There are hazardous materials hiding everywhere in your house which are harmful to you and your children. To limit the exposure that your household has to these materials, it is crucial to be able to identify where these materials are usually stored and also how to dispose of them properly. Limiting the amount of exposure you and your family have to hazardous materials will limit your health risks and any unwanted trips to the emergency room.

Kitchen Cupboards

One of the most common places for hazardous materials to be stored is right under your kitchen sink. Common household cleaners are used every day and are stored at a level where young children have easy access to them. Many people do not even realize just how many chemicals are in their average, everyday house cleaners. For instance, the main ingredient in many oven cleaners is lye. Lye can cause your skin to corrode if you do not use it properly. Bleach can also corrode the skin, and that is the most common household cleaner.

Using multiple cleaners throughout the day significantly raises your chances of getting lung disease if you are not ventilating your home or wearing the proper protective gear. While doing your regular chores, be sure to open windows so that your home is well ventilated. This is just the first step to ensure your exposure to this materials are kept to a minimum. Wear proper protection gear, such as gloves, old clothes and a mask while cleaning.

To dispose of these cleaners properly, be sure to use all of the cleaner before going and buying more. You don't want chemical bottles laying in the trash can for children or pets to get into. Once the entire bottle has been used, rinse the bottle out in the sink with warm water and place it outside, in a high area, to air dry. After it has air dried, place it in your recyclable bin.

Garage

The garage is the biggest playground for hazardous materials. Things like anti-freeze, car batteries and used oil can all cause irreparable harm to you, your children and your pets. Just one quart of standard car oil can pollute up to 250,000 gallons of water.

You can come into contact with eighteen pounds of hazardous waste if an old car battery is leaking acid. This will cause lead poisoning and acid burns if it is not disposed of quickly and properly. Car batteries are also extremely flammable, so one wrong move with a lighter and your entire home can go up in flames.

Still more dangerous than those two is anti-freeze. Anti-freeze doesn't have an odor and it tastes very sweet. If there is an anti-freeze spill in your garage and one of your children or pets ingests it, they won't even know they are being poisoned until it is too late.

All of these materials can be recycled at auto parts stores. Auto parts stores have different rules and regulations for recycling these hazardous materials, so call them beforehand so you will know the process and what you need to do to recycle the materials at their store.

Hazardous materials are everywhere in your home. To limit the harmful exposure that your family has to these materials, you need to know where to look for them and how to properly dispose of them when they are not in use. Contact a company like TransChem Environmental for more information.