Have you ever used a drain cleaner that almost drove you out of your home? Maybe your daughter coughs a bit and you throw open the windows while Dad cautions no one to go into the bathroom for the next 20 minutes. Have you ever thought that perhaps you may have polluted your home with dangerous toxins?

Experts are torn on this subject. Some believe that household cleaning products are harmless when used properly, while others believe you put your children at risk every time you scrub your tub. Who is right and what can you do, as a parent, to ensure the safety of your children?

Jennifer Reno, a registered nurse and mother of one from Howell, Mich., is concerned about the chemicals present in household products. "I use nontoxic cleaners because my son has asthma and autism," says Reno. "My research has shown that there is a possibility that environmental factors contributed to these disabilities, and I want to do whatever I can to keep my son healthy."

According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, poison centers received nearly 127,000 calls in 2002 regarding children younger than 6 exposed to cleaning substances. This statistic doesn't include effects of low-grade exposure that may occur over a long period of time.

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