Lake-Friendly Products
Many commonly used household cleaners, chemicals, and pesticides can find their way into our lakes and streams. They enter the water through septic systems or directly via stormwater runoff. By using lake-friendly products, you can help protect the Glen Lake/Crystal River Watershed.
LAKE-Friendly Product Alternatives
Consider the following alternatives to commonly used household products in order to keep harmful chemicals from entering the water.
Use the lake-friendly alternatives list below when shopping!
Commonly Used Products and Their LAKE-Friendly Alternatives
| COMMONLY USED | ALTERNATIVE |
| Chlorine bleach | Hydrogen peroxide |
| Drain cleaner | 2 cups boiling water and/or Baking soda (1/2 c.) followed by vinegar |
| Bathroom cleaners | Baking soda, borax |
| Toilet cleaner | Vinegar, salt & water Baking soda & water |
| Disinfectant | 1/2 c. borax in 1 gal. water |
| Lime Away | Vinegar |
| Scouring powders | Baking soda |
| Rug cleaners | Club soda & sprinkle with cornstarch, then vacuum |
| Floor cleaner | Mop with 1 c. vinegar in 2 gal. water |
| Furniture polish | 1 part lemon juice with 2 parts vegitable oil |
| Copper cleaner | Dip side of lemon in salt, rub |
| Oven cleaner | Salt and scrub Wipe with ammonia & let stand overnight, scrub with baking soda |
| Porcelain cleaner | Make paste of baking soda and water, apply & let stand, rub clean & rinse |
| Silver polish | Soak in 1 qt. warm water & 1 tsp. baking soda & 1 tsp. salt, and piece of aluminum foil or in aluminum pan |
| Stainless steel cleaner | 1 qt. water & 1 tbls. baking soda, rinse in hot water |
| Floor cleaner | 1 c. vinegar in 2 gal. water |
| Window cleaner | 1/2 c. vinegar & 1 gal. warm water, use newspapers to dry glass |
| Ant traps or pesticide for inside ants | Sprinkle thick line of borax around foundation |
| Flee repellent | Rosemary on pet bed |
| Moth balls | Lavender or cedar chips in small bags |
| Wood preservative | Water based wood preservatives |
| Fungicide | Avoid watering in the vening and over watering |
| House plan insecticide | A few drops of soap & water, spray on leaves, rinse |
| Pesticides | Insecticidal soap |
| Herbicides | Weeding and hoeing, corn herbicide |
| Snail and slug killer | Shallow pan with stale beer |
Refuse, Reuse, AND Recycle
Take action to help protect our lakes and streams by properly disposing of household chemicals and their containers. Learn more by clicking the link below:
Best Practices for household products
- Recycle all that you can! Recycling facilities are located in Empire and at the Leelanau School
- Use refillable containers of shampoo, laundry soap, hand soap, and dish soap
- Bring reusable bags and containers for your purchases when you shop
- Buy local produce to preserve rural landscapes
- Choose lake-friendly products when possible
- Compost garbage and apply it to your garden
- Compost yard waste
