Window
or Glass Cleaners:
What
is it?
These cleaners
are used to clean windows throughout the house, glass tables, mirrors,
and screens of TVs and computers. These cleaners are usually kept in the
kitchen or bathroom.
What's in
it?
The basic
ingredients of window/glass cleaners are ammonia and isopropanol.
What health
and safety precautions do you have to think about when using
window/glass cleaners?
These products
may be irritating to the eyes, skin, nose, and throat. If swallowed,
they may cause drowsiness, unconsciousness, or death. Always wear glove
to use these products and use in a well ventilated area.
Antibacterial
Cleaner:
What is it?
Cleaners are
used to remove dirt. Antibacterial cleaners remove dirt and kill
bacteria. Bacteria are organisms too small to see with just your eyes.
Some bacteria cause diseases or make you sick. Others do not.
Antibacterial
cleaners come in a spray can or pump bottle container. They are commonly
used in the kitchen to clean things that come in contact with food, like
cutting boards and counter tops. Keeping these areas clean will help
prevent harmful bacteria from contaminating your food. It is especially
important to clean areas that come in contact with raw meats. Raw meats
can also carry bacteria. Use an antibacterial kitchen cleaner or wash
the area with hot soapy water.
What's in it?
Antibacterial
cleaners usually contain water, a fragrance, a surfactant, and a
pesticide. The surfactant breaks up the dirt, the pesticide kills the
bacteria, the fragrance makes it smell good and the water holds the
cleaner together. In antibacterial cleaners the pesticides are commonly
quaternary ammonium or phenolic chemicals. They are known as
antimicrobial pesticides.
What health
and safety things do you need to think about with antibacterial
cleaners?
Antibacterial
cleaners are very irritating to your eyes and skin and will burn your
throat. It's a good idea to wear latex dishwashing gloves to help
protect your skin when using these cleaners. If you get some on the
cleaner on your skin or in your eyes, wash it off immediately. Because
antibacterial cleaners can be harmful, your exposure to them is
important to know.
Dishwashing
Detergent:
What is it?
These products
are detergents used to wash dishes primarily in the kitchen. These
detergents are divided into two categories: automatic dishwashing
detergents and hand dishwashing detergents. These cleaners are usually
kept in the kitchen.
What's in it?
Both of these
contain cleaning agents with "cationic", "anionic",
or "non-ionic" in their names. The main ingredient usually
used in these detergents is phosphate.
What health
and safety precautions do you need to think about when using dishwashing
detergent?
Automatic
dishwashing detergents have been known to produce skin irritations or
burns. They are poisonous if swallowed. Hand dishwashing detergents are
more mild than automatic dishwashing detergents. If swallowed, it may
cause irritation to the mouth and throat, and nausea but not death. They
are generally safe to people and to the environment. Keep them
away from small children to minimize the risk of accidental poisoning.
All-Purpose
Cleaner:
What is it?
An All-purpose
cleaner is a kind of cleaner which can be used for many different kinds
of clean-up jobs around the house. All-purpose cleaners are used to
clean windows, mop floors, or to clean kitchen and other appliances in
your house. All-purpose cleaners are usually kept in the kitchen, but
they can also be found in other parts of the house such as the bathroom,
basement, or garage.
What's in it?
All-purpose
cleaners may use many different kinds of ingredients, such as
detergents, grease-cutting agents, solvents, and disinfectants.
All-purpose
cleaners can contain hazardous chemicals such as:
Ammonia, Ethelyne
glycol monobuytl acetate, sodium
hypochlorite, trisodium
phosphate.
What health
and safety precautions do you have to think about when using all-purpose
cleaners?
Depending upon
the ingredients used, all-purpose cleaners can irritate the skin, eyes,
nose, and throat. They can be highly poisonous if swallowed. Some of
these chemicals have a sweet smell which attracts animals and which can
poison them, too.
When using all
purpose cleaners, follow these safety steps:
- Wear rubber
gloves to protect your skin
- Be sure that
there is good air circulation in the room. Open several windows or
keep a fan running.
- NEVER mix
two cleaners of different kinds together, especially if one contains
ammonia and the other contains chlorine. This can produce a gas
called chloramine, and breathing its fumes could be fatal.
Insect
Sprays:
What
is it?
Insect sprays
are used to get rid of ants, bees, flies, roaches, spiders, wasps and
many other insects - even lice. Insect sprays are pesticides known as
insecticides. There are many different kinds of insecticides. The kind
to use depends on the type of insect and where you want to use it. Read
the product label to find out. Not all insecticides can be used in your
house. Some can only be used outside.
Insecticides
used around your home usually come in the form of liquids, sprays or
powders. Sometimes they are mixed with other products that are used
around your house. Sometimes they are mixed with other pesticides. For
example a fertilizer for your grass may have an insecticide in it. It
could even have both an insecticide and a herbicide (weed killer) in it.
What's in it?
Examples of
pesticide chemicals commonly found in insecticides are permethrin,
diazinon, propoxur, and chlorpyrifos.
What health
and safety things do you need to think about with insecticides?
When you use an
insecticide, especially indoors, make sure it doesn't get on food or
things that come in contact with food like dish towels, dishes,
silverware or counter tops. Insecticides can come in a spray can, bottle
or container. Some insecticides that you buy from the store have to be
mixed with water first before they can be used.
Insecticides
can hurt your eyes. They can make you really sick if you breathe their
fumes, get some in your mouth or on your skin and you don't wash it off
right away. They can also be fatal.
Oven
Cleaners:
What is it?
Oven cleaners
are used to help break up the baked on food stuck to the inside of the
oven. Oven cleaners are usually kept in the kitchen.
What's in it?
The basic
ingredient of oven cleaners is lye (either sodium hydroxide or potassium
hydroxide).
What health
and safety precautions do you have to think about when using oven
cleaners?
Lye is
extremely corrosive, and can burn your skin and eyes. It is usually
fatal if swallowed.
Because of the
toxicity of these products, only an adult should use them. Always wear
an apron, gloves, safety goggles and do not breathe the fumes. Make sure
there is plenty of fresh air and ventilation when using these products.
Flea
& Tick Spray
What is it?
These insects
bite your pets and can carry disease. This is an insecticide product
that is named for the way it is applied. It's applied to a small area on
your dog or cat. It comes in liquid form. The pesticide works by
"spreading out" over your pet to kill and repel fleas and
ticks.
What's in it?
Examples of
pesticides contained in flea & tick sprays are chemicals called
imidacloprid, fipronil, pyrethrins, permethrin, and methoprene.
What health
and safety things do you need to think about with flea & tick
sprays?
Be sure not to
pet them for at least 24 hours. If you forget and do pet them, or you
get any of the spray on your hands or skin, wash it off immediately with
lots of soap and water. Whether or not you get sick from pesticides
depends on exposure to them.
Laundry
Detergents:
What is it?
These are
cleaners used to clean stains and loosen dirt from the household
laundry. Laundry detergents are usually found in the laundry room or
kitchen.
What's in it?
They contain
cleaning agents with "cationic", "anionic", or
"non-ionic" in their names. The laundry detergents
additionally contain enzymes that are used to loosen stains and
ground-in dirt.
What health
and safety precautions do you need to think about when using laundry
detergents?
These products
may irritate skin or make people more sensitive to other chemicals. They
might also cause asthma, however this is usually when used in extremely
large quantities. Detergents are responsible for many household
poisonings by accidental swallowing. Keep these boxes and bottles out of
reach of small children and only use as directed.
Chlorine
Bleach:
What is it?
Did you know
that a pesticide is added to your washing machine to help keep your
white clothes white? This pesticide is also found in many household
cleaning products that contain a "disinfectant" to kill germs.
And it is found in household products used to clean mold and mildew from
your shower or tub. Can you guess what this pesticide is? Chlorine
Bleach!
You wouldn't
think that ordinary chlorine bleach is a pesticide - but it is. Because
it kills bacteria- and viruses it is called a disinfectant or an
antimicorbial pesticide. And because it kills fungi and molds it is also
known as a fungicide.
What's in it?
Standard
household bleach contains the chemical sodium hypochlorite.
What health
and safety things do you need to think about with chlorine bleach?
Liquid bleach
in the bottle is a 5.25% sodium hypochlorite solution. That means 5.25%
of the liquid is the chemical sodium hypochlorite and the rest is mostly
water. The number 5.25% tells you how strong the concentration of a
chemical is. Look at the labels of other household cleaning products
that contain bleach in your home. Some contain sodium hypochlorite or
chlorine bleach in concentrations of .7%, 1.8% and 2.4%.
Never mix a
chlorine bleach with any other household or cleaning products. Doing so
can result in different types of harmful acids being formed. Poisonous
gasses can also be released that will cause very serious breathing
problems.
Always be
careful when using chlorine bleach. Because it comes in 1 gallon jugs
the container can be a little hard to handle. Spills and splashes
happen. Not only will the bleach damage your clothing but it is
irritating to your skin and can cause serious damage to your eyes, even
blindness.
Rug
Or Carpet Cleaners:
What is it?
These products
are used to clean spots off of rugs and carpets. These cleaners are
usually stored in the kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room.
What's in it?
The basic
ingredients of carpet cleaners are perchloroethylene (used in dry
cleaning) and naphthalene.
What health
and safety precautions do you have to think about when using rug/carpet
cleaners?
The fumes given
off by rug cleaners can cause cancer, damage your liver, and have been
known to cause dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, loss of appetite and
disorientation. Be sure to use these products in well ventilated area
and try not to breathe the fumes.
Flea
Collars:
What is it?
The collar is
made so that the pesticide is "molded into" or part of the
collar. It diffuses or "leaks out" of the collar slowly for
several months to protect your pet.
What's in it?
In flea collars
the pesticide part are chemicals like fipronil, pyrethrins, permethrin,
and methoprene. These chemicals are known as insecticides.
What health
and safety things do you need to think about with flea collars?
Because the
pesticide comes out of the collar you need to wash your hands thoroughly
after touching them or petting your dog or cat. You don't want any
pesticides from the collar to stay on your skin. If you rubbed your eyes
the pesticides from the collar could get in your eyes. They could also
get in your mouth if you put you hands to your mouth or picked up
something to eat. This could be harmful.
Air
Fresheners:
What is it?
These products
are used to freshen air in various places throughout the home including
kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, and living rooms. Air fresheners are
usually stored in the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room.
What's in it?
There are four
basic ingredients in air fresheners: formaldehyde, petroleum
distillates, p- dichlorobenzene, and aerosol propellants.
What health
and safety precautions do you need to think about when using air
freshners?
Air freshners
are usually highly flammable and also strong irritants to eyes, skin,
and thorat. Additionally, the solid fresheners usually cause death if
eaten by people or pets.
They are
thought to cause cancer and brain damage. They also are strong irritants
to eyes, skin, and throat. These are usually highly flammable.
Additionally, the solid fresheners usually cause death if eaten by
people or pets. Please use precautions when using these products. Avoid
spraying around open flame. Use only in a well ventilated area. Baking
soda, which is not toxic, can also be used to freshen the air in your
home.
Toilet
Cleaners:
What is it?
Toilet cleaners
clean and disinfect, or kill germs, in toilets. You probably wouldn't
think these cleaners have pesticides in them, but they do. The pesticide
is the disinfectant. This type of pesticide is known as an antimicrobial
pesticide.
What's in it?
The pesticide
chemicals usually found in toilet cleaners are sodium hypochlorite or
bleach.
What health
and safety things do you need to think about when using toilet cleaners?
Toilet bowl
cleaners also have other chemicals in them too, like hydrochloric acid.
Never mix a toilet bowl cleaner with any other household or cleaning
products. Doing so can result in poisonous gasses being released and
cause very serious breathing problems. Always be sure when cleaning your
bathrooms that the room has plenty of ventilation. Leave the door open
and use the exhaust fan, if you have one.
Most
disinfectant cleaners are very irritating to your eyes and skin and will
burn your throat. It's a good idea to wear latex dishwashing gloves to
help protect your skin from splashes when using toilet cleaners. If you
splash some on your skin wash it off immediately.
Mold
and Mildew Removers:
What is it?
Mildew is also
the name of the discoloration caused by fungus. Maybe you have heard of
"mildew stains." Molds and mildew like to grow in damp, dark
places with little air circulation, like in bathrooms and basements.
What's in it?
The pesticide
chemicals found in mold and mildew removers are chlorine and alkyl
ammonium chlorides. These pesticides are known as fungicides.
What health
and safety things do you need to think about with mold and mildew
removers?
The chemicals
in mold and mildew removers can be very caustic. That is, these cleaners
can be corrosive to objects and harmful to humans. It's a good idea to
wear latex dishwashing gloves to help protect your skin when using these
products. If you get some on your skin wash it off immediately.
Cleaners with
mold and mildew removers may also cause breathing problems and if
swallowed, they will burn your throat. Because mold and mildew removers
can be harmful, your exposure to them is important to know.
Drain
Cleaners:
What is it?
These types of
cleaners are used to unclog drains in sinks or in the bathroom. These
cleaners are usually stored in the kitchen or bathroom cabinets.
What's in it?
The main
ingredients that cause the drain to become unclogged are lye and
sulfuric acid.
What health
and safety precautions do you need to think about with drain cleaners?
Lye and
sulfuric acid have dangerous fumes, can cause skin burns and in some
cases blindness if they come in contact with your eyes. They can cause
death if they are swallowed. Always use protective gloves and wear
goggles when using these products. Also, make sure that when these
cleaners are used, there is good air circulation in the room.
Moth
Balls
What is it?
Moth balls are
round and white and look like big marbles. They have a very strong,
unusual smell. They don't smell very good. Moth balls are used as a
repellent. They keep insects that eat natural fibers like wool and
paper, away from clothes or books that may be stored in your closet,
attic or basement. Moths and silverfish are examples of insects that do
damage to things in storage. The
type of repellant in moth balls can also be shaped like a flake, a thick
disk or like a bar of soap. Maybe you have seen one in a baby's diaper
pail or in a blanket chest.
What's in it?
The pesticides
in moth balls are chemicals known as naphthalene or para-dichlorobenzene.
What health
and safety things do you need to think about with moth balls?
Coming in
contact with moth balls can cause an irritation, like a burning feeling
to your eyes and skin. You can get quite sick if you eat or breathe the
fumes from moth balls, especially those containing naphthalene.
Bombs
/ Foggers:
What is it?
Total release
foggers are commonly used to get rid of fleas, ticks, and roaches.
What's in it?
The pesticide
chemicals in foggers are pyrethrins, permethrin, and methoprene. These
chemicals are known as insecticides.
What health
and safety things do you need to think about with foggers or
"bombs?"
For these
products to do their job they need to be used in an enclosed area. That
means all windows and doors for the room or house must be closed.
Foggers or "bug bombs" send their spray gas everywhere, so
it's not safe to stay in your house even when the doors are closed in
the room where the fogger is being used. Gases are hard to contain and
will seep under doors and into air vents. So for everyone's safety all
people and animals must be out of the house when a fogger or "bug
bomb" is being used.
Also, toys
should be taken out of the room or put away. No food, plates, cups,
silverware or things you cook with should be left out anywhere. The tops
of tables and counters should be cleaned before you use them. After the
fogger has finished doing it's job the house has to be aired out before
people can spend time inside again. Turn on your air conditioner, or
open the windows. Using fans will help air out the house faster too.
Another
important thing to know is that the contents of foggers can be
flammable. A fire or explosion can happen if they are not used according
to the directions. Some common symptoms you might get if you come in
contact with foggers or "bug bombs" are burning in your eyes
and on your skin or trouble breathing.
Weed
Killers:
What is it?
Weed killing
pesticides come in different forms – sprays, powders, or mixed in with
fertilizers. They are also known as herbicides. So how does a weed
killing herbicide know what is a weed and what isn't? It doesn't. For
example, a herbicide that is formulated or made to kill bushy weeds like
poison ivy or poison oak, can also kill other plants, grasses and even
trees.
What's in it?
The common
pesticides in weed killers are diquat, 2,4-D, and glyphosate.
What health
and safety things do you need to think about with weed killers?
Some weed
killers are not very toxic or poisonous. But they will still cause
burning in your eyes and on your skin. Other weed killers can be very
toxic. They can be very harmful if you swallow or inhale them or if you
get a large amount on your skin and don't immediately wash it off.
Swimming
Pool Chemicals, Chlorine:
What is it?
Did you know
that a common chemical used around your house for cleaning and
disinfecting is also used in swimming pools? Chlorine is used to kill
bacteria and control algae in your pool water so that it is safe for
swimming. Along with other chemicals it works to keep the walls and
bottom of your pool clean.
The chlorine is
actually contained in swimming pool chemicals such as calcium or sodium
hypochlorite. These chemicals are known as "antimicrobial
pesticides." The calcium and sodium hypochlorite used in pools come
as tablets, granules and sometimes as a liquid.
What's in it?
Disinfectants
containing chlorine for use in swimming pools are the chemicals calcium
and sodium hypochlorite
What health
and safety things do you need to think about with swimming pool
chemicals?
Unlike water
from your faucet, which is also disinfected, you should not drink water
from the pool. Why? Lets think about it. Water from your faucet is
treated so that a safe level of chlorine is always available to kill
germs. It is in a closed system until it comes out of your faucet. But
pool water is open to contamination from the air and all those people in
it! Also, the concentrations of chlorine and other chemicals added to
the pool have to be higher than those in drinking water. Why higher?
Because not only is there contamination of the water from many sources
but these chemicals also become less effective with time due to
evaporation and exposure to the sun.
Although the
chemicals used to keep your pool clean are also contained in other
household products, there is a difference. The difference is the
concentration of the chemical. A chemical's concentration is how strong
it is. For example, some household cleaners contain two percent (2%)
chlorine. Bleach has five percent (5%). Chemicals for use in swimming
pools can contain from 12 to 95 percent (12% to 95%) chlorine. Why so
strong? Because the chemicals are meant to be diluted or added to water,
lots of water, before they are safe to use.
What can happen
if you come in contact with swimming pool chemicals before they are
added to water? Like the disinfectant cleaners, these can be very
caustic. Swimming pool chemicals can cause breathing problems and will
burn your eyes and skin. If swallowed, they will burn your throat; and
they can be fatal. How badly you could get hurt depends on your exposure
to them. As a general rule, if you get any chemicals on your skin or in
your eyes, wash it off with lots of water right away.
Baits
for Rodent Control:
What is it?
Rodent baits
are used to get rid of mice and rats that can come into the home or get
into outdoor sheds in your yard. These products are usually in the form
of powders or little pellets and have no odor or smell. They are very
poisonous. After the mice or rats eat the bait, they become sick and
will die. This type of pesticide is called a rodenticide.
What's in it?
The pesticide
commonly found in baits is known as warfarin.
What health
and safety things do you need to think about when using baits?
Even small
amounts of these pesticides can be very harmful and make you sick.
Insect
Repellents:
What is it?
Repellents are
used outdoors to keep insects away so they won't land on or bite people.
Repellents for mosquitos and ticks are the most common type. An insect
repellent that you spray on your skin or clothes is an example of this
kind of product. Maybe you used one yourself if you were in your
backyard on a summer evening or went camping with your family.
Insect
repellents are sold in spray cans, small bottles of liquid, creams and
sometimes as a "stick" like a deodorant.
What's in it?
The pesticide
commonly found in repellents are pyrethrins and DEET. DEET is a common
name or nickname for the chemical N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide.
What health
and safety things do you need to think about when using repellents?
It is very
important to follow the directions on the container. Don't get
repellents in your eyes or mouth, or in a cut on your skin. Don't spray
it on your face. Take a bath to wash it off when you come indoors and
put your clothes in the laundry.
The chemicals
in repellents may cause your eyes, skin or throat to burn. If the label
says that you can apply the repellent to skin or clothes, you might want
to apply it only to your clothes. It will work just as well. Since
repellents contain pesticides you need to be careful when you use
them.
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