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Take
some simple steps to protect your family.
Each time you visit this page, you'll find a
new set of tips.
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Be especially cautious if you live on or near a farm, industrial or commercial facility.
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| If you have a well and live next to farmland, on former farmland, or near industrial, commercial or institutional facilities you should definitely check your water. The major contaminants of concern for children are metals, fertilizers, pesticides, fuels, and solvents. |
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If you use a filter, maintain it.
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| Filters, when properly used and maintained, can provide clean water. Follow replacement guidelines carefully to avoid excessive bacterial buildup. |
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Say goodbye to pre-soaking diapers.
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Soaking dirty diapers isn't absolutely necessary. Put soiled diapers (after flushing feces down the toilet) into a waterproof pail with a lid. Wash them within two days, or mold may start to grow. If you do choose to soak soiled diapers, put them through the spin cycle before before washing them to get rid of the extra water.
You can deodorize the diaper pail with baking soda, vinegar or borax. |
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Install carbon monoxide Detectors in Your Home, Garage and even your Car
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| Because carbon monoxide (CO) is odorless and invisible, the only way to ensure that it doesn’t build up to dangerous levels is to rely on CO detectors. Install one in your garage and one on each floor of your home. You can also install CO detectors in your car. Consumers Union conducts testing of CO detectors frequently. Look up their most recent ratings in Consumer Reports. |
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Brighten and soften cloth diapers and other tough whites without harmful chemicals.
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Add 1/2 cup of lemon juice or white vinegar to wash water. Make sure the detergent does not contain chlorine bleach, which reacts with acids.
You can also bleach out stains naturally by drying whites in the sun, which also disinfects them.
Add 1/2 cup baking soda to wash water as a fabric softener.
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Kill odor with naturally deodorizing and disinfecting white vinegar.
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| When housetraining my dog, I used a solution of 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water to clean up accidents and eliminate the smell. Dilute with water for mopping floors and surfaces. It’s a good idea to test the surface first to make sure the vinegar will not damage it. A simple recipe of 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 2 cups hot water in a spray bottle also works well. |
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Say no to water and stain repellents
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| Some water and stain repellents, such as DuPont's Teflon, are under investigation for possible health and environmental effects. The chemical used is found in humans and persists in the environment for a long time. |
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