Household Tips

Once, when I was about fourteen or fifteen years old, my brother and I were home for the summer and he was playing with something in the garage, or his models or some semi-dangerous machine. Whatever it was, I seem to have forgotten the specifics. However, a chemical, and I think it was gas, oil or some derivative thereof, splashed into his eye. He came running to me and we immediately flushed his eye with a lot of lukewarm water. His eye was burning a little bit but he could see and wasn’t in extreme pain.

I called the Poison Control Center! (great sister, eh?) I spoke to a really nice lady who walked us through what to do, rinsing the eye, staying out of the sun, taking it easy, monitoring the eye, going to the doctor if there were any changes. She was really nice and helpful and praised us for calling, and never once made us feel as though we had done something bad, because, dur! we hadn’t. What impressed me the most was that later that evening, around dinner time, the phone rang and it was for me. The same lady from the Poison Control call center was calling back to talk to me with the intent of checking on my brother*. I was really floored and have never forgotten how helpful and reassuring they were that day.

So, today, I take this time to pass on to you, fellow readers, a gentle reminder about chemicals in your home and where you keep toxic substances.

All of the information below can also be found online at the Poison Control Center Website…

Store Poisons Safely
• Store medicines and household products locked up, where children cannot see or reach them.
• Keep poisons in their original containers.
• Use child-resistant packaging. But remember — nothing is child-proof! You really must WATCH your children at all times.

Use Poisons Safely
• Read the label. Follow the directions on medicines and products.
• Are children around? Take the product or medicine with you to answer the door or the phone.
• Lock products and medicines up after using them.
• Is it medicine? Call it medicine, not candy.
• Children learn by imitation. Take your medicines where children can’t watch.

Teach Children to Ask First
• Poisons can look like food or drink. Teach children to ask an adult before eating or drinking anything!
If you think someone has been poisoned, call your poison center right away — 1-800-222-1222.

Just Facts:
92 percent of all poison exposures occur in the home
52 percent of poison exposures occur in children under the age of six

*Brother is very much fine right now. I doubt he even remembers this incident.