Despite every family’s cleaning priorities being different, it is important to consider how the products your family may sparingly use to keep your home clean should be stored. These various household cleaning products are extremely effective in disinfecting and maintaining a clean home but can be equally as hazardous if not used and stored properly. In order to best protect yourself and your family, it is important to consider the safest ways to handle and store these household chemical products.
Now, for most families, this won’t mean having each product behind lock and key. There are plenty of commonly used items that are safe to be stored in convenient locations around the house. Products like disinfectant wipes or dish soaps are generally safe to store in all-purpose closets or a kitchen cupboard. However, families should be more diligent when it comes to the particularly niche products that are significantly more hazardous than these general products. Products such as paint thinner, bleach, or drain cleaner are examples of the types of household cleaning supplies that should have their own designated safe space in your home to avoid falling into the wrong hands.
The best way to differentiate between which products belong in a designated safe space and which products are generally safe anywhere is through each of these products’ labels. Each household chemical product will include a label that details the safety information and how to properly use the product. These labels will also include precautions for young children, especially in the more hazardous products. Though these labels aren’t always as clear as they should be, parents should always look to the label first when deciding whether or not these products should be stored anywhere that’s accessible to their children. In addition to this, parents should be aware that these labels can fade over time. So, if there’s any crucial information to be remembered for a particular product, be sure to take note of it assuming the label is fading.
A common strategy to mitigate the risks associated with these household chemical products is to attempt to reduce the amount of products found in the home. After all, the more hazardous chemical products there are lying around the house, the chance of harm toward your family increases. For this reason, it’s suggested that families should only stock the essentials and avoid having excess around the home if possible. In addition to this, parents should know how to safely dispose of these chemical products. Not only can the disposal of these products have harsh environmental implications, improperly disposing of them poses risks for your family and pets. Consider contacting your local municipalities for guidance on how to safely dispose of these products after their use if needed.
For additional information on how your family should properly store the household chemical products in the home, such as a specialized storage system, check out the featured infographic below!
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.