Home Chemical Storage
When you think about it, there is a wide range of chemicals used around the home all the time.
We take them for granted.
Nonetheless, they can be a major child safety hazard in our homes.
Take a minute and give it some thought.
There's gasoline for the mower, carpet cleaners, spot removers, polishes, detergents and cleaning agents.
They are all poisonous to children, some are flammable and many are corrosive and/or explosive when combined with others.
The first step to reducing your child's accidental contact is to take inventory of everything you have in the house.
Anything that is old or out of date (most have expiration dates on them), or something you haven't used in a long time, should be properly disposed of in accordance with environmental laws at the county, state and federal levels.
The easiest way to determine local requirements and capabilities is to contact the local county waste disposal or environmental control department.
They can tell you quickly how to dispose of various materials, which chemicals they can dispose of for you, and how to recycle some of them.
Once you've determined what you have, you can begin to properly store, control and use chemicals safely.
As every parent knows, kids are naturally curious and will explore everywhere they can.
Storing silver polish, soaps and cleanser under the kitchen sink without cabinet latches no longer works.
General storage guidelines should include some of the following tips.
All flammables, such as gasoline, oil-based paints and some spot removers, should be stored in the garage or an outside shed in a metal box or cabinet with a little ventilation and away from heat sources (e.
g.
, furnaces, hot water heaters, glue guns, soldering irons and other heat producers).
The container should either be placed high enough so toddlers and small kids can't get into it or, even better, it should be locked.
Chemicals should not be stored in an old soda bottle or fruit juice container.
A child may think it's orange juice or soda.
The other chemical items that we all use every day to clean and maintain our homes should be stored out of reach (don't forget those little climbers) of our kids.
They should also be stored with an eye to chemical compatibility.
Dishwashing and clothes washing detergents, while they could be poisonous to a small child, won't present a problem if they happen to spill and mix.
But others, such as chlorine bleach and vinegar and various other cleaning agents will chemically interact to form free chlorine gas which can be toxic, if not lethal, when breathed by adults or children.
It is important toremember when using cleaning agents in the home to take a moment to read the label and determine what the "warning" sections have to say about usage and storage of the respective agent.
If your child does get into a household chemical, the container will have first aid instructions on it.
Another good reason to read the label before using; it's difficult to read a label when your child is hurting from a chemical exposure.
In an emergency, call 911 to get help on the way.
Call the National Capital Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222.
Even if the concern seems to have passed, contact your child's doctor for further advice.
Finally, chemicals are all around us at home and can be toxic to small children.
By conducting an inventory then properly disposing of potentially dangerous products no longer needed, storing flammable chemicals in a metal, secured container and by storing and using only compatible chemicals together, you can decrease your child's chances of serious injury.
For more home safety tips for children, visit us at www.
homesafetytipsforkids.
com.
While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information presented here is correct, contents and any links are not warranted for accuracy or any other implied or explicit purposes and are for information only.
We take them for granted.
Nonetheless, they can be a major child safety hazard in our homes.
Take a minute and give it some thought.
There's gasoline for the mower, carpet cleaners, spot removers, polishes, detergents and cleaning agents.
They are all poisonous to children, some are flammable and many are corrosive and/or explosive when combined with others.
The first step to reducing your child's accidental contact is to take inventory of everything you have in the house.
Anything that is old or out of date (most have expiration dates on them), or something you haven't used in a long time, should be properly disposed of in accordance with environmental laws at the county, state and federal levels.
The easiest way to determine local requirements and capabilities is to contact the local county waste disposal or environmental control department.
They can tell you quickly how to dispose of various materials, which chemicals they can dispose of for you, and how to recycle some of them.
Once you've determined what you have, you can begin to properly store, control and use chemicals safely.
As every parent knows, kids are naturally curious and will explore everywhere they can.
Storing silver polish, soaps and cleanser under the kitchen sink without cabinet latches no longer works.
General storage guidelines should include some of the following tips.
All flammables, such as gasoline, oil-based paints and some spot removers, should be stored in the garage or an outside shed in a metal box or cabinet with a little ventilation and away from heat sources (e.
g.
, furnaces, hot water heaters, glue guns, soldering irons and other heat producers).
The container should either be placed high enough so toddlers and small kids can't get into it or, even better, it should be locked.
Chemicals should not be stored in an old soda bottle or fruit juice container.
A child may think it's orange juice or soda.
The other chemical items that we all use every day to clean and maintain our homes should be stored out of reach (don't forget those little climbers) of our kids.
They should also be stored with an eye to chemical compatibility.
Dishwashing and clothes washing detergents, while they could be poisonous to a small child, won't present a problem if they happen to spill and mix.
But others, such as chlorine bleach and vinegar and various other cleaning agents will chemically interact to form free chlorine gas which can be toxic, if not lethal, when breathed by adults or children.
It is important toremember when using cleaning agents in the home to take a moment to read the label and determine what the "warning" sections have to say about usage and storage of the respective agent.
If your child does get into a household chemical, the container will have first aid instructions on it.
Another good reason to read the label before using; it's difficult to read a label when your child is hurting from a chemical exposure.
In an emergency, call 911 to get help on the way.
Call the National Capital Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222.
Even if the concern seems to have passed, contact your child's doctor for further advice.
Finally, chemicals are all around us at home and can be toxic to small children.
By conducting an inventory then properly disposing of potentially dangerous products no longer needed, storing flammable chemicals in a metal, secured container and by storing and using only compatible chemicals together, you can decrease your child's chances of serious injury.
For more home safety tips for children, visit us at www.
homesafetytipsforkids.
com.
While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information presented here is correct, contents and any links are not warranted for accuracy or any other implied or explicit purposes and are for information only.
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