There are a few key ingredients to avoid if you want to be kind to our ecosystem. The phosphates found in many dishwasher detergents, for example, can contribute to fish-killing algae blooms, which is why 12 states will be banning their sale by 2010. Many cleaning products release volatile organic compounds that contribute to smog formation—avoid anything with butoxyethanol or glycol ethers on the label. (If a warning label indicates that a product should be used in a "well-ventilated area," it's likely that it will produce VOCs.) Finally, certain surfactants—the wetting agents that help remove dirt—can be slow to biodegrade and toxic in aquatic environments. At the moment, these substances are hard to avoid, since they're not always included in ingredient labels. But starting in January 2010, members of the Soap and Detergent Association—which includes most of the big cleaning companies—will begin voluntarily listing their products' ingredients, either on labels or on the company Web site. When that happens, steer clear of nonylphenol ethoxylate, alkyl phenol ethoxylates, and sodium xylene sulfonates.