My boyfriend is balding. But that, I can deal with. My problem is the drain—it’s clogged with hair and I can barely take a shower without the tub filling up. The bathroom sink is even worse. At any other time in my life, I would have gone to the local hardware store, picked up a bottle of Drano or Liquid Plumber, and been done with it.

But, as it happens, I work for an eco magazine and I’ve spent the last few days working on our Summer issue’s editor’s letter about the harmful effects—cancer, asthma, a poisoned watershed—of toxic cleaning products. Knowing what I know now, you couldn’t pay me to pour poison into my pipes. Luckily, Bill Capsalis (author of our Summer eco-cleaning spread) and other readers have helped me out with a few tips. Check ‘em out, and if leave your own ideas. I need all the help I can get.