• Careers
  • Education
  • Research
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search
Close Search
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Location
  • Find A Specialty
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Pay A Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
Toddler Opening Drawers

Storing Cleaning Products When You Have Kids

Jul 12, 2016 |
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

As a first-time mother, I am constantly learning the do’s and don’ts of raising my little girl. Now that my little one is 9 months old and mobile, I have been introduced to an entirely new set of challenges.

One thing I have learned over and over is DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE YOUR KIDS. Just when you think “Oh, she’ll never reach the table decorations,” or “This cup of water is fine right here, she can’t get to it,” I am proven completely wrong.

Now, small cups of water and table decorations are more of a nuisance, but when it comes to my baby reaching the cabinets under the sink, or potentially dangerous items in the house, I get a little frantic. Again, two weeks ago I would have told you I didn’t need to worry about locking the cabinets, because she couldn’t crawl. Today, my little girl is proudly standing at those same cabinets using the handle for balance.

It’s a big wake up call. Kids get into anything and everything they can. In the past, the obvious dangers were cleaners keep under the sink. But today, another potential danger involves a perfectly harmless activity: laundry.

According to results from a new survey released by the American Cleaning Institute, most people aren't being careful enough with their laundry detergent pods. The research found that 61% of parents polled store the packets or pods where kids can see or reach them. In fact, about 3 million households with children under age 4 store them right on top of the washing machine, which is a big no-no.

I hope that these tips can help you create a happy and safe home:

Storage of Cleaning Products and Laundry Pods

  • In addition to keeping products out of reach of children, keep products in their original containers with the labels intact. After each use, completely close the container. Immediately store it in an appropriate location out of reach of children, preferably locked in a closet or on a high shelf.
  • Bright and colorful single-load laundry packets or pods are a magnet for young children, who can mistake them for candy. These products present new hazards for ingestion, because of the high concentration of laundry detergents and chemicals. Parents should be extremely vigilent with where they store these products, keeping them out of sight and reach at all times when not in immediate use.

During Use of Cleaning Products

  • Follow all recommended product instructions, and pay particularly close attention to all "Caution", "Warning", "Danger", or "Poison" statements.
  • To prevent laundry pods from dissolving before use, you should always close the package and handle with dry hands.
  • Clean up any cleaner of chemical spills immediately after they occur.
  • Be sure to wash your hands after doing laundry, as well as any utensils you use to dispense or measure products.
  • Aim to take care of the laundry and other cleaning chores during your child's downtime (such as naptime). This will help to ensure your attention is not diverted while using laundry and cleaning products to help avoid unintended exposure.
  • If anything gets in the eye(s), then rinse immediately with plenty of water for 15 minutes and seek medical advice, as needed.
  • If on the skin or clothing, remove contaminated clothing and rinse skin well with water.
  • If swallowed, drink a glass of water or milk and contact the Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) or doctor immediately.
Tags
cleaning
pediatrics

You may also be interested in:

Thinkstockphotos 80403546(2) Mother Concerned Holding Baby
Prevention & Wellness
Jun 10, 2015

Are Your Baby’s Spit-Ups Concerning?

All babies have episodes of reflux intermittently without implying a medical condition. However, reflux episodes can be a sign of several medical conditions. Therefore, it is important to differentiate between a "happy spitter" and a baby with a medical condition.
Thinkstockphotos 466231781 Baby Girl
Prevention & Wellness
May 27, 2015

Baby, It’s Hot! Sunscreen and Infants

Learn more about guidelines and tips for infants and sun protection from our pediatric expert, Dr. Daniel Bronfin.
490696481 Mother With Children Hugging And Kissing
Food & Fitness
May 10, 2014

First vs. Second Baby - What’s Different?

There are differences between being an expectant parent of your first child versus your second child.

Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health Ochsner Health

Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637

Follow us: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Pinterest

Healthy living tips, delivered weekly to your inbox.

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Hello Health Seminars
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

Healthy Living Tips, Delivered Right To Your Inbox

* indicates required


Must Reads
Food and Fitness
Men’s Health
Parenting
Women’s Health

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:


Get Weekly Health Tips

Select the weekly newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition

Let us know where to send your weekly newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox every week.

Ochsner Health System
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide