In doing laundry, you have several things to consider, including the before, during, and after. Washing your loads of dirty laundry requires these harmful chemicals in the laundry detergent, and these detergents pose a danger to your health. However, it’s not only the laundry essentials that can affect your health. Some are not obviously risky for you but maybe risky for your children.
Avoid doing these laundry practices as it may cause harm. Instead, follow them to ensure that it will not affect your health. Follow the instructions the same way you follow the wash label of your clothes.
Displaying Laundry Essentials
Displaying laundry products and keeping them reachable by children is too dangerous. Laundry detergents are poisonous. There’s a proper storage practice for them before, during, and after use.
Do you display your laundry products? Stop doing this practice. You have to put the products out of reach and sight of children. Place them in high and locked cabinets in your laundry room. If you are used to placing them on top of the washer or dryer, stop it and use the safer practice.
Are you a fan of placing them in different containers? Experts suggest that it is safer to leave the laundry essentials in their original packaging with their original label. Doing so will help you identify its ingredients. Use them with caution. Always read and follow the instructions given on its label to avoid any injuries or health concerns.
Other than storage concerns, do not place them with household cleaners and products that contain ammonia. These chemicals will release irritating and dangerous fumes when mixed.
Once the laundry detergent or nay product container is emptied, immediately throw it away and adequately. Do not reuse their bottles as you may mix dangerous ingredients without knowing.
Be extra careful when dealing with laundry products. It is a common cause of accidental poisoning. Thus, whenever there are spills, clean them immediately. Moreover, keep them out of reach from children at all times. It would be best if your laundry machine and essentials are in a room so you can close and lock the laundry room whenever you are finished. Remember, young children, are always curious.
Using Laundry Detergents in Packets
Laundry detergents in packets are hazardous because their ingredients are toxic and concentrated. If a detergent goes to your eyes, even in small amounts, it will seriously irritate them.
Keep it away from your children. The packets may look similar to candy or gummy treats. Children may see it as a yummy treat. Ingested laundry detergent cause severe breathing or stomach problem. More so, do not bite the packet to open it. It might go to your mouth. Again, ingesting the laundry detergent may pose a severe threat to your health. Some may even result in coma and death.
Thus, be careful when opening laundry detergent. Moreover, do not put it on display where children can easily see and reach it.
Not Properly Maintaining Washers and Dryers
Having a laundry washer and dryer at home is a big help in keeping your clothes clean and fresh without hiring a laundry service. However, owning one comes with a great responsibility for homeowners. You need to maintain the washers properly to avoid injuries.
You should properly maintain and clean your washers and dryers. Aside from maintaining its pristine condition, cleaning the lint trap will help prevent fires. Clogged lint is dangerous; it can cause house fires.
Install a vent for the dryer to prevent mold and mildew build-up. If you won’t, these mildew and mold build-ups will cause respiratory infection.
Moreover, you have to keep your young children safe from the washer and dryer. Since they are still in the exploration stage, most of them will crawl into the machine or put toys inside the machine. You can prevent this from happening by installing child locks on front-load washers and dryers. Also, if your child can understand, instruct them not to play or hang near the machine.
Laundry Chutes at Home
If you plan to have a laundry chute in your house, it is best to install it in a higher area. Laundry chutes are helpful in homes with several floors. You can quickly drop your dirty linens and clothes to the laundry area on the lower floor through the chutes. However, this would be a problem if you have young children at home.
Laundry chutes are not a problem if you are an adult, but laundry chutes can be a mysterious opening for young children. As we all know, young children are in their exploration stage. Thus, it may lead them to the laundry chute.
As it may cause a severe injury to your children, you can avoid this great danger by:
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Keeping the laundry chute doors installed higher than usual. Small children cannot reach the chute if it is higher than 36 inches or more from the floor.
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If the laundry chute is already installed at a reachable height, it is best to install a child lock to prevent your child from opening the chute door.
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If your child is of age, you can instruct them not to go near the chute. You should inform them that the chute is only for clothes. They should not play with their toys in the laundry chute nor go over the chute door.
Although laundry seems to be an endless chore, you need to be careful in handling the laundry detergents because they pose threats that can affect your health or lead to serious injuries. If you depend on maid service doing the laundry for you, ensure that you remind them to keep the laundry materials to avoid harming your children.
Lastly, do not be complacent in only safekeeping laundry detergents. They are not the only cleaning products that contain dangerous chemicals. Every room can have a hazardous chemical stored that could cause minor to serious health concerns. Thus, always read the product label and keep them away from children’s sight and reach.