Chemicals can be hazardous to your family if kept in the wrong places.
If you have small children in the household you need to be extra careful to ensure that these products don’t get into the wrong hands and worse still, misused.
Below are some tips for keeping your family safe and chemicals stored correctly!
Ensure all caps and lids are undamaged and secure
Most chemicals come in childproof bottles, but this is not a guarantee that your child won’t be able to open them. We all know a determined little boy or girl who manages to get into everything no matter the deterrent.
Consider choosing a cupboard for your chemicals and fixing a bolt to the door. This may seem drastic, but small measures can reduce danger ten fold, especially when children are involved.
It can also be useful to keep chemicals in plastic containers that are labelled for the areas of the home where you use them. This helps reduce any confusion and provides extra protection.
Don’t store chemicals above head height
If you keep chemicals up too high you run the risk of them being spilt on yourself or someone else as you get them down to use. As a rule don’t store chemicals above head height.
Clear out your kitchen
It’s surprising how many people store their cleaning products in the kitchen around food products and plates they use everyday. Chemicals should be segregated into their own cupboard as far from the pantry as you can manage.
Spring clean your cleaning supplies
Remember to occasionally clean out your chemicals and throw away any old products or empty bottles you’ve neglected to take to the bin. Chemicals have limited shelf lives and don’t last as long as we think they would.
For example: bleach is good for six months, maybe nine if you’re not using it for highly abrasive cleaning.
Have a browse around your cleaning supplies. How long have you had the same products? It might be time to go shopping for some new chemicals.
You can also use this as an opportunity to purchase new cleaning cloths and toss the old ones.
Storing cleaning products doesn’t need to be a hassle. Once you have a system in place, you’ll find your life easier and sorted!
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