This is a sponsored post. Thank you for supporting SITC!
I trust that I am not alone when I say that laundry is probably my least favorite household chore, and with three kids, somehow the loads never end. I’ve always made a joke that going from two to three children was sort of easy, with the game changer being the extra laundry. Now with older children, I thought the volume of laundry would lessen, with the baby stage and going through multiple onesies in one day behind us. To my surprise, it’s the same if not more. Bigger clothes, I guess!
There are no washer and dryers in the apartment units in our building, so we all use a shared laundry room downstairs, which means we need to bring our detergent along with us. When my children were smaller, I remember panicking every time we were in the laundry room. Some tenants would leave opened detergent bottles or laundry packet containers on the tables, which were easily accessible to kids. I would make it a point to keep them in their strollers, or better yet would pile all three of them into a laundry cart on wheels and push them all over the laundry room as I moved my clothes from washers to dryers. They just thought they were going on a fun ride, but I was keeping them close to me. Even today, I am still cautious with them down there, and we still store our detergents on the top shelves.
In partnership with the American Cleaning Institute, I want to raise awareness of laundry safety during National Poison Prevention Week (March 19-25, 2017), by sharing a few tips on how you can have clean clothes and prevent accidents in your home or wherever you are doing your laundry. The American Cleaning Institute is committed to better living and safe product storage. Organizing your laundry room or where you store your detergent space not only keeps it looking clean, but it is one quick and easy way to keep your children safe.
If liquid laundry packets are your go-to, always keep them stored safely away from children, out of reach or locked in cabinets and drawers. Here are some helpful safety tips to remember:
These products aren’t toys so don’t let children handle them.
Be careful not to puncture or pull packets apart.
Packets can quickly dissolve upon contact with water, wet hands, or saliva.
Make it a habit to store the laundry packets out of sight.
Always keep the container closed and dry.
Always ensure re-closable bag or container is tightly sealed after use and during storage.
As with other laundry products, keep packets in their original container with intact labels.
If you think a child has been exposed to a liquid laundry packet, call your local poison center at 1-800-222-1222 immediately.
The American Cleaning Institute has an educational activity sheet for children to help you teach little ones that laundry packets are not toys. I used this sheet with my children to reinforce what’s safe and unsafe to play with in our home and laundry room. I encourage all parents to download the activity sheet, and work with your children to color and fill it in. Children act fast, and so do accidents, so it is super important we are aware and prepared.
In honor of National Poison Prevention Week, we encourage you to take ACI’s laundry safety Pledge. Take the time to take the pledge and you’ll be automatically entered to win a $2,500 Amex gift card to go towards a laundry room makeover!
17 thoughts on “The Laundry Sanctuary”
I always kept my detergent well out of reach of my kids. Same with all household chemicals 🙂
I’m so glad to see this initiative. Laundry pods are super convenient, but they’re so tempting to little kids. Thanks for sharing the post and the giveaway.
Laundry pods are incredibly dangerous. You MUST take all precautions when you have them in your house. Great post.
Great reminder to keep the house safe for kids of all ages! When my kids were young, they were so fascinated with the cabinets under the sink so we had to child-proof the entire house. The detergents, cleaning solutions and bleach were on the topmost shelf.
Wheeling them around with you is smart. Kids will find what we don’t, especially if we’re occupied. Def. a good message to get across.
I love this initiative and the message you share here. I’m going to share this with all of my fellow parent friends!
Laundry pods are so dangerous. It is important to teach kids that they are not toys and they are not candy.
Nothing is more important than keeping our children safe! I can easily see how laundry pods could pose a colorful temptation for kids.
This is a great post. Laundry items (especially pods!) can be so dangerous so it’s important everyone take special precautions. I have 7 kids so I am always finding ways to keep my kiddos safe!
I have never actually used the pods. But I can see how easy they can be to get into little mouths
These are great reminders. I always keep cleaning chemicals in a cabinet with lock. Kids are so curious about anything. It’s always great to keep everything locked away from them.
I don’t use the pods but I can see how kids could think they are edible! If people do use these they should be locked up or high enough out of kids reach.
This sounds awesome, I’ve never tried it but it looks cool and neccessary.
I remember going to the laundromat when my kids were just babies. This is some great information to share.
I have no small kids, but regardless I keep my pods and detergent products stored up high in my laundry room.
Those pods have been a concern of mine too. Today I use a boring white one that doesn’t look very appetizing, but i still store it high up on the shelf.
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