Would you know what to do if faced with an emergency at home? I Google everything – including dumb things like how to bake a potato and how to open a Hatchimal. And yet, when the worst happened, I fell into a frantic state and didn’t think to Google what to do. I didn’t think to Google “What to do if your child consumes barbeque cleaner.” So I wasted a few hours but got a good education in what to do if your child gets into toxic household cleaners.
Let me start off by saying that good childproofing can help prevent an accident from happening.
Keep household cleaners and laundry products up and out of reach of small children. That said, toddlers are sneaky and sometimes parents get caught off guard. These things do happen.
It started like this for me. I was having a very productive morning. I was working from the kitchen table, the kids were lounging and having breakfast in the living room. Everyone seemed content and quiet. Too quiet. I never thought quiet could ever be a bad thing, especially in the company of a toddler. But in 95% of cases with my kids, quiet means trouble.
I turned around and noticed the baby-locked kitchen sink cabinets were open, and the majority of the front-row items were missing. Totally my fault for leaving it unlocked.
I followed the trail of household cleaners to the living room.
There I found my almost two-year-old squealing in delight on the couch cushions while spraying BBQ cleaner like a Disneyland misting fan on a hot day.
He was drenched in it.
His hair, shirt, face, and mouth were all wet. I quickly undressed him, rinsed him off, and gave him water as he repeated, “Yucky spray.”
My first fear was confirmed. He had consumed it.
But how much? I started to panic.
I called our doctor for advice and the receptionist suggested bringing him in.
I made an appointment for later in the day and was advised to keep an eye on him. If he had any trouble breathing or signs of distress, she had said, bring him to the emergency room. I took my toddler into the doctor’s office a few hours later and he seemed fine and normal.
They checked his vitals and the doctor asked me what Poison Control had said.
I was baffled. I didn’t even think to call Poison Control yet that solution was so practical. Our doctor apologized for not communicating that piece of information before coming down to his office. I was sent home and advised to call and keep an eye on my son.
I googled Poison Control. 800-222-1222. Easy enough.
The National Capital Poison Center offers a free valuable service 24 hours a day/ seven days a week.
You can search for products and resources online or call and speak to an expert for free. The gal on the phone took down some information about my child and then searched the cleaner for harmful chemicals.
While scanning the chemical list she made me aware of a few warning signs to look out for on my child:
- Skin irritation
- Excessive drooling
- Stomach pains
- Trouble breathing
These could sometimes onset several hours later depending on the toxicity level of the chemicals in the product consumed. A few minutes later she confirmed that there wasn’t anything too harmful on the list of ingredients from the specific kind of barbeque cleaner my son had doused himself in. I asked her a few more questions and she said to call back anytime.
The Poison Control hotline is a free resource and can generally save busy parents a trip to the doctor’s office if it’s not necessary.
I’m glad I got the peace of mind but now I know what steps to take first in the next toddler mishap.
For more information check out the National Capital Poison Control website. Review the list of harmful household products and make sure they are up out of reach and locked. I have relocated all of our cleaning and laundry products to a safer location out of toddler reach because, mamas, toddlers cannot be trusted.
Here are a couple helpful links from their website with tips by age:
https://www.poison.org/poison-prevention-tips-by-age/toddler
https://www.poison.org/poison-prevention-tips-by-age/elementary
I hope you never have to deal with a child ingesting potentially toxic household cleaners, but if you do, remember to not panic, and if in doubt, call Poison Control!
