Safe Cleaners for Kids- How To Make Sure Your Cleaners are Safe
Healthy House Cleaning—How to Make Sure Your Cleaning Chemicals Are Safe for Children
Safe cleaners for kids: how to make sure your cleaners are safe for everyone. Cleaning around the house can sometimes require the use of special chemicals that are designed to do things such as sterilize surfaces or lift stains. While using chemicals may be unavoidable, you should always know that it is your responsibility to help keep children safe. While you might assume chemicals are as safe for children as they are for you, it’s important to remember that children are much more sensitive to them than you are. Also, children tend to be lower to the ground and more likely to crawl, touch, or even lick surfaces. As you get ready to clean, make sure to follow these strategies for making certain that the chemicals that you use are safe for children.
Choose Products from Reputable Manufacturers
Your first step is to make sure that you only choose chemicals that are made from manufacturers that are known for following safety protocols. While it might be tempting to choose a cleaning chemical based upon its price, you may need to be wary about any that are made from sources that lack a track record for safety. Look up safe cleaning chemicals to be sure that the ones you choose will be both effective and not a health hazard.
Pay Attention to the Label
A reputable manufacturer will include a label on carpet cleaning chemicals. This label should have warnings that tell you if a chemical is toxic or if it is safe to use around children. You should also be able to read the label to find out what chemicals are contained in the solution. Seeing the active ingredients can help you determine if the solution is safe for the children who play on the carpet that you clean.
Follow the Recommended Directions
Quality cleaning solutions should also include instructions on the table that must be carefully followed. For instance, certain chemicals should not be mixed with others due to the dangerous fumes that it can create. You may also need to dilute certain chemicals with water before using them on the floor. Other chemicals suggest that you let them settle and avoid the room they are in for a while. Follow the instructions and think carefully about how to keep your children out of the way while using these solutions.
Use Caution with Strong Odors
Many cleaning products also contain perfumes and other chemicals that are designed to create that fresh smell that everyone associates with cleanliness. While the scent of an ocean breeze or fresh soap may be appealing, these can also sometimes come with the negative consequence of generating fumes. Young children with health conditions such as asthma may need to leave the room while strongly scented products are used. You might also want to ventilate the area while you clean and until the bulk of the scent has dissipated.
Children are more susceptible to negative reactions to cleaning chemicals due to their smaller bodies and immature immune systems. Young children may also make mistakes and ingest good-smelling chemicals. Now that you know how to protect your children from harm, you can use your preferred chemicals without worrying as you get the job done.
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan
