household cleaning products

Always lock up your cleaners—but not in the obvious place—and leave them in their original containers. Or make your own safer cleaners.

Cleaning products in spray bottles remain a threat to kids, according to a new report.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—If you've had a recent addition to your family, you probably went through all the baby-proofing of cabinets, staircases, and anything else that could threaten your child. And all those efforts seem to be working, at least when it comes to protecting kids from household cleaning products. A new study in the journal Pediatrics has revealed that the incidence of childhood poisonings due to household cleaning supplies has declined nearly 50 percent over the past two decades, largely thanks to safety measures like childproofing and parental awareness. But the news isn't all rosy. Products in spray bottles are still proving dangerous to kids, even more so than toxic ingredients like ammonia, and parents could be doing more to protect their children.

THE DETAILS: The authors collected information that was reported by hospital emergency departments to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission on childhood injuries related to household cleaning products, such as poisonings, burns, or getting sprayed in the eyes. Between 1990 and 2006, 267,269 children under 5 years old experienced some form of physical injury because of cleaning products, and most of those injuries were poisonings due to ingestion. Household bleach accounted for the largest percentage of injuries: 37 percent. And compared to other cleaning products, it was more likely to be stored in food containers or pots and pans (as opposed to its original packaging). However, children poisoned by ammonia or by acids and alkalis (for instance, oven cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, dishwashing detergents, and drain cleaners) were far more likely to be hospitalized than children exposed to bleach.

On a positive note, the number of injuries in 2006 was 46 percent lower than in 1990, suggesting that moves including childproof caps, reformulating products to be less toxic, and parental education are working to prevent children from ingesting or coming into contact with household cleaning products. Still, in one case, the number actually increased. Injuries related to spray bottles jumped 10 percent over that time period, and when spray bottles were involved, children were 13.74 times more likely to experience eye injuries than injuries to any other body part.

WHAT IT MEANS: Cleaning products are attractive to young kids, what with their bright colors and curious smells and the general propensity of toddlers to put everything in their mouths. So it's good news that cleaner-related injuries are decreasing. But the researchers note that more needs to be done to keep kids safe—for instance, storing household cleaners in locked cabinets. They cite one study finding that 38 to 55 percent of parents say they store products in locked cabinets, but home visits revealed that nearly none of them actually did. And although child safety caps have helped to a certain extent, adults may not always close them properly, or the caps can become distorted after repeated openings and closings, leaving curious kids vulnerable.