Head Start staff can share these tips with families to help them keep children safe from poisoning at home.
Prevent Poisoning from Cleaning Products
Cleaning is an important way to reduce germs. However, many young children have been poisoned by products that are meant to kill germs. Swallowing even tiny amounts of these products can poison children. Poisoning may cause confusion, vomiting, sleepiness, seizures, trouble breathing, and even death. Follow the tips below to keep children safe.
Act Fast
Contact Poison Control if you think a child has swallowed or touched something that might harm them.
Call: 800-222-1222 (toll-free)
Visit: www.poison.org
Poison Control speaks many languages. They can tell you what to do. These services are available any time.
Call 911 if a child has collapsed or is not breathing.
Be Prepared
Save the phone number for Poison Control in your phone. Post it near every phone in your home.
Learn how to prevent poisoning at www.poison.org.
Keep Out of Reach
Keep products in their original containers. This includes laundry and dishwashing detergent, hand sanitizers, and cleaning products. Store them where children cannot reach them. If you store small bottles of hand sanitizer in purses, diaper bags, or cars, keep them away from children.
Read the Label
Follow directions on the bottle when you use cleaning products. When using certain products, you may need to wear gloves or open a window. Some products should never be mixed with other products.
Some hand sanitizers are not safe. Make sure your hand sanitizer does not contain an ingredient called methanol. Check the list of hand sanitizers you should not use to find out if yours is safe. Hand sanitizer should not be used on babies or toddlers under age 2. Soap and water work best for washing hands.
Resource also available in:
- Arabic (العربية)
- Mandarin Chinese (中文)
- Haitian Creole (Kreyòl ayisyen)
- Somali (Af-Soomaali)
- Vietnamese (tiếng Việt)
Last Updated: September 30, 2022