March 15th – 21st is National Poison Prevention Week and being the mother of young children and a puppy, this is something that has always scared me. There are so many things that we use on a daily basis, that are poisonous to our children and our pets! This week is a great reminder for you to conduct a safety check around your home to ensure all dangerous items are stored out of reach children. Did you know that 90% of poisonings occur in the home? Tide and Gain have partnered with parenting & lifestyle Expert, Rosie Pope, best known for her Bravo reality show Pregnant in Heels, to help parents across the country create safe (homes and) laundry rooms.
Safety Tips For Your Laundry From Tide and Gain
Below are Rosie’s simple safety tips to help you reduce the risk of accidents in your home and allow you to be confident in letting your little ones explore.
Think About Storage and Cleanliness
- Keep all cleaning supplies – including laundry pacs – Up, Up and Away – seal pacs up, store pacs up and keep pacs away. Supplies should be behind a locked door and high up out of children’s reach.
- Keep cleaning products in their original containers with the label intact.
- Clean up any spills, and immediately wash your hands and any items you use to pour or measure products.
Think Like a Child
- See things from a child’s perspective. Try getting down on your hands and knees and look around for small items.
- Educate your children on hazardous products and situations in the home. The world is a dangerous place and you’re not always going to be there. Educating your kids will allow them to make smart choices on their own.
Think Ahead
- Always have the numbers of poison control and your pediatrician handy.
- Remember to educate other guests in your home about house rules. Nannies, mother-in-laws, friends – be sure to let them know important safety precautions like where to store cleaning items.
- Set reminders for yourself to do safety checks in your home every 3-4 months.
- Develop and practice a home fire escape plan, with two ways out of the house in case of fire.
Tide and Gain have convenient Pods and Flings. They making doing your laundry easier, faster and cost-effective. How many of you are guilty of over using liquid laundry detergent and spending way more than you need to? I know I am! But with the Tide Pods and Gain Flings, it’s all pre-measured so you always use the same amount, and correct amount, each time!
That being said, these little packages are colorful and the perfect size for little hands and mouths. Which makes them a HUGE Poisoning concern. I use these all the time but we have them in a cabinet over our washing machine so little ones can’t get at them.
It only takes a minute for something tragic to happen, like a child or animal being poisoned from something in the home. But if you take the precautions now, you can avoid something from happening in the future. Don’t ever think “Not my child” because accidents can happen to anyone, anywhere.