Bright bottles of cleaning liquid, squidgy washing tablets, shiny packets of painkillers… Small children are curious and want to learn more by putting things in their mouth. Unfortunately things that make our lives easier can be harmful to small children, as their bodies process poisons differently. Thank goodness it’s easy to keep children safe by downloading the Prevent Poisoning Factsheet.
Laundry products – small children can mistake brightly coloured products for sweets or toys, especially laundry capsules. But the concentrated chemicals can do serious damage to children’s insides, skin and eyes.
• It’s tempting to keep products beside the washing machine. Move them to a high up or
lockable cupboard
• Watch out for fast little fingers! Don’t leave a washing tablet on top of the washing
• Put products away out of reach as soon as you’ve used them
• When you’re shopping, look out for products with a bittering agent like Bitrex – it tastes
so horrible, children spit it out instead of swallowing, preventing accidental poisoning.
Everyday painkillers – the most common way for young children to be poisoned.
• Keep all medicines out of reach and sight of young children, ideally in a high up or lockable cupboard
• Watch out for painkillers left on the bedside table or in the handbag on the floor.
Download the Prevent Poisoning Factsheet
