(WASHINGTON, /PRNewswire) – During the pandemic, there has been a major surge in the demand for cleaning products. At the same time, the combination of more young children at home for virtual learning and parents and caregivers focusing on several priorities at once is leading to less supervision and an increased number of calls to the Poison Help Number about children being exposed to cleaning products.
For example, there has been a 70 percent increase in the number of hand sanitizer exposures reported to poison control centers from January to August compared to the same period in 2019. This could be due in part to the to the fact that, in addition to children spending more time at home, alcohol-based hand sanitizers are being sold in containers that look like water bottles, children’s food pouches, beer cans and more.
The most recent increase in exposures to hand-sanitizers comes on the heels of a rise in reported exposures to all cleaning products and disinfectants, which were 20 percent higher between January to April 2020 compared to the same time period in 2019. Bleaches accounted for the largest increase among all cleaner categories, while nonalcohol disinfectants and hand sanitizers accounted for the largest percentages of the increase among disinfectants.
Safe Kids Worldwide has 3 tips to help parents keep kids safe around cleaning products during the pandemic.
- Store household products out of children’s reach and sight. Young kids are often eye-level with items on counters and under kitchen and bathroom sinks, so keep cleaning supplies, laundry packets, hand sanitizers and personal care products where children can’t reach them.
- Keep household products in their original containers and read product labels. Use and store products according to the product label. Kids can get into things quickly, so remember not to leave cleaning products or personal care products unattended while you are using them.
- Save the Poison Help number in your phone and post it visibly at home: 1-800-222-1222. Specialists at poison control centers provide free, confidential, expert medical advice 24 hours a day. They can answer questions and help with poison emergencies.
