How to store cleaning products safely at home and what to do if swallowed

Store cleaning products in their original packaging with the label, tightly closed, in a high cupboard or one with a lock or child safety catch, out of reach of children and pets. Never decant them into drink bottles. If a child tastes a product anyway, do not induce vomiting and call the 24-hour line of the Toxicological Information Centre: 224 919 293 or 224 915 402.

Below you will find where to store products in your home, what to watch out for during cleaning itself and what to do if an accident happens. This text does not replace the advice of a doctor or toxicologist – if you have any doubt, call.

Where to store cleaning products in your home

In its recommendations on preventing poisoning in children, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises locking harmful products, including disinfectants and bleaches for the bathroom and kitchen, in a cabinet out of a child's reach and fitting safety latches to cupboards.

In practice this means:

• High up and closed. An upper cupboard in the kitchen, pantry or bathroom is safer than the space under the sink, which a toddler can easily reach.
• A lock or catch. If you have no place other than the lower cupboard, fit a child safety catch to the door and check that the child cannot open it.
• One place for chemicals. Do not scatter products around the home. When they are together, it is easier to check what you have, and nothing is left forgotten by the bath or on the windowsill.
• Separate from food and medicines. Do not store cleaning products on the same shelf as food or the first-aid kit, so that they cannot be mistaken for one another.
• Acids and chlorine separately. Do not store products containing hypochlorite (bleaches, some toilet cleaners) right next to acidic cleaners (limescale removers, some toilet cleaners). The Toxicological Information Centre (TIS) warns that mixing toilet cleaners may release chlorine gas.
• Buy only as much as you will use. Fewer bottles means fewer things to keep an eye on.

The same applies to pets. On its page on protecting pets, the EPA recommends keeping all products out of reach of animals and children and, in the event of a spill, keeping animals out of the room until it has been cleaned up.

Why you should keep the product in its original packaging

The label shows the composition, instructions for use and safety information. If an accident happens, the doctor or TIS need to know exactly which product is involved. In its material for parents, TIS expressly advises having the product the child tasted, together with its original packaging, ready for the doctor.

The EPA warns that you should never put poisonous products into containers that could be mistaken for food or drink. A mineral water bottle containing a colourless cleaner is a dangerous trap for a child and an adult alike.

A few further principles:

• If you dilute a product in a spray bottle, label the bottle clearly and do not leave it standing out.
• Packaging with a child-resistant closure works only if you close it properly. The EPA recommends closing the packaging tightly after each use.
• Do not use an old or unidentifiable product without a label. You can find out how to dispose of it on the packaging or from your municipal office.

How to read the warning symbols on the label

On the packaging of hazardous products you will find warning symbols of the international GHS system: a black symbol on a white background in a diamond with a red border. The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) describes nine such symbols. With cleaning products, you will most often come across the following:

The symbol shows only the type of hazard. What exactly to do and what to avoid is written in the text of the label. Read it before you use a product for the first time.

Safety during cleaning

Most accidents do not happen in the cupboard but at the moment when the bottle is open. The EPA advises closing the packaging again every time something interrupts you while you work, for example a phone call or the doorbell.

1. Read the label and have your gloves ready. Ventilate the room, ideally with an open window.
2. Take out only the product you need right now and put it back in its place immediately after use.
3. Never mix products. Products containing chlorine must not come into contact with acids or ammonia. This is covered in more detail in the article Which cleaning products should never be mixed.
4. Test a new product or an unfamiliar surface first in an inconspicuous spot.
5. Do not leave a bucket of solution unattended on the floor. When you have finished, pour it away and rinse the bucket.
6. Keep children and pets out of the room until the surface has dried and the room has been ventilated.

The dishwasher deserves special attention. In its leaflet on dishwasher tablets and capsules, TIS states that after washing, a residue of white powder often remains in the compartment in the door, which tempts a child to taste it. It therefore recommends placing the capsule directly in the dishwasher drum, unless the manufacturer forbids this. How to maintain your dishwasher is described in the article How to clean a dishwasher step by step.

For ordinary dusting or washing the floor, strong chemicals are often not needed at all. When soap and water are enough and when disinfection makes sense is explained in the article The difference between cleaning and disinfection.

What to do if a child tastes a cleaning product

Stay calm and find out what and how much the child may have swallowed. The Toxicological Information Centre at VFN Prague provides telephone advice around the clock to members of the public and animal owners from across the country on the lines 224 919 293 and 224 915 402. Save the number in your phone right now. If a life is at risk, call 155.

According to the TIS material What to do in the event of acute poisoning of a child, on the line you will be asked:

• who is affected, and the child's age and weight,
• name, personal ID number and health insurance company,
• when the accident happened,
• what the child has been harmed by (have the packaging in your hand),
• what symptoms they have,
• what first aid you have already given.

General first-aid rules according to TIS

• Do not induce vomiting. With acids and alkalis, a second passage through the gullet could cause even greater burns. With detergents, washing gels and capsules there is a risk of foam being inhaled into the lungs.
• Rinse the mouth with drinking water and, if the child does not resist, give them sips of water, milk or tea. Fizzy drinks are not suitable.
• Do not try to neutralise the substance (for example with vinegar or baking soda).
• Do not give activated charcoal yourself. TIS does not recommend it for acids, alkalis and drain cleaners. Give it only if TIS expressly advises you to.
• Polishes and products containing solvents are an exception: for these, TIS advises not giving milk to drink and not inducing vomiting, because of the risk of the liquid being inhaled into the lungs.

According to the TIS overview of commercial products, toilet cleaners and drain cleaners can, depending on concentration, irritate or even burn the mucous membranes. If the child coughs, drools, vomits or refuses to swallow after the accident, seek a doctor. After an acid or alkali, TIS recommends taking the child to a medical facility in every case.

Contact with the eyes and skin

TIS points out that most products, including detergents, are hazardous to the eye. Rinse the eye with a stream of lukewarm drinking water from the inner corner to the outer one. TIS gives 5–10 minutes or more, and in some cases at least 15 minutes. If symptoms or redness persist, go to an eye doctor.

Rinse splashed skin with water, remove the affected clothing and follow the instructions on the label. If you are not sure, call TIS.

If an animal is involved

TIS also advises animal owners, so if your dog or cat has an accident, you can call the same lines. Also contact a vet and have the product packaging to hand.

A quick check of your home

Walk through your home from the point of view of a small child, even on your knees. This list will help:

• Is there any chemical under the sink or washbasin without a catch?
• Are all products in their original packaging with a legible label?
• Has a bucket, spray bottle or capsule been left anywhere outside the cupboard?
• Is the TIS number saved in the phone of every adult in the household?
• Are you using more kinds of products at home than you need?

If you are ordering a cleaning service, agree in advance where the products will be stored after cleaning and whether the cleaner should bring them with them. With regular home cleaning from Úklid 1-2-3, you can specify these details when placing your order, and you will find answers to other frequently asked questions in the Frequently asked questions section.