Avoid your home's hidden health threats: from chemicals in your bedsheets to dangerous germs in your dishcloth, health threats abound in your home. But you don't have to live with them. Create a safe haven with our 22 tips - Consumer guide: how to be an educated consumer

Natural Health, Sept, 2003 by Theresa Anne Morin

Personal Care Products: Three of the most popular beauty products--nail polish, polish remover, and hair spray--are also the most dangerous, says Dadd, the environmental home consultant. Nail polish contains dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde, and toluene, toxins known to irritate the skin and respiratory tract and cause cancer, liver damage, and birth defects. Nail polish remover is made from acetone and ethyl acetate, which can irritate your eyes, nose, and throat. And hair spray contains formaldehyde and polyvinylpyrrolidone plastic, both known carcinogens. Using hair spray regularly can also cause allergic skin reactions, eye and nose irritations, and increase your risk of lung disease.

Dadd recommends that you read labels and avoid products that contain these ingredients. Shop at natural food stores for hypoallergenic versions that contain fewer chemicals or alter your beauty routine to skip those products. For example, give yourself chemical-free manicures by filing and buffing your nails and grooming your cuticles without adding a coat of polish.

Your Kitchen

Cookware: The pots and pans you use could be making you sick. Aluminum is a toxic metal that's commonly used in cookware, says Stamford, Conn.-based medical journalist Morton Walker, co-author of Toxic Metal Syndrome: How Metal Poisonings Can Affect Your Brain (Avery, 1995). Aluminum leaches into food and when ingested can damage your kidneys and liver and weaken your bones, Walker says. Some researchers also believe the metal could cause Alzheimer's disease, but this is controversial because follow-up studies were unable to prove a solid link.

To protect yourself, determine what your cookware, bakeware, dinnerware, and utensils are made of; you'll probably need to contact the manufacturer to check. Healthy choices include glass, cast iron or enamel-coated cast iron, 100 percent stainless steel, porcelain, and lead-free terra cotta. Aluminum pans that are lined with stainless steel or anodized (coated to make them scratch resistant) are also safe.

Experts disagree about the level of risk presented by using aluminum foil for storage or cooking. If you'd prefer to be cautious, use glass jars to store leftovers or wrap foods in wax paper before wrapping them in aluminum.

Dishwashing Detergent: The desire for squeaky-clean dishes has left us breathing less-than-healthy amounts of chlorine, ammonia, and dye fumes from our liquid dish soap and dishwasher detergent. These cleaners release vapors (especially during the drying cycle in your dishwasher) that can irritate your eyes and breathing passages. These compounds also linger on your dishes, adding small amounts of detergent to your food.

It's better to make a safe alternative yourself or to purchase healthier options at a natural food store. This do-it-yourself dish soap recipe contains essential oils that "pack a punch on germs but don't knock you out in the process," says natural home author Siegel-Maier. Fill a clean 22-ounce squirt bottle with 4 tablespoons of liquid Castile soap and 2 1/2 cups of water. Add 15 drops of lemon essential oil, 6 drops of lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia), and 5 drops of bergamot essential oil (Citrus bergamia). Shake the bottle before each use and use it as you would use regular dishwashing liquid. For chlorine- and phosphate-free automatic dishwasher detergent, Siegel-Maier recommends Seventh Generation's Free & Clear Automatic Dishwashing Detergent (50 oz; $4.99; 800-456-1191; www.seventhgeneration.com).