Household Hazardous Products
Many of the products we use to clean and maintain our homes, cars, and hobbies can cause harm. The only way to know if something is hazardous and what steps are needed to protect yourself and your family is to carefully read the labels.
The signal words “poison,” “danger,” “warning,” or “caution” on the product label tell you that the product is hazardous. “Poison” and “danger” show the highest hazard levels.
- Poison means a product is highly toxic, and can cause injury or death if ingested, breathed in, or absorbed through the skin.
- Danger means a product is either highly toxic, flammable, or corrosive. Look for the word "danger" on cleaners, polishes, paint strippers, and pesticides. "Danger" means the product could poison you, cause serious damage to your skin or eyes, or easily cause a fire.
- Warning and Caution show that a product may be mild to moderately toxic, corrosive, reactive, or flammable.
Products that don’t have any of the above signal words on the label are considered the least hazardous or they might be mislabeled. Read the precautionary statements on the back label to figure out if the product is hazardous. Precautionary statements are safety instructions or warnings to reduce or prevent harm from exposure to a hazardous product. Examples of precautionary statements include:
- Store in a cool, dry place
- Keep out of reach of children
- Keep away from heat or open flames
- Wear eye protection
- Use in a well-ventilated area
Precautionary statements can only protect you and your family members (including future children) if you follow them. These statements are there to protect your health, as required by the:
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (for pesticides)
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (for automotive, paints, cleaners, and most other household products)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (for drugs and cosmetics)
Toxic — Poisonous or may cause long-term illness (such as cancer). Pesticides, paint thinners, many auto products, and some cleaners are toxic. Look for words on the product label like:
- "Harmful or fatal if swallowed"
- "Use only in a well-ventilated area" (this means product fumes are toxic)
Flammable — Catches on fire easily. Auto products, paint, paint thinners, and other solvents are the most flammable home products. Look for words on the product label like:
- "Do not use near heat or flame"
- "Combustible"
- "Do not smoke while using this product."
Corrosive — Eats through materials (for example, an acid). Oven cleaners, drain cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, and auto batteries are common corrosive products. Look for words on the product label like:
- "Causes severe burns on contact"
- "Can burn eyes, skin, throat"
Reactive — Can catch fire or create poisonous gases when mixed with other products. NEVER mix household products. Reactive products can also explode when exposed to heat, air, or water. Except for fireworks, there are few consumer products still on the market that are explosive. Some older, explosive products might still be stored in homes.
| Label | Property | Example |
| Poison |
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| Danger |
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| Warning or Caution |
|
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- Choose the least hazardous products available.
- Use and store products safely by following the label directions.
- Dispose of unwanted or expired household hazardous products safely at HazoHouse.
Choose products that are safer for you, your family (including pets), and our community’s drinking water, local lakes, rivers, streams, and Puget Sound.
- Check the signal word (“caution,” “warning,” “danger,” or “poison”) before you buy.
- Avoid products with the signal words “danger” or “poison” and limit products with the signal words “caution” or “warning.”
- Read the safety precautions on the product label to see if you should be using this product at your home. For example, is it safe to use around children, pets, pregnant people, aquatic areas, etc.? If you won't be able to follow the directions for use, warnings, cleanup, and disposal, look for another product.
- Buy and use the least hazardous product that does the job.
- If you can't find a safer product to do the job:
- Buy only the amount you need.
- Read the label carefully and follow all safety instructions.
- EPA Safer Choice (cleaning products)
- Design for the Environment (DfE) label (disinfectants and sanitizers)
- Green Seal (multiple product categories)
- ECOLOGO Certification (multiple product categories)
- Cradle-to-Cradle certified (multiple product categories)
- Grow Smart Grow Safe (yard and garden care)
- Choose fragrance-free products. Perfumes and fragrances may be irritants for children and other sensitive people. Choose products with the EPA Safer Choice Fragrance-Free label. If a product is labeled “unscented” there may be chemicals used in the product to cover up the smell of other ingredients. Check out the EPA Safer Choice Fact Sheet to learn more about Fragrance-Free vs Unscented products.
- Avoid aerosols. Try pump sprayers or wipe-on formulas.
- Paints and Solvents:
- Buy a pint or quart rather than a gallon when still deciding on paint colors.
- Use low odor, also called low-VOC, latex paints.
- Look for paints and stains that are water-based (they can be cleaned up with water).
- Take unwanted, leftover paint to a PaintCare drop-off site.
Proper storage of household hazardous products can protect you and your family from unnecessary exposure to harmful chemicals. Carefully follow instructions for use and storage on product labels.
- Read the product label and follow the instructions for safe storage.
- Keep products in their original containers so all the important safety information remains with the product.
- Store those products in a second, leakproof container (like a plastic tub) with a lid and out of reach of children and pets. As an extra safety measure, make sure the lid is difficult for children to open or that bins are in a locked cabinet.
- Do not stack products on top of each other. Place products upright in a single layer inside a plastic tub to prevent accidental spills and damage to product containers.
- Keep flammable products away from flame or heat.
- Never mix chemical products. Some mixtures can cause a poisonous gas.
- Check products carefully to make sure that lids are on tight and not leaking.
Never dispose of household hazardous products in the trash, sink, drain, toilet, into storm drains, or onto the ground.
Unwanted or expired household hazardous products can be dropped off at HazoHouse, located at the Waste and Recovery Center 2420 Hogum Bay Road NE, Lacey, (ph. 360-867-2491) for safe disposal. This service is free to Thurston County residents and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Visit ThurstonSolidWaste.org for a complete list of accepted and non-accepted materials. For items not listed on their website, visit WhereDoITakeMy.org to learn how to properly dispose of or recycle individual items.
- Always seal containers and tighten lids, and make sure containers are not leaking.
- Make sure all product containers are 5 gallons or less in size.
- Keep products in their original containers and label unmarked products with their contents.
- Place containers in an upright position in a plastic-lined box or in a leak-proof tub with absorbent material (like paper towels).
- Transport products away from children, pets, and passengers.
Resources
Learn more:
American Lung Association: Do It Yourself Healthy Home Assessment
Environmental Protection Agency: Reducing Household Hazardous Waste in Your Home
Environmental Protection Agency: Safer Choice
Green Science Policy Institute Six Classes
Safer Cleaning Recipes
Thurston County Healthy Homes Vendor List
Washington State Department of Ecology: Healthy Home Guide
Washington State Department of Ecology: What's hazardous in my home?
Washington State Department of Health: Eight Principals of a Healthy Home
Contact Us
Contact our Environmental Health Education and Outreach Team for more information at healthyhomes@co.thurston.wa.us or call 360-867-2674 if you have additional questions.