Despite how effective the many household chemicals found in products like cleansers, deodorants, toiletries, and other disinfectants might be for ridding our homes of dangerous germs, many overlook the importance of how these products are stored. All of these products can be hazardous to you and your family’s health if they’re not stored properly. That’s due to things like leaks from improper storage, children getting accesses to these products and using them improperly, and even pets snooping where they don’t belong. In order to protect yourself and your family, it’s imperative for the whole family to understand the correct way to use these products, in addition to storing them.
The first step in the process is making sure that these products’ labels are read and understood fully before use. The labels of these products are expected to include all of the information necessary to properly use them. Directions for use, safety information, and even storage tips are likely to be found on every label. However, as many families know, a number of these products are used sparingly, and thus last for extended periods of time. As such, their labels may fade and become unclear over time. One way to combat this is to apply new labels to these products, or to retain the information in the home somewhere if the label begins to fade.
The second step is the grouping step. Often times families will have storage space dedicated to these products. Whether that be a hallway closet, underneath the bathroom sink, or even the laundry room. In addition to a dedicated location, these products will often be kept in some sort of caddy or basket in order to keep track of them all. Others store these products in wire shelving units. This is a great strategy for reducing clutter in the home, as well as limiting accessibility to these products from children or pets. If these products are kept in a location out of reach of our four legged friends and our younger children, we have much less to worry about.
The third and final step is understanding how to properly dispose of these chemical products. This is particularly important if you have curious children or pets who often find their way into the garbage in the home. What a number of people might not know, is that not every cleaning product used in the home is meant to be thrown away in the trash similarly to food products. In fact, many towns and cities offer free guidance on how to safely dispose of these products. For some, that is designated disposal places in their area. Whatever the case maybe, be weary of simply throwing these products into the trash in your home.
The information above is a sound foundation for reducing the risks these products could pose on your home. However, if you’re looking for more information on how to properly store your household chemicals, check out the infographic below. Household Chemical Storage Guide will include a number of additional strategies.
Author bio: Lynn Place is Vice President of Marketing for SolvChem Custom Packaging Division. She has 30 years of professional experience in the manufacturing industry and specializes in consumer packaged goods, new product development and strategic planning.