The 3rd week of every March is the annual National Poison Prevention Week. Here is a great article from one of our resident safety experts, who specializes in Poison Abatement and control in the home. Her products are clean, green, environmentally friendly, and most importantly; family safe! Here is Dawn Oliphant of Shaklee on eliminating accidental poisonings in the home.

Whose Responsibility is Poison Control in The Home?

As a mother of two, I felt it was my responsibility to make sure that I did not have poisonous chemicals inside my home. I got busy like all other moms and sometimes resorted to what was “easiest” and most convenient (and let’s admit it, what was the cheapest). I used to have chemicals underneath my sink and had the cabinet secured with a child safety lock so my kids could not get to it. Sound familiar? Everyday, I still worried that my kids were in the house, and that they some how were going to open up the locked cabinet and end up grabbing those toxic cleaning chemicals and wanting to clean like mommy. I used the cleaning products that my mom did and really didn’t think about the harm that I was putting my family in. If it was safe for me growing up, I thought it would be safe for my kids too.

About ten years ago I realized by removing the toxic products that were under my sink, I would not have to worry about poisoning my kids. You see as a mom, I wanted to make sure my house was “CLEAN”. What I learned was “CLEAN” did not mean non-toxic. So I came across a company that had natural green cleaning products that I could order and have delivered to my door. (Yes to my door, yeah) I replaced those products with non-toxic cleaning products and guess what? Those products worked and my house was really “clean” with non-toxic products. And guess what? I showed them to my mom and she ended up falling in love with them. So they were MOM APPROVED!

As a mother, it makes me sad to see tips about poison prevention when cleaning that says, “Watch your child while you are cleaning, so they do not get a hold of the product you are using, the products could make them sick”. REALLY? How about giving parent tips on switching out their cleaning products to non-toxic ones? They are out there and they are not that expensive to use. The products I use are concentrated and cost LESS than the name brand toxic products do….

Also the poison prevention tips about not mixing cleaning products with one another is needed, but what about giving a solution to parents? Yes, when you mix the chemicals in different products (especially bleach, peroxide or ammonia), you can release gases that are especially dangerous for babies (and can cause explosions, too). EXACTLY! That is why by switching your products to non-toxic ones you will not be releasing poisonous gases into your home. But where does anyone tell us this? I learned it from another mom. In my opinion, mom to mom resources is where you find out the best information.

Nine years ago I started with a Get Clean Starter Kit and to this day have never purchased any other cleaning products and I never will! If you would like more information about switching over your cleaning products, check out https://greenqcmom.myshaklee.com/us/en/shop/healthyhome.
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Dawn Oliphant
Building a Foundation for a Healthier Home
www.GreenQCMom.com
602.770.0232

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#ThinkSafetyLiveSafely!

Be sure to contact Home Hazard Prevention for any of your personal or family safety needs. From mobile CPR training to car seat education to infant safety (and much more!), HHP is here to help! Remember, a complete safety program does not have to be expensive or time-consuming. As a group of professional firefighters, there is no one more qualified than us to help keep your family safe! (480) 448-0266 or Nick@HomeHazardPrevention.com