Product Safety: Surprising Hidden Hazards in Your Home

Most parents know to keep chemicals and cleaning products with a skull and cross bones label on the side away from their kids.  But did you know that there are literally hundreds of products around your house that aren’t labeled poisonous but could definitely harm your child?  Spices, toiletry items and even arts and crafts items can all be dangerous if ingested.

Here are some product safety tips about a few items that you might not have been aware of:

Spices – These can be harmful to you child and your pet.  Specifically, be careful with nutmeg, cinnamon, paprika and bay leaves.  Flavor extracts usually contain some alcohol so if consumed in large quantities could cause serious harm.

Personal care items – Mouthwash, hand sanitizer, facial toner and perfumes all can contain alcohol and, if ingested in large amounts, could cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar and lead to a coma.

Multi-Vitamins – While giving a child a multivitamin designed specifically for kids is fine, ingesting too many, especially if they contain iron, could prove to be fatal.

Spray cleaners – While bottles usually come with child safety caps, spray bottles such as window and glass cleaners don’t.  It’s very easy for a toddler to unscrew the tops of these items and ingest them. Also, always keep in mind that “child safety caps” don’t mean that a child won’t be able to get into them. 

Art and Crafts and Office Supplies – Certain glues and paints can be toxic to toddlers.  Best bet is to make your own.  There are tons of “recipes” online for creating non-toxic glue and finger paints for kids.  Be careful of batteries, particularly button batteries, magnets and printer ink toners that you might have in desk drawers.

Be sure to have the number for National Poison Control – 1-800-222-1222, posted prominently in your home.

Related Content:
Do You Know Your Poison Risks?
Top Food Safety Tips for Avoiding Food Poisoning
Some of the Season’s Hottest Toys Could be Toxic
 

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