Cleaning with chlorine is a dirty job. Mix it with ammonia products (such as window cleaner) or acidic products (like toilet bowl cleaner), and it becomes a toxic gas that causes coughing and choking. Pour it down the drain and it forms small amounts of cancer-causing compounds called organochlorines that can eventually accumulate in your body's fatty tissues after working their way through the food chain. Still not convinced? Accidents involving chlorine bleach result in more calls to poison-control centers than any other household chemical (and most involve children under six years old).

THE BETTER CHOICE For brightening your whites, choose "color safe" bleaches made with sodium perborate, like Clorox 2, and hydrogen-peroxide bleaches, such as Seventh Generation's Free & Clear Non-Chlorine Bleach-all safe and effective eco-options available in supermarkets everywhere. These bleach alternatives are gentler than chlorine though, so they need a little extra soaking time to work well.

Non-chlorine bleach: An easy switch with a big impact.