COUNTYWIDE : Hazardous Products Detailed in Booklet

Dangers in the home go far beyond the misplaced roller-skate or the faulty gas jet, as the state Department of Health Services illustrates in its “Hazardous Household Products” handbook.

The 18-page handbook, which is available from the Ventura County Solid Waste Management Department, lists 50 categories of hazardous products in the home, along with some environmentally sound alternatives and safe disposal techniques.

The handbook recommends caution with items such as automotive, cleaning, garden, hobby, paint and pool products. Among the listed alternatives are vegetable oil and a touch of lemon juice or white vinegar in place of floor and furniture polish and the use of cedar wood chips or dried lavender flowers rather than mothballs.

The booklet is available by calling 654-2889 or stopping by the Solid Waste Management Department at 5275 Colt St., Suite 1, Ventura.