Program
May 2014
Good Health Starts at Home
Lesson Guide
Hazardous Household Products
Segment Time
Approximately 30-45 minutes.
For a shorter lesson omit activity on Dangerous Look-a-likes and some
of the videos suggested.
Purpose
To identify examples of commonly used household products that can
be hazardous to health and list actions to use safely or choose safer
products
Audience
Learning
Objectives
Instructor
Lesson
Materials
General consumer audience
Participants will accomplish the following:
Knowledge: Recognize that many household products are hazards to
health and that children may be especially at risk.
Comprehension: Identify examples of hazardous household products.
Application: Demonstrate actions to protect the home from hazardous
household products, e.g.:
 Posting the Poison Control Number
 Using products safely
 Selecting less hazardous cleaning products—including making
your own green cleaning products
 Storing hazardous products (including medicines) safely
 Safe disposal
 Healthy Homes—Hazardous Household Products Lesson Guide
 PowerPoint with Speaker Notes
 Help Yourself to a Healthy Home ( Extension/HUD booklet
available in many languages) order or download from
www.HealthyHomesPartnership.net
 Publications/Handouts of choice (optional—see below for
suggestions)
 Selected materials and supplies for demonstrations and activities
(see below for suggestions)
 Name tags/tent cards for each student
 Pre/Post Tests and Evaluation form for each student
 Sign-in sheet, pens/pencils for participant
 Research References (see listed at end)
1
Participant
Materials





Household Hazardous Products Pre and Post Test/Evaluation
Pens/pencils/paper
Help Yourself to a Healthy Home book
Copy of PowerPoint slides (optional)
Other selected student publications/resource materials (optional)





Computer capable of operating a PowerPoint presentation
LCD Projector and screen
Speakers for computer (if showing videos)
Extension cord and power strip (plus tape to tape down cords)
Microphone (if you are inviting a guest speaker or have a large
group/room)
White board or flip chart and markers
Internet connection to link to websites or videos
Equipment


Helpful
websites






Publications/
Resource

Materials
(select most
appropriate

materials for

your audience)

US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Healthy
Homes and Lead Hazard Control www.healthyhomes.hud.gov
Household Products Database—from the National Library of
Medicine, a database for consumer audiences with links to over
11,000 consumer brands (cleaners, pesticides, lawn care, personal
care products, etc.) Links to MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets)
http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/index.htm
American Cleaning Institute (educational materials about cleaning
products in your home, videos and children’s lessons and
publications) www.cleaninginstitute.org
Up and Away, partnership with CDC about putting medicines away
from reach of children http://www.upandaway.org/
EPA Design for the Environment http://www.epa.gov/dfe/
Mercury disposal: Earth911: http://search.earth911.com/ for
locations
Help Yourself to a Healthy Home
http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/H/HE-0883/HE-0883.pdf focus on
chapter on Hazardous Household Products (required)
Healthy Homes: Assessing Your Indoor Environment (with DVD)
mms://wms.aces.edu/media/satellite/booth/eng_hh.wmv (strongly
recommended) 24 minute video
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension: Green Cleaning
http://spock.fcs.uga.edu/ext/housing/home_maint.php
2

Selected
videos
Extended
Activity
Easy and Safe Cleaning for Your Home
http://www.sfenvironment.org/sites/default/files/fliers/files/sfe_th_fa
ctsheet_easysafecleaning_english.pdf
 For children: Is Your Home A Healthy Home? Coloring and Activity
Book http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/H/HE-0937/HE-0937.pdf
 Eco-Healthy Child Care: Household Chemicals www.cehn.org/ehcc
 Eco-Healthy Child Care: Plastics & Plastic Toys
http://www.cehn.org/files/Plastics_Plastic_Toys_7_12.pdf
 Purchasing “Green”—What Does It Really Mean? HEF593,
University of Nebraska Extension
 http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/hef593/build/hef593.pdf
 Poison-proof Your Home: One Room at a Time
http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/Publications/roombyroomchecklist.pdf
 Picking Safer Plastics:
http://www.oeconline.org/resources/publications/kitsandtipsarchive/
saferplasticswalletcard
 Laundry packet exposures:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q2tQ7Jwq7A (2:56)
 Video on children opening child-resistant medicine bottles
http://www.wisn.com/health/How-safe-are-child-resistant-medicinebottles/19905078
 EPA Design for the Environment products
http://www.epa.gov/dfe/multimedia/recognizedforsaferchemistry/dfe
_video_popup.html
Dangerous Look-Alikes Activity
Objective: to bring attention to the danger of hazardous household
products that look appealing to children (or adults with poor
eyesight). Assemble some of the following products for viewing:
Dangerous Product
Blue sports drink
Rat poison
Red cold tablets
Jerky dog treats
Isopropyl alcohol
Antacid chews
Powdered cleanser
Cat/dog food
Apple juice
Gummy vitamins
Nail polish remover
Moth balls
Chocolate laxative
Arthritis topical cream
Look Alike
Window cleaner
Sunflower seeds
Red hot candies
Beef jerky
water
Chewing gum
Parmesan cheese
cereal
Floor cleaner
Gummy candies
Colored drink
marshmallows
Chocolate candy squares
toothpaste
3
Suggested
show and tell

demonstration
tools

(select most
appropriate
materials for
your audience)





Magnets or stickers and/or other educational materials by Poison
Control Center (call your local Center for samples)
“Green Cleaning” supplies:
o labels and waterproof markers
o empty spray bottles (one for each student)
o measuring cups
o vinegar
o water
o vegetable oil
o lemon juice
o peppermint, lavender or other oils, cloves, orange peels (for
fragrance)
o baking soda
o vegetable oil based liquid soap
Pesticides, cleaning products and the MSDS that accompanies it
(roach spray, rat poison, weed killers, etc.)
http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/index.htm
Examples of household products (or labels from bottles):
 Bleach (provide a preferably empty bottle of any brand of
chlorine bleach. Make sure it is chlorine bleach).
Also, try to collect an assortment of other products. Examples:
o Drain cleaner
o Oven cleaner
o Moth balls
o Hair sprays
o Nail polish remover
o Gasoline
o Dishwashing/laundry detergents—especially the pods (these
can be attractive to children and dangerous if ingested)
Examples of “green cleaning” products—those with third-party
certifications like Design for the Environment
Dangerous Look-Alikes Activity products (see above under
Extended Activity)
Assortment of different plastic products. Assemble products with
different recycling codes. Include those with #3 (may contain
phthates) and those with #7 (that are not marked BPA-free) to
show differences in types of plastics. Assemble in a bag and pass
around the room and have participants describe the different
plastics and their relative risks.
4
Preparing for this Session
Hazardous Household Products
(This lesson assumes that an Extension educator will be the facilitator
for the session. If an alternate facilitator or co-facilitator is used, be
certain they have reviewed the material and are clear that Extension is
tasked with presenting non-biased material).
Before the training:
1. Several weeks in advance:
a. Determine appropriate meeting location and time for the
program.
b. Contact a guest speaker at least a month in advance
(optional)—if using, use Guest Speaker Confirmation form.
For this subject area, consider asking someone from the
Poison Control Center.
c. Send out notices for training.
d. Order handouts/reference materials if not making copies.
2. At least one week before training:
a. Read the lesson guide and PowerPoint materials. Review
speaker notes and add notes if necessary.
b. Review handouts/reference materials and supplemental
material carefully.
c. Make copies of handouts for this session.
d. Review the optional activities and assemble show and tell
activity/demonstration tools. Visit a retail store and purchase
demonstration supplies as needed or bring samples from
home. See Suggested Materials and Supplies for
Demonstrations and Activities.
e. Download any videos on your computer.
3. Day before Training
a. Assemble snacks/beverages: water, sodas, crackers, fruit,
plates, napkins, etc.
b. Load course materials on computer/thumb drive.
4. Day of Training
a. Arrive at least 45 minutes in advance
b. Set up computer/LCD projector/check speakers. Tape down
cords.
c. Set out references/publications, course materials. Either
place on participants’ tables or place near registration table
for students to pick up. Set out registration sign-in list.
d. Set up demonstration tools on table or have in container for
easy access.
e. Set up whiteboard/large flipchart.
5
Presenting the Program
Hazardous Household Products
Important
Instructor
Notes
1. Remember to use activities, demonstration of materials, and videos
for a variety of teaching tools and to not be too dependent on the
PowerPoint slides.
2. Encourage participation and questions by the participants
throughout the presentation. Be interactive with your learners.
3. Provide personal stories when possible. People sometimes
remember better when personal stories are shared either by you or
by the participants.
4. Good visuals will provide guided practice for the learning objectives
of the lesson. Activities and demonstration materials can reinforce
learning.
5. The adult learner brings a background of learning and experience
that contributes to learning. Many will have experienced some of
these home hazards in their own homes.
6. The purpose of this information is to empower people with
knowledge so they will adopt healthy behaviors and to offer
practical, low-cost action steps to solve problems.
7. Emphasize the vulnerability of children for environmental health
concerns. These are important concepts to remember:
a. Children are not just little adults. Their organs (especially the
brain) and immune systems are still developing, especially
until about age 6. Their metabolic rates are faster. Poundper-pound children drink, eat and breathe more than adults.
b. Children’s behaviors keep them closer to the floor—where
hazardous products may be stored under cabinets.
c. Children are curious and young children cannot read labels.
Hazardous household products may look like candy or food
to them.
6
Training Agenda
Hazardous Household Products
Segment
Sign-in and
Introductions
Time
Activity
15

minutes


Introduction
and
Objectives
1
Materials
Make sure everyone has
signed the sign-in sheet. If
participants didn’t sign in
upon entering, pass around
the sign-in sheet.
Introductions (including
yourself) or get-acquainted
activity of your choice.
Completion of pre-test by
participants
Review Learning Objectives
Sign-in sheet
Pre-test
PowerPoint slides 1-4
Review Publication(s) that you Publications:
will be using and distributing for
Help Yourself to a Healthy
the presentation.
Home
Help Yourself to a Healthy
Home and Poison-proof Your
Poison-proof Your Home:
Home: One Room at a Time
One Room at a Time
are suggested publications for
this presentation.
Explain that today’s topic is
part of a larger goal of making
your home a Healthy Home
What are
hazardous
household
products?
1
Ask:
PowerPoint slide 5
Has anyone ever thought about
possible health hazards of
common household products?
Have students identify
examples.
7
Why do we
care?
2-5
Discuss:
 There are many products
found in a home that can be
health hazards
 Why children are more
vulnerable
 Statistics of poisonings of
children
Show video: Laundry packet
exposures
PowerPoint slide 6
Demonstration Activity: on a
whiteboard, list by room of the
house some products that can
be health hazards
PowerPoint slide 7
white board
Video:
Laundry packet exposures:
http://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=9q2tQ7Jwq7A
(2:56)
Name some
hazardous
household
products
3
Risks of
hazardous
product
1
Discuss:
varying degrees of risks:
 Toxic or poisonous
 Corrosive
 Explosive or reactive
 Flammable or combustible
PowerPoint slide 8
Actions to
protect the
home from
hazardous
products
1
Discuss:
4 ways to minimize risk:
1. Use Safely
2. Use Less
3. Store Safely
4. Safe Disposal
PowerPoint slide 9
Use safely
5
Read the Label
Caution words:
 Caution
 Warning
 Danger
 Danger-Poison
Material Safety Data Sheets
(MSDS)
PowerPoint slides 10 - 13
Demonstrate:
8
Poison-proof Your Home:
One Room at a Time
Supplies/demonstration
tools:
Hazardous Product
Examples:
 Chlorine bleach
(priority example)
Various samples of household
products and their labels. Pass
these (preferable empty
bottles) around the room and
have participants read the
labels aloud.
If internet connectivity, look up
products on the Household
Products Database (or print out
ahead of time).
Discuss ways to use products
safely
 Don’t mix products
 Ventilation
 Personal protection
 Pump sprays vs. aerosols
 NO bug bombs/foggers
 NOT around children







Drain cleaner
Oven cleaner
Moth balls
Hair sprays
Nail polish remover
Gasoline
Dishwashing/laundry
detergents (especially
pods)
Household Products
Database:
http://householdproducts.nlm.
nih.gov/index.htm
Poison Control educational
materials (magnets,
stickers, etc.)
Emphasize: Poison Control
Center nationwide number:
800-222-1222
Discuss: dangers and uses of
chlorine bleach
Use Safely:
Plastics
5
Discuss ways to safely use
household products in plastic
containers. Minimize use of:
 Plastics containing BPA
(Bisphenol A)
 Plastics containing
phthalates
Demonstration Activity: Pass
around variety of different
plastic products (assemble in
bag). Be sure to include those
with limited safety issues: #1,
#2, #7 labeled BPA-free and
those that may contain BPA
and phthalates (#3 and #7).
9
PowerPoint slides 14-15
Supplies/demonstration
tools:
Assortment of various
plastic products.
Publication:
Picking Safer Plastics:
http://www.oeconline.org/re
sources/publications/kitsan
dtipsarchive/saferplasticsw
alletcard
Use Less
3-5
Discuss ways to minimize
exposure to hazardous
products by using less:
 Buy less quantities
 Safer alternative cleaning
methods
 Prevention methods
Demonstrate: Products with
third-party certifications
(Design for the Environment,
Green Seal, etc.). Pass around
class and read labels aloud.
Show: video on Design for the
Environment products
Demonstration Activity:
Make your own “Green”
cleaners. If possible, give each
student an empty spray bottle.
Have students select a cleaner
to make; label it.
PowerPoint slides 16-17
Publications:
University of Georgia
Cooperative Extension:
Green Cleaning Recipes
http://spock.fcs.uga.edu/ext
/housing/home_maint.php
Easy & Safe Cleaning for
Your Home
 http://www.sfenvironme
nt.org/sites/default/files/f
liers/files/sfe_th_factshe
et_easysafecleaning_en
glish.pdf
Supplies/demonstration
tools:
Less toxic products (such
as Design for the
Environment, Green Seal)
Video:
EPA Design for the
Environment products
http://www.epa.gov/dfe/mult
imedia/recognizedforsaferc
hemistry/dfe_video_popup.
html
Green cleaners:
 Labels and waterproof
markers
 empty spray bottles
(one for each student)
 measuring cups
 vinegar
 water
 vegetable oil
 lemon juice
 peppermint, lavender or
other oils, cloves,
orange peels (for
fragrance)
 baking soda
 vegetable oil based
liquid soap
10
Store Safely
5
Discuss:
Safe storage of hazardous
products:
 lock up hazardous products
 ALWAYS keep in original
containers
 Keep medicines out of
reach of children
 Away from household wells
 Child-resistant containers
(nothing is child-proof)
PowerPoint slides 18-20
Video:
Video on children opening
child-resistant medicine
bottles
http://www.wisn.com/health
/How-safe-are-childresistant-medicinebottles/19905078
Show video: Children opening
child-resistant bottles
Supplies/demonstration
tools:
Dangerous Look-Alikes
Optional activity:
(products listed under
Dangerous Look-Alikes
Assemble some of the products Extended Activity),
examples: red hot candies,
listed for viewing to
red cold medicine tablets,
demonstrate importance of
chocolate laxative,
storing safely.
chocolate squares, blue
sports drink, blue window
Ask class participants if they
cleaner, etc.
can think of any other
examples.
Safe Disposal
Review
2
Discuss:
 Recycling at hazardous
waste collections
 Reading labels for disposal
instructions
 Recycling products
containing mercury
 National Drug Take-Back
Days
PowerPoint slide 21
Review action steps to reduce
exposure to hazardous
household products:
 Use safely
 Use less
 Store safely
PowerPoint slides 22-23
11
Safe mercury disposal
information:
http://www2.epa.gov/cfl/rec
ycling-and-disposal-aftercfl-burns-out
Earth911:
http://search.earth911.com

Safe Disposal
Ask for Questions and
Comments
Evaluation
3
Administer Post test/Evaluation
Pre/Post test
Evaluation form
Prepared by Laura Booth, 2014, Healthy Homes Partnership Coordinator, Alabama
Cooperative Extension System, Auburn University. May 2014.
12
Sample news release or radio spot
Hazardous Household Products
Many household products can be dangerous to your health. According to the EPA, a
typical house in the U.S. has about 100 pounds of hazardous household products.
Many times these products are stored under kitchen and bathroom sinks or in the
garage and accessible to children. In 2000, nearly 20,000 children were exposed to or
poisoned by chlorine bleach. And in 2013 there were over 10,000 children exposed to
hazardous chemicals contained in the colorful laundry pods. Every day there are over
10,000 calls to Poison Control Centers in the U.S. Very young children and older adults
may be even more at risk to hazardous products because of inabilities to read labels.
Hazardous household products can be lots of things—bleach, rat poison, mothballs,
oven cleaner, drain cleaners, mercury in light bulbs and even medications.
(agency name)
is sponsoring a program at
(time)
on
(date)
at
(location) . This program covers hazardous household products. The program
covers using safer products, such as making our own less-toxic cleaners, the
importance of reading labels, and safely storing and disposing of hazardous products.
Additional helpful resources will be given. For more information or to register for the
program call or email
(agency name)
at (phone number) or (email address).
13
Guest Speaker Confirmation Form:
Hazardous Household Products
Speaker:
Today’s Date:
Presentation Date & Time:
Location:
Location Directions:
# Of Expected Participants:
General Audience:
Background:
The Hazardous Household Products workshop you are speaking at
provides consumers with information on how take action to make
their homes healthy and safe. Your experiences may help people
to understand one or more of the following: hazards contained in
many common household cleaners, pesticides, personal hygiene
products, medications, etc. The importance of the Poison Control
Centers. Please share information that will help people to take
action steps so they can have a healthy indoor environment.
Thank you language:
Other info:
Please let the workshop coordinator know of any audiovisual
equipment or other needs you might have at least 2 business days
prior to the presentation.
Hazardous household
products workshop
coordinator contact info:
Thank you for agreeing to share your expertise on hazardous household products
14
Hazardous Household Products
References:
Bisphenol A (BPA) Information for Parents. http://www.hhs.gov/safety/bpa/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (October, 2012). Health Hazards
Associated with Laundry Detergent Pods—United States, May-June 2012. Retrieved
from: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6141a1.htm
Read the label first! Protect your household. (2000). Washington, DC. EPA, Consumer
Product Safety Commission.
The Eco-Healthy Child Care Program www.cehn.org/ehcc
University of California San Francisco School of Nursing Institute for Health and Aging.
(2013). Green Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting: A Curriculum for Early Care and
Education. Retrieved from: http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/201308/documents/ece_curriculum_final.pdf
15