What to Do With Unused Cleaning Products?

There is nothing more important than living in a clean and healthy home. Unfortunately, due to tight schedules and daily responsibilities, many homeowners find it difficult to keep their homes tidy on a regular basis. Even with good cleaning habits and proper organization, as well as high-quality professional cleaning supplies, many people do not manage to go through regular cleaning procedures every day.

Before you start cleaning your home, take some time to sort your products and check if you have everything you need. Carefully inspect your supplies and make sure they have not expired. If you have some chemicals in your Charlotte home that you need to dispose of, it’s important to do it properly. 

While you can seek advice from a trusted maid service on how to adequately take care of them, you also need to know what’s the proper procedure for getting rid of expired chemicals. Keep reading and find out what you should pay attention to.

Why is it important to dispose chemicals properly?

Every chemical composition, including cleaning agents, has an expiration date. Precisely because of that fact, they can be even more dangerous than when they are used for their intended purpose. 

This is why it’s advisable to remove expired products when they lose their cleaning properties. With these chemicals, careful handling is required because contact through the skin can reach the bloodstream and seriously endanger one’s health.

If you are not sure if the product is toxic and dangerous, look for the label on the packaging. Check for these labels:

  • Toxic
  • Explosive
  • Flammable
  • Irritant
  • Corrosive

Of course, you can safely dispose of items like these (also known as Household Hazardous Waste). However, before you just throw them into the trash, there are a few things to keep in mind.

How to properly dispose of unused cleaning products?

You should get rid of all items containing hazardous properties properly and separate them from the rest of your trash. Failure to do so may result in leakage or any other form of contamination of the environment that could potentially be harmful or even fatal to human health. 

If, for some reason, the packaging does not indicate how to handle hazardous products, consider how they are used.

  • You can pour cleaning products that can mix with water into the drain, as they will dissolve.
  • You should dispose of powdered agents slowly and in small amounts repeatedly so as not to form nuggets.
  • Throwing aerosol cleaning products (like disinfectant sprays) into the garbage is generally a safe option.
  • You can remove a vast majority of solid cleaners (such as soap scouring pads) in the trash.
  • To avoid an unwanted chemical reaction, make sure not to mix cleaning products in any way. In addition to being dangerous to health, this can also damage your plumbing.
  • Also, don’t forget to discard rubber gloves used when disposing of such hazardous chemicals.

Take your time and do some research before throwing away hazardous materials because most states and cities offer a variety of disposal areas. They may also have certain regulations that you need to follow, so make sure to inform yourself beforehand. 

What’s Charlotte’s best maid service I can depend on?

If you are not sure that you can adequately dispose of hazardous cleaning supplies, the best option is to contact Dust and Mop. Our experienced professionals will be happy to help you and offer expert advice and guidance.

While we handle your housework, you can spend quality time with your family and enjoy a show at the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. In the meantime, our insured and bonded technicians will handle everything for you. Give us a call and we’ll be there to help you handle everything from regular cleaning to more specialized services. Reach out to us now!