The chemicals that allow household cleaning products to maintain a germ free environment for your family are as dangerous as they are effective in some cases. Of course improper use can result in harm being done onto any family member, but what most families overlook is how poorly storing these products can impact the home. This post will detail the ways in which family members can be exposed to harm through the mismanagement of these products, in addition to laying out a process to reduce these risks.
For most families, a majority of these products don’t require maximum security. As such, the particularly less dangerous products are safe to be stored in accessible locations that are most convenient. The best way to determine which products are safe enough to be stored less cautiously is through the understanding of the product’s label. Each label will include all of the information necessary to understanding how a product should be used, in addition to the dangers each product poses. The more dangerous products should be stored in such a way that they pose the least possible danger to any family member. Which is where the next step of this process comes in.
The second step is the grouping step. Often times families will have storage space dedicated to these products. Whether that be a hallway closet, underneath the bathroom sink, or even the laundry room. In addition to a dedicated location, these products will often be kept in some sort of caddy or basket in order to keep track of them all. This is a great strategy for reducing clutter in the home, as well as limiting accessibility to these products from children or pets. If these products are kept in a location out of reach of our four legged friends and our younger children, we have much less to worry about.
As these storage habits are established, families should also take the time to become more educated with the proper ways to dispose of these products. For families with younger children, this is particularly important. Simply throwing away these products remain in the nearest garbage bin in the home can result in pets or young children digging through the garbage and potentially harming themselves with the remains. This is why it’s so important to become educated regarding the ways in which your local government suggests throwing away this type of waste. In every situation, avoid finding the simplest place to dispose of these products.
While the breakdown provided above is a great foundation for keeping your family safe from the unwanted dangers of these products, there’s more to learn. For additional information regarding the dangers of these products and how to avoid them, be sure to check out the infographic, Household Chemical Storage Guide, featured alongside this post.
Author bio: Lynn Place is Vice President of Marketing for SolvChem Custom Packaging Division. She has 30 years of professional experience in the manufacturing industry and specializes in consumer packaged goods, new product development and strategic planning.