No More Fleas Please?

Kids love pets. We have 7 of them (yes, I did type that correctly, 7); 4 dogs and 3 cats. So, fleas are a fairly significant issue at our house. We have never used actual flea collars for our pets, but today I read some alarming news about the dangers of using them, particularly with children in the home. In short, residues can come off of the collars onto the animals fur. When children (or adults!) pet the animals, they can come into contact with this toxic residue, posing a risk for both neurological disorders and cancer.
You can read more information about the study here.
For a list of non-invasive and kid-friendly ways to combat fleas, check out green paws.
And, to sign a NRDC petition to the EPA to prohibit the use of these toxic chemicals in products used on our pets and near our children, click here.
We have been using Advantage flea control on our pets, although we only use it a few times a year instead of the recommended dose each month (in hopes to reduce the amount of chemicals entering our home). Although the vet said that these products are perfectly safe for both animals and humans, I still have my doubts. That said, I have not had much luck finding any reliable sources of information on the dangers posed by Advantage, frontline, etc. If anyone knows of a good source of information on these flea products, I would love some insight. Until then. I will keep searching.
And, as for the fleas..... after reading this most recent information, I think that I may try and forgo the flea meds for awhile and start a strict regiment of brushing, bathing, and laundering dog beds. We do all these things, but not every 2 weeks (especially the bathing part.... 7 animals.... ugg.) I thought about adopting a flea-eating animal, but apparently nothing eats fleas. Go figure.