Many commonly used household cleaners, chemicals, and pesticides can find their way into our lakes and streams. They enter the water through septic systems or directly via stormwater runoff. By using lake-friendly products, you can help protect our Watershed.
Consider the following alternatives to commonly used household products in order to keep harmful chemicals from entering the water.
COMMONLY USED PRODUCTS AND THEIR LAKE-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES
| COMMONLY USED | ALTERNATIVE |
| Chlorine Bleach | Hydrogen Peroxide |
| Drain Cleaner | 2 cups boiling water and/or baking soda (1/2c.) followed by vinegar |
| Bathroom Cleaners | Baking soda, borax |
| Toilet cleaner | Vinegar, salt & water or Baking soda & water |
| Disinfectant | 1/2 c. borax in 1 gal. water |
| Lime Away | Vinegar |
| Scouring powders | Baking soda |
| Rug cleaners | Club soda & sprinkle with cornstarch, then vacuum |
| Floor cleaners | Mop with 1 c. vinegar in 2 gal. water |
| Furniture Polish | 1 part lemon juice with 2 parts vegetable oil |
| Copper Cleaner | Dip side of lemon in salt, rub |
| Oven Cleaner | Salt and scrub or Wipe with ammonia & let stand overnight, scrub with baking soda |
| Porcelain cleaner | Make paste of baking soda and water, apply & let stand, rub clean & rinse |
| Silver polish | Soak in 1 qt. warm water & 1 tsp. baking soda & 1 tsp. salt, and piece of aluminum foil or in aluminum pan |
| Stainless steel cleaner | 1 qt. water & 1 tbls. baking soda, rinse in hot water |
| Window cleaner | 1/2 c. vinegar & 1 gal. warm water, use newspapers to dry glass |
| Ant traps or pesticide for inside ants | Sprinkle thick line of borax around foundation |
| Flea repellent | Rosemary on pet bed |
| Moth balls | Lavender or cedar chips in small bags |
| Wood preservative | Water based wood preservatives |
| Fungicide | Avoid water in the evening or over watering |
| House plant insecticide | A few drops of soap & water, spray on leaves, rinse |
| Pesticides | Insecticidal soap |
| Herbicides | Weeding and hoeing, corn herbicide |
| Snail and slug killer | Shallow pan with stale beer |
Take action to help protect our lakes and streams by properly disposing of household chemicals and their containers. Learn more by clicking the link below:
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