By Ethan BrooksToddlers explore the world with their hands and mouths, which makes everyday household items a potential poisoning risk. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) notes that most poisonings happen when a parent or caregiver is home but momentarily distracted. Simple changes to how you store and handle products can greatly reduce the chance of a curious child finding something harmful.
Common household poisons to watch for
The AAP’s childproofing guidance lists a wide range of items that can harm a toddler. Cleaning products are a major category: all-purpose cleaners, bleach, dishwashing detergent (liquid, powder, or single-use packets), drain openers, toilet bowl cleaners, furniture polish, and laundry detergent in any form. Personal care items such as nail polish remover, cosmetics, mouthwash, perfume, and aftershave also belong on your radar. In the garage or basement, antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid, gasoline, kerosene, lamp oil, insecticides, and weed killer are especially dangerous.
Medicines, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs as well as vitamins and supplements, can be harmful if not taken as directed. The AAP stresses that you should keep medicines in their original containers with safety caps and check the label each time you give a child medicine to ensure proper dosage. Small objects like beads, buttons, coins, pins, screws, and refrigerator magnets pose choking and swallowing risks, but button batteries are particularly hazardous. According to the National Capital Poison Center, a battery lodged in the esophagus can burn a hole in just two hours, causing death or damage that requires feeding tubes, breathing tubes, and extensive surgical repair.
Other home dangers the AAP highlights include liquid nicotine e-cigarette refills, which can be extremely dangerous or even fatal for a child, and all nicotine products including traditional cigarettes. Alcohol is very poisonous to a young child, so unfinished drinks should be emptied right away. Trash containers that hold spoiled food, sharp objects, or batteries need a child-resistant cover or must be kept out of reach. Purses and bags that contain medicines or other hazards should also stay out of a child’s reach. Certain houseplants may be harmful; the AAP suggests calling Poison Help for a list of plants to avoid or simply keeping all houseplants out of reach.
Laundry packets need extra caution
Single-load liquid laundry packets are a special concern for families with young children. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns that the chemicals in these packets are toxic and can cause serious injury. Children have required hospitalization after ingesting the product, with symptoms including loss of consciousness, excessive vomiting, drowsiness, throat swelling, and difficulty breathing that required intubation. Eye contact with detergent from a ruptured packet has led to severe irritation and temporary vision loss due to ocular burns.
The CPSC’s safety alert on laundry packets recommends three steps: do not let children handle laundry packets; keep the packets sealed in their original packaging, locked up, and out of a child’s sight and reach; and if a child swallows or gets the detergent in their eye, immediately call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. The National Capital Poison Center adds that laundry pods can cause serious injury and have been associated with fatal effects. Even a small amount of the highly concentrated detergent can cause serious breathing or stomach problems or eye irritation, because the packets dissolve quickly when they contact water, wet hands, or saliva.
Safe storage practices that reduce risk
The CPSC emphasizes that child-resistant packaging is not childproof. No device can completely prevent a determined child from accessing a hazard, so supervision and proper storage remain essential. The agency advises keeping medications in a locked cabinet or box and in their original child-resistant containers, and properly discarding unfinished or unused medicines. Household chemicals and cleaning supplies should also be stored in a locked cabinet or box, out of a child’s reach, and kept in their original child-resistant containers.
Safe Kids Worldwide reinforces the importance of original containers: never put a potentially poisonous product into something other than its original container, such as a plastic soda bottle, where it could be mistaken for something else. The National Capital Poison Center echoes this, noting that countless children and adults have swallowed bleach from a cup thinking it was water. Pouring bleach into a cup and leaving it on a counter or washing machine is an invitation to poisoning. All laundry products, including rust removers, stain removers, detergents, and fabric softeners, should be stored out of sight and reach of children. Rust remover containing hydrofluoric acid is especially dangerous; it can be absorbed through the skin and cause severe pain, tissue damage, and even death.
For button batteries, the CPSC says to keep products with accessible batteries away from children if the battery compartments do not have a screw closure or if the compartment is damaged. Check toys to make sure battery compartments are secured, and do not allow children to play with or be in contact with button cell or coin batteries. The National Capital Poison Center also recommends securing battery compartments on remote controls, key fobs, cameras, watches, flameless candles, and every battery-powered product.
What to do if you suspect poisoning
If you find your child with an open or empty container of a dangerous nonfood item, the AAP advises staying calm and acting quickly. Get the item away from the child. If there is still some in the child’s mouth, make the child spit it out or remove it with your fingers. Keep the material along with anything else that might help determine what the child swallowed. Do not make the child vomit, because that may cause more damage.
If the child is unconscious, not breathing, or having convulsions or seizures, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. If the child does not have these symptoms, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. You may be asked for your name and phone number, the child’s name, age, and weight, any medical conditions or medicines the child is taking, the name of the item swallowed, the time it was swallowed or when you found the child, and the amount you think was swallowed. If the poison is very dangerous or the child is very young, you may be told to take the child to the nearest hospital. Otherwise, the Poison Help staff will tell you what to do at home.
For laundry product exposures, the National Capital Poison Center says if the product is in the eyes or on the skin, flush with running water for at least 15 minutes, then use the web POISON CONTROL online tool or call the poison center. If the product is swallowed, give a small amount of water or milk and then get immediate help from the poison center or online tool. Most incidents can be managed at home if you get expert help right away.
Frequently asked questions
Are child-resistant caps enough to keep my toddler safe?
The CPSC states that child-resistant packaging is not childproof. It is designed to slow a child down, not to prevent access entirely. Always store medicines and household chemicals in a locked cabinet or box, out of sight and reach, even if they have child-resistant caps.
What should I do if my child bites a laundry packet but seems fine?
Even if the child appears fine, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 immediately. The CPSC and the National Capital Poison Center both stress that laundry packet detergent is highly concentrated and can cause serious injury quickly. Do not wait for symptoms to appear.
Is it safe to keep cleaning products under the sink with a latch?
A latch can help, but the AAP recommends storing harmful items in a cabinet with a lock or safety latch that locks when you close the door. The National Capital Poison Center advises keeping all household products and medicines locked out of a child’s reach. The CPSC also advises a locked cabinet or box for chemicals and cleaning supplies, and reminds caregivers that no device is completely childproof.
For more room-by-room guidance on reducing hazards, visit our Poison Prevention page, the broader Everyday Hazard Prevention section, and the article on Preventing Common Toddler Injuries at Home. You may also find helpful tips in our Kitchen Safety and Bathroom Safety guides, where many cleaning products and medicines are often stored. Installing Cabinet Locks can add an extra layer of protection.
Sources
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP): Childproofing Your Home for Poisons
- National Capital Poison Center: Poison prevention tips for toddlers
- U.S. CPSC: Poison Prevention Information Center
- U.S. CPSC Safety Alert: Single-Load Liquid Laundry Packets
- National Capital Poison Center: Laundry products
- Safe Kids Worldwide: Home Safety Tips
About Ethan Brooks
Ethan Brooks is part of our editorial team and reviews and edits our childproofing guides, checking product details against manufacturer specifications and owner feedback.
