For most, cleaning can be one of the more frustrating chores to have to do around the home. It’s not easy to find the motivation to make your home look spick and span on a regular basis, but somehow it always gets done. A large part of that is due to the cleaning products that we use to disinfect our surroundings. Though these products do an incredible job of keeping our homes tidy and safe for our families, they’ve also been known to cause harm if not properly stored. Unfortunately, with the storage of anything, there isn’t necessarily only one right way to get it done. The right solution is going to come down to how your household operates and what safe environments you can store these household chemical products.
With that in mind, below you’ll find a few suggestions that will help contribute to figuring out the right way to store your household chemical products. The top priority with these considerations is choosing a storage space that isn’t accessible to young children or pets in the home.
Accessibility Meets Caution: often the most challenging aspects of storing these products is deciding how much security is too much security. For parents with older children for example, children who often help them clean with these products, maybe this isn’t the top priority. But for those parents with younger, more prone to wandering children, this is an important consideration. A general rule is that if you use these products regularly, no need to keep them under lock and key. Rather find a place where they’re out of arms reach from the younger ones and still not a burden to grab and place them there.
More dangerous products, paint thinners or drain cleaners for example, should never be stored using this ideology though. Keep these products in a place where they’re safe from any wandering children or pets as they can be deadly in the wrong hands. Staying disciplined when it comes to the storage of these more dangerous products can save lives.
Read The Label: this may seem like common sense, but the labels on each of these products will have precise details about the make-up of the product in addition to safety information to be applied when using the product. Encourage those using the product to read the label thoroughly prior to use in order to better understand how to properly use the product. A problem a number of families run into is that these products often last for a long time, long enough that the original label of the product wears off. In these instances, it’s best to create your own labels if possible. Take note of any of the more important uses and safety information of the product as well to avoid any mishaps. This is particularly important for those with younger children.
Reduce The Clutter: rather than having an abundance of these products lying around the house, try your best to reduce when possible. This isn’t to say you should take half full containers of two products and mix them together. Have your family remember to use one open product at a time and not open a new one until the first is finished. In addition to this, try to create different storage zones nearest the area where different products are used. Some products under the kitchen sink, maybe some products under the bathroom sink. Don’t have a single hotspot for every cleaning product in the home as this can lead to a disaster.
The ideas above a great foundation for families reducing the risk of chemical-related injury in their homes. However, remember that there isn’t just one right way for families to go about this storage process. Customize your storage solution in a way that makes the most sense and creates the most security for your family. Always be sure to double check the label in order to learn how to safely use a product and closely watch any children coming into contact with these products and your family is off to a great start.
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.
