Keep Kids Safe from Household Cleaners, Chemicals and Other Poisons

Before you jump into this year’s spring cleaning, take some time to make sure your kids will be safe during and after the deep clean.

Of the more than two million calls to United States Poison Control Centers in 2022, 40% of the calls concerned children five and under, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. And over 90% of those poison exposures occurred in the home.

Children are especially vulnerable to accidental poisoning because they don’t understand the inherent dangers of the products and, from newborn past toddler age, children discover everything with their mouths. To keep children safe, it’s important to identify possible culprits of accidental poisoning and store them safely. Follow these four tips to help keep your children safe from harmful household cleaners, chemicals and other poisons:

1. Understand what attracts children to these products.

Children are drawn to colorful items, and a quick assessment of your home will uncover a slew of high-risk products. Pills, laundry pods, cleaners, cosmetics and a host of other items sell better if they contain bright, vibrant colors. While that works from a marketing perspective, it adds a dangerous element to seemingly harmless products.

Wander through your home and take inventory, and then action, against items that may be attractive to your kids.

2. Look out for look-alike products.

Another problem with some household items is that children can confuse them with common foods and drinks. Window cleaner, like Windex, looks like blue Gatorade. Bleach looks like a simple glass of water. Laundry pods remind kids of colored marshmallows. Cleaning products that are yellow in color remind kids of Mountain Dew.

Examine all household products not only with an eye to danger but for patterns of similarity with products kids are very familiar with.

3. Even “innocent” products may be harmful.

A vast majority of accidental poisonings occur with products that, in our minds, are harmless. Mouthwash is not something that equates to us on the same level as rat poison, but the base of most mouthwashes is alcohol, a deadly poison to children. Cosmetics contain a host of chemicals that are harmful in small amounts, and the various colors, as stated above, are attractive to kids. Pre-packaged laundry pods are tiny enough for little hands, their color is a draw for wee ones, and it reminds them of some of their toys. And we all know what they do with their toys! Nothing is innocent in the house in terms of potential poisoning.

4. Sometimes “high” is not high enough.

In terms of storage of household products, placing them up high is often just the tip of the iceberg. In every family, there is a climber, the master of scaling great heights to see what treasures can be found. So, in many cases, ‘high’ does not prevent disaster. 

Never leave a cleaner sitting out unattended for any amount of time, even if it is in use. Store products high in locked cabinets to keep little hands away from them.

What To Do in Case of Poisoning

If you know or believe that a child has ingested a possible poison, stay calm and call 911 or poison control at 1-800-222-1222. They will be able to advise you if the child can be treated and monitored at home, or if a visit to the emergency room is necessary. Never try to induce vomiting unless a poison control staff member instructs you to do so.

Until children are aware enough to keep themselves safe, it is our job to do so for them. Using these tips is a step in reducing the number of accidental poisonings.