Don’t play games with your family’s health. 

LIMIT YOUR EXPOSURE

REDUCE YOUR CANCER RISK. 

You and your children may be exposed to up to 70 times more pollution inside your home than outside. In 
the trapped air of your home, dangerously high concentrations of carcinogens and toxins can build up. 
The list includes bleach and other cleaning products, dry cleaning fumes, mold, mothballs and air 
fresheners. You do have alternatives. Learn more about them today—and limit your exposure.

DELAWARE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES 
Division of Public Health 
Health Systems Protection

Made possible with the cooperation of the Delaware Cancer Consortium, and underwritten in part by the 
Delaware Health Fund. 

1-800-464-HELP www.delawarehealthyhomes.org 

Make sure your home is a healthy one.

Did you know there are many unhealthy substances you’re exposed to every day in your home? Things you’d never 
guess contained harmful toxins can hurt you. Protect yourself and your family. This quick fact sheet helps 
you learn how you can reduce your exposure and limit your cancer risk. 

CLEANING PRODUCTS
Be a diligent label-reader. If a cleaning product is hazardous, it will say so on the label. Be aware of the 
words Toxic, Flammable or Combustible, Corrosive or Strong Sensitizer, and, of course, Danger, Poison, 
Warning or Caution. The real safety of any product is difficult to know because there is no requirement to 
list ingredients on the product label. You’ll only see cautionary words like the ones above. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO: 
Use safer alternatives for common cleaning products, and consider making your own—check online resources 
from the Delaware Division of Public Health for recommendations. Above all, be aware of what you are using 
and the potential health effects associated with cleaning products in your home. And NEVER mix chemicals 
or cleaners, since poisonous fumes can result. 


DRY CLEANING
When you take that plastic bag off of your dry cleaning in your closet, you’re releasing toxic chemicals 
into a small space—and opening the door to a cancer risk. According to the EPA, inhaling the fumes of 
perchloroethylene—a popular dry-cleaning solvent—can cause cancer. (Source: Environmental Protection Agency, 
Total Exposure Assessment Methodology [TEAM] studies) 

WHAT YOU CAN DO: 
Remove the bag from your dry cleaning to air out the clothing in a well-ventilated area before you bring it 
into your house. 


HERBICIDES AND PESTICIDES
Recent studies have shown that there’s a 600% greater risk of childhood leukemia when kids are exposed to 
pesticides. Products used to kill household pests and the ones that are spread on your lawn can affect your 
children and pets. (Source: School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley; Environmental 
Health Investigations Branch, California Department of Health Services; Stamford University of Medicine) 

WHAT YOU CAN DO: 
Pull weeds instead of poisoning them. Use organic weed control methods to keep weeds from emerging. Always 
follow manufacturers’ recommendations for appropriate use of pesticides. Keep children and pets out of the 
immediate area during and immediately following application. Remind children not to touch their eyes or 
mouth after playing in the yard and to wash their hands frequently. 


MOTHBALLS AND AIR FRESHENERS—Solid air fresheners, including mothballs and gel air fresheners,can contain 
para-dichlorobenzene. (Source: Environmental Protection Agency, TEAM studies) 

WHAT YOU CAN DO: 
To prevent moth damage and freshen air, use cedar chips, cedar blocks, dried lavender and whole peppercorns, 
oruse airtight containers for storage.


RADON
It’s a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or feel. According to the EPA, radon
is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. It comes from the soil and rock beneath your 
home and seeps into your basement. (Source: Environmental Protection Agency)

WHAT YOU CAN DO: 
Test your home. Kits are available in most hardware stores. You may qualify for a free test kit. Call 
1-800-464-HELP for details. 


SPRAY PAINT AND PAINT STRIPPERS— 

Always follow directions on the labels of these products. Some may cause cancer, reproductive problems, or
damage to the liver, kidney or brain. (Source: Environmental Protection Agency, TEAM studies)

WHAT YOU CAN DO: 
Wear gloves and respiratory protection if needed. Avoid getting the products on your skin and use the products 
in well-ventilated areas, outdoors if possible.


TOBACCO SMOKE
Call the Delaware Quitline (1-866-409-1858) for help to stop smoking. There are more than 4,000 chemicals 
in secondhand tobacco smoke, the smoke breathed in by nonsmokers. According to the American Heart Association, 
such exposure can cause cancer and heart and lung disease.  (Source: 1992 study, The American Heart 
Association’s Council on Cardiopulmonary and Critical Care, and a 2002 study, International Agency for 
Research on Cancer—an affiliate of the World Health Organization) 

WHAT YOU CAN DO: 
Ask those who smoke to take it outside. Do not allow smoking in your home or car. Insist that childcare workers
not smoke around your children.


LIMIT YOUR EXPOSURE. 
REDUCE YOUR CANCER RISK. 
1-800-464-HELP 
www.delawarehealthyhomes.org 
Doc. Control No. 35-05-20/09/01/08