Where are the hazardous waste products in your home?
To distinguish household hazardous products from other products used in and around your home, read the label. A household hazardous product has one or more of these words (often called signal words) on the label: caution, warning, danger, or poison. Other words include flammable, reactive, corrosive, or toxic.
Use this checklist to find hazardous products in your home. Decide whether you’ll use it up or take it to your collection facility where it’ll be set out for reuse or disposed. Find your county collection sites. Be sure that any hazardous products are stored safely and properly.
In the basement, workbench, or craft areas
- Paint
- Varnish
- Paint thinner
- Household batteries
- Furniture stripper
In the laundry room and other storage areas
- Furniture polish
- Spot remover
- Pet flea spray/collars
- Bleach
In the kitchen
- Drain, oven, and floor cleaners
- Disinfectant
- Ammonia
In the bathroom
- Nail polish/remover
- Drain cleaner
- Pharmaceuticals
- Sharps
- Aerosol sprays
In the garage and where yard products are kept
- Motor oil
- Gasoline
- Antifreeze
- Weedkillers, insecticides and other pesticides
- Fertilizers
- Pool chemicals
- Other chemicals
You can print out this checklist to identify common hazardous products in your home: 
Healthy home checklist (w-hhw1-35)
Guide to safely storing hazardous products
- Read and follow the safety and use instructions on the label.
- Keep products out of reach of children and animals.
- Store all hazardous products on high shelves or in locked cabinets away from food items.
- Make sure the lids and caps are tightly sealed and child proofed.
- Store corrosive, flammable, reactive, and poisonous products on separate shelves and where will stay dry.
- Store latex paints and other products that say “prevent freezing” indoors.
- Keep products in their original containers and make sure the labels are clearly legible.
- For long-term storage, place waterproof transparent tape over the product labels to prevent them from falling off.
- Keep products away from heat, sparks, flames, or sources of ignition.
- Never mix chemicals together to save storage space.
- DO NOT use product if it is more than 10 years old.
- Do not throw in garbage or pour down the drain.
- Make sure all containers are 5 gallons or less in size and properly labeled with the contents if original labels are missing or unreadable.
- Find your local hazardous waste collection site
Keep an inventory of the products you have so you do not buy more than you need.
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