Believe it or not, your backyard oasis can be an accident waiting to happen. Keep your family healthier at home: Don’t overlook these surprising hazard zones in your yard.  Here are four hot zones–and how to protect your family.

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Trampolines

Bouncing up and down on a home trampoline may look like fun, but the popular piece of backyard equipment is “intrinsically dangerous”

The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System estimates that 98,000 trampoline-related injuries occurred in 2009, the most recent year for which statistics are available, resulting in 3,100 hospitalizations. That’s down from 3,300 hospitalizations and 112,000 injuries in 2004.

About 75% of trampoline injuries occur when multiple people are jumping, and kids 5 and under are usually at greater risk for significant injury. Fractures and dislocations make up 48% of injuries. Common injuries in all age groups include sprains, strains and contusions.

Green Weed-Free Lawn

Ingredients in popular pesticides have been linked to cancer, hormonal changes, and liver or kidney toxicity. Now research points to another surprising peril: mental health hazards. Numerous studies have found that farmers who work with pesticides have as much as six times the risk of depression; even farmers’ wives who use sprays in their homes and backyard gardens have nearly double the risk.

That’s right!

Vodka isn’t just for cocktails: It removes mold, brightens clothes, and kills pests (yes, really).

You’ve probably heard of a lot of green-cleaning alternatives these days, but vodka may be a new one. One of the best reasons to use vodka for household chores is that, unlike many commercial cleaning supplies, it won’t leach toxins and VOCs into your home and air. It can also be cheaper than buying lots of specialized cleaning products (obviously, you want to use the bottom-shelf brands).

Here are just a few of the many ways that vodka can be put to use…

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Researchers from the University of Colorado sampled what they call biofilm from 45 germy showerheads in nine U.S. cities, including New York City, and eight others in Colorado, North Dakota, Illinois, and Tennessee. They analyzed the ribosomal RNA gene sequences from the swab samples to figure out exactly what microorgamisms lurked there. They compared them with swabs from water before it entered the showerhead.

“What we show is the showerhead biofilm contains Mycobacterium avium concentrations relative to other organisms 100-fold higher than in water before it comes out of the shower head,” says Norman R. Pace, the study’s senior author and distinguished professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

The study is part of a larger effort the team is involved in, focusing on the microbiology of the indoor environment and how it may contribute to illness. The current study received funding from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

“We don’t know a whole lot about Mycobacterium avium prevalence. It’s hard to detect and largely ignored.”

Researchers do know that infections caused by the Mycobacterium avium complex occur often in patients with conditions that hamper cellular immunity such as AIDS and in patients who have chronic lung disease such as emphysema, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

But the infections are not reported nationally to the CDC, whose researchers suspect the infections are probably environmentally acquired.

You might be doing it every time you do your laundry.

Surprisingly, hanging damp clothes on indoor clothing racks can be a shocking source of indoor pollution, according to Scottish scientists from the Mackintosh Environmental Architecture Research Unit at the Glascow School of Art. After conducting a three-year study on public housing units, they concluded that drying laundry inside of your home is accompanied by dangerous health hazards.

The average home has between 1 and 2.5 gallons of water in the air at any given time, according to the study. But a load of laundry can release an additional half gallon into the air, leaving behind all kinds of unhealthy agents that you later inhale.

READ: 5 Ways To Live An Eco-Chic Lifestyle

Signs of indoor air quality problems include:

• Unusual and noticeable odors.
• Stale or stuffy air.
• Noticeable lack of air movement.
• Dirty or faulty central heating or air conditioning equipment.
• Damaged flue pipes or chimneys.
• Unvented combustion air sources for fossil fuel appliances.
• Excessive humidity.
• Presence of molds and mildew.
• Health reaction after remodeling, weatherizing, using new furniture, using household and hobby products, or moving into a new home.
• Feeling noticeably healthier outside.

READ: 10 Things To Spend Your Money On This Holiday

Surprising Sources Of Indoor Air Pollution

Air Fresheners

Air fresheners may cause breathing difficulties and headaches for some people. In a study, nearly one-third of people with asthma said they had breathing problems when exposed to air fresheners. Tests by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that some air fresheners contain phthalates, a chemical linked to child developmental and hormonal issues. Instead, use natural herbs like rosemary, basil, or mint and good ventilation to freshen air.

Stove Problems

Improperly installed or vented gas stoves can release harmful gases into your home. At low levels, carbon monoxide can cause fatigue. Higher concentrations can cause nausea, headaches, confusion, and even death. Nitrogen dioxide can cause respiratory problems — especially in children. Make sure burners are adjusted correctly so that flame tips are always blue. Vent the stove with a fan that blows outside.

Dry-Cleaned Clothes

The next time you pick up your clothes from the cleaners, take a whiff. Dry cleaning most often uses perchloroethylene, a chemical that has been found to cause cancer in animals. When you bring freshly dry-cleaned clothes into your home, your family may be inhaling this potentially harmful chemical. Air dry-cleaned clothes in the garage for several days before wearing them or wash clothes the traditional way.

Researchers tested 102 couches and found that 85 percent of them were treated with chemical flame retardants that are known to be toxic or lack adequate information about their health effects.

Forty-one percent of the couches contained chlorinated Tris (TDCPP), a cancer-causing flame retardant removed from baby pajamas in the 1970s, and 17 percent contained the worldwide-banned chemical pentaBDE, the Duke University and University of California, Berkeley, researchers said.

READ: Twins Fighting In Womb: MRI Reveals Early Double Trouble

They noted that many of the flame retardants found in the sofas are associated with hormone disruption, neurological and reproductive damage, and cancer in hundreds of animal studies and a number of human studies.

The chemicals continuously move out of furniture foam into house dust, which can then be consumed by pets and people, especially small children who are near floors and put their hands in their mouths, the researchers explained.

The study was published Nov. 28 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

READ: Top 10 Things You May Not Know About AIDS

Fortunately, there are some very easy ways to warm up your apartment or house…without spending a ton of money on expensive heaters or electricity bills.

Here are nine tips to help cozy up your space:

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Add heavy drapes or insulated curtains around your windows. Keep the curtains closed at night to retain the day’s heat inside your room; pull back the curtains at the sunniest times of the day to let the sun warm your home.

Replace old, drafty windows with double paned windows. These energy-efficient windows are comprised of two panes; cold air is trapped between the two pieces of glass before it enters your home.

Consumer health groups have studied many household products and warned that they contain carcinogens, or ingredients known to cause cancer.

Here are the prime products to send packing, along with safer replacements to substitute:

Nonstick Cookware

Pots, pans, and other cookware made with a nonstick coating (Teflon) have been controversial for many years. The main chemical in nonstick coatings is perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is known to cause cancer.

The question has been whether enough PFOA gets into the human body from pans to pose a risk. Some experts believe that PFOA and as many as 15 other chemicals can be released when cooking with these coatings, particularly at high heat. Other concerns involve whether the chemicals can get into food once the surface becomes scratched and nicked over time.

The EPA has called on manufacturers to phase out PFOA, but it hasn’t happened yet.

The takeaway: Don’t use nonstick pans to cook foods over 300 degrees, and toss them when the coating gets scratched.

Safer substitute: Glass, cast iron, copper, and ceramic or porcelain-coated pans are all safe. There are also lines of nonstick cookware made with other surface coatings (often ceramic, titanium, or both) that are PFOA-free.

Cosmetics

Your makeup bag and medicine cabinet may be hazardous to your health, containing chemicals that are known carcinogens. Philip Landrigan, dean of Global Health at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, advises avoiding the “dirty dozen” toxic chemicals in skin care listed in National Geographic’s Green Guide, including:

• Antibacterials
• Formaldehyde
• Hydroquinone
• Mercury
• Lead
• Parabens
• Phenylenediamine
• Coal tar
• Diethanolamine
• 1,4-Dioxane
• Nanoparticles
• Petroleum distillates

According to Landrigan, chemicals belonging to a class called phthalates are among the biggest culprits in beauty products because they mimic the action of our natural hormones. Phthalates such as dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), and diethyl phthalate (DEP) are used in beauty products as “plasticizers,” to harden nail polish, help hair spray adhere to the hair, and fix scent in perfumes. Phthalates are also found in the flexible plastic bottles in which shampoo, lotion, and other beauty products are stored, and they can leach into the contents.

Another of the worst offenders is lipstick, which may contain lead, known to cause numerous health problems, including cancer. In response to a public health effort by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, the FDA recently conducted two separate investigations testing lipsticks for lead, and the results were pretty scary. Lead was detected in every single one of the lipsticks tested, and not in small amounts. The first FDA test revealed lead levels up to 3.06 ppm (parts per million), and the second test found lead levels up to 7.19 ppm.

Lastly, be aware that beauty labels are not always honest. In one recent study, keratin-based hair straighteners labeled “formaldehyde-free” were found to contain formaldehyde. While the levels found were fairly low, stylists are at risk because of repeated exposure.

Safer substitute: The generic term “fragrance” can cover a lot of chemical additives; choose fragrance-free products or fragrances made from botanical ingredients. Natural skin care and beauty companies sell natural and organic skin care lines that list their ingredients transparently and are free of phthalates, heavy metals such as lead, and other toxic chemicals.

Plastic

BPA, or bisphenol A, has been in the headlines endlessly the past couple of years, but that doesn’t mean we know what to do about it, since the news has been both alarmist and confusing. Here’s the lowdown: BPA is a phthalate and a synthetic estrogen linked to cancer, reproductive problems, and heart disease.

In 2010, the President’s Cancer Panel recommended that consumers not use water bottles and other containers made with BPA and urged that the ingredient be removed from commercial production, but that has happened in only a handful of states. Still, BPA-free bottles are now manufactured by all of the major bottle manufacturers, and BPA-free bottles are fast becoming the norm, at least where they are available.

Unfortunately, BPA has been much slower to phase out in other products, such as the lining of cans. Because BPA can react with the metal of the cans, and cans are heated as they’re sterilized, canned food is “high risk” for BPA.

Another ingredient used to make plastics more pliable is diethylhexyl adipate (DEHA), which is also classified as a possible carcinogen. DEHA is in almost all plastic wraps and has properties similar to phthalates, like BPA. Unlike BPA, it has yet to be phased out of most products.

How do I contact someone in the affected area?

You can, of course, try calling. Many landlines will be down, but some are operating. If you use your mobile phone, you may get a busy signal because mobile bandwidth may be overloaded in the storm areas, or some cell towers may be damaged. If you can’t reach someone by phone, try texting. All of the wireless carriers are recommending people text because it has a greater chance of getting through and will use less battery power of the person you’re trying to reach.

If that doesn’t work and you’re trying to contact someone in the area who may be housebound or evacuated, contact FEMA (800-621-FEMA) or the American Red Cross (800-RED-CROSS). Both have Internet locators where people in the storm areas can register their names to let their loved one(s) know where they are, and if they are safe. FEMA’s site is called the National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System (https://egateway.fema.gov/inter/nefrls/home.htm). The Red Cross has a site called “Safe and Well” that offers the same service. (https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php).

Once the power is out, how long will refrigerated foods last?

Refrigerated foods, once the power is off, will stay cold for about four to six hours. To increase the time, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed.

If a freezer is full, the temperature will be maintained for about 48 hours. If it’s half full of food, figure 24 hours.

What foods should be eaten first, after power is off?

Start by eating leftovers, meat, poultry, and any foods with milk, cream, soft cheese, or sour cream.

If frozen foods still contain ice crystals, they may still be safely cooked and eaten (or re-frozen, if power is restored).

Fruits that were frozen can be eaten if they still taste and smell good.

Vegetables that are completely thawed shouldn’t be eaten, since bacteria multiply quickly.

If meat or poultry has thawed and has been warmer than 40 degrees F for two hours, discard it.

Discard melted ice cream.

Some foods typically refrigerated keep at room temperature for a few days. Among them: butter, margarine, hard cheese, fresh fruit, and vegetables (except sprouts or fresh, sliced fruit), fruit juice, dried fruits, or coconut. Opened jars of vinegar-based salad dressing, jelly, relishes, taco sauce, and barbecue sauce are typically also OK to eat. Mustard, ketchup, and olives generally keep at room temperature for a few days, too.

What about water? If we run out, what supplies can we ta

Use ice, soft drinks, and fruit juices as water substitutes. Remember that older adults, nursing mothers, and children need more water than others.

Check hidden sources of water: the hot water tank, water in the plumbing, the reservoir toilet tank (not the bowl). These water supplies need to be disinfected, however.

To disinfect by boiling, bring water to a rolling boil for one or two minutes, then cool. If you have no power, disinfect with bleach. Bleach will kill some but not all organisms that could be in the water. Add eight drops to a gallon. Stir, then let stand for 30 minutes. If the water is cloudy, filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle, and draw off the clear water for disinfection.

If you have iodine tablets, follow package directions. Be sure their expiration date has not passed.

What precautions do I need to take for medications that need refrigeration, such as insulin or reconstituted drugs?

It is suggested that one plant should be allowed for approximately 10 square yards of floor space, assuming average ceiling heights of 8 to 9 feet. This means that you need two or three plants to contribute to good air quality in the average domestic living room of about 20 to 25 square yards.

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Research has shown that these 10 plants are the most effective all-around in counteracting offgassed chemicals and contributing to balanced internal humidity.

Here are some of the best air-purifying houseplants and the toxins they are most effective at reducing:

1. Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifritzii)—benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene (TCE)

2. Chrysanthemums or mums (Chrysanthemum morifolium)—benzene, formaldehyde, TCE (the most effective plant against TCE according to NASA)