |
| Furniture
polish |
Substitute
a mixture of 1 tablespoon lemon oil with 1 pint of mineral,
olive or vegetable oil. |
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G
| Gabage
disposal deoderizers |
Substitute
with used lemons. |
| Glass
cleaner |
Mix
1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice with 1 quart of water. |
| Grease
fire |
Douse
fire with baking soda. |
| Grease
removers |
Substitute
with borax on damp cloth. |
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H
| Hand cleaner for paint
and grease |
Substitute
with baby oil. |
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I
Ink
spot remover |
Substitute
a mixture of cold water and 1 tablespoon of cream of tarter
mixed with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. |
| Insects
on plants |
Wet
leaves with soapy water, then rinse carefully. |
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L
Laundry
detergent |
Substitute
with basic soap or be sure to use a phosphate-free laundry
detergent. |
| Linoleum
floor cleaner |
Substitute
a mixture of 1 cup white vinegar and 2 gallons of water. |
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M
| Mildew
remover |
Substitute
with a mixture of equal parts of vinegar and water. |
| Mosquito
repellent |
Burn
citronella candles. |
| Mothballs |
Place
cedar chips around clothes or store clothes in cedar chest. |
| Multi-purpose
cleaner |
Substitute
with a mixture of 1/2 cup of ammonia, 1/3 cup of vinegar, 1/4
cup of baking soda and 1 gallon of water. |
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N
| Nematode
(worm) repellant |
Plant
marigolds. |
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O
| Oil
stain remover |
Rub
white chalk into stain before laundering. |
| Oven
cleaner |
Substitute
with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of liquid soap, 2 tablespoons
of borax and warm water. |
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P
| Paint
(oil-based spray/stain) |
Switch
to water-based, non-aerosol paints. |
| Paint
brush softener |
Substitute
with an amount of hot vinegar. |
| Persperation
spot remover |
Substitute
with an amount of baking soda. |
| Pet
odor remover |
Substitute
with an amount of cider vinegar. |
| Porcelain
cleaner |
Make
paste of baking soda and water, let set, rub, clean and rinse. |
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R
| Roach
killer |
Mix
baking soda with powdered sugar and place in several areas
around the house. |
| Roach
repellant |
Substitute
chopped bay leaves and cucumber skins. |
| Rug/carpet
cleaner |
Substitute
with club soda. |
| Rug
deoderizer |
Apply
baking soda liberally and leave for 15 minutes before vacuuming. |
| Rug
shampoo |
Substitute
with a mixture of 1 quart white vinegar and 3 quarts of boiling
water. |
| Rust
removal (clothes) |
Use
a mixture of lemon juice, salt and sunlight. |
| Rusty
bolt/nut removal |
Thoroughly
wet with a carbonated beverage. |
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S
| Scorch
mark remover |
Substitute
with a grated onion. |
| Scouring
powder |
Substitute
with baking soda. |
| Shaving
cream |
Substitute
with a brush and shaving soap. |
| Shoe
polish |
Substitute
with a banana peel. |
| Silver
polish |
Substitute
with a mixture of 1 quart warm water, 1 tablespoon of baking
soda, a piece of aluminum foil and 1 tablespoon of salt. |
| Slug
and snail repellant |
Plant
onion and marigold plants. |
| Spot
remover |
Use
club soda, lemon juice or salt. |
| Stainless
steel polish |
Use
mineral oil. |
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T
| Toilet
bowl cleaner |
Substitute
with a paste of borax and lemon juice. |
| Tub
and tile cleaner |
Substitute
with a mixture of 1/4 cup of baking soda , 1 cup of warm white
vinegar and water. |
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U
| Upholstery
spot remover |
Substitute
with club soda. |
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W
| Wall
cleaner |
Substitute
with a mixture of 1/2 cup of borax, 2 tablespoons of dishwashing
liquid detergent and 1 gallon of warm water. You may wish to
add a dash of lemon juice or vinegar. |
| Water
mark removal |
Substitute
with toothpaste. |
| Water
softener |
Use
1/4 cup of vinegar. |
| Wine
stain removal |
Use
an amount of salt. |
| Window
cleaner |
Use
1/2 cup of vinegar diluted in 1 gallon of water. |
| Wood
polish |
Substitute
with 3 parts of olive oil, 1 part of white vinegar, almond
or olive oil (interior unvarnished wood only). |
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