Ten Ideas For Keeping Kids Safe While Cleaning

SDA Shares Must-Have Tips for Parents of Young Children

Here are ten simple year-round reminders for consumers to help keep their families safe:

1. Take a tour of your home. Making sure your entire home is safe for children can help avoid unnecessary trips to the emergency room later on.

2. Install child-proof locks on cabinets that house cleaning supplies. Never assume a cabinet is too high for a curious, climbing toddler.

3. Keep all household products in their original packages. Packaging includes useful first aid information in the event of accidental exposure or ingestion.

4. Read and follow the product-label directions.

5. Don’t leave cleaning buckets unattended. Even those with a small amount of liquid pose a danger to “top heavy” toddlers. If the child falls into a bucket, it may not tip over and he or she could drown.

6. Schedule cleaning during “down times” such as nap time or when children are in school, or on a play date.

7. Take out only the amount of cleaning product needed for the job at hand. Store the rest away securely so there’s no chance that small explorers will get their hands on it.

8. Immediately clean up any spillage.

9. Avoid distractions or interruptions when children are present during cleaning. If you answer the door, take the child with you. If the phone rings, let the answering machine do its job.

10. Post the Poison Control Center phone number (1-800-222-1222) by every phone in your home and save it on your cell phone.

“Very simply put, an ounce of prevention means a safer home,” says SDA Vice President of Education Nancy Bock, who is the 2006-2007 Chair of the Poison Prevention Week Council. “In 2005, half of all exposure calls managed by Poison Control Centers involved children under six.

“National Poison Prevention Week is a good time for families to identify where potential accidental poisonings can occur in the home. Concentrate on preventative measures that can help keep your family clean and safe. Millions of cleaning products are used and stored safely every day when parents have safety measures in place,” added Bock.

SDA has a free online brochure containing common sense tips to help keep your family safe around the home year-round. You can download “Home Safe Home” on our website, www.cleaning101.com/health. And visit for www.poisonprevention.org for more safety information from the Poison Prevention Week Council.