Laundry Room Do's and Don'ts

PHOENIX (AZ family) — September marks Baby Safety Month, and it’s time to air out some dirty laundry, especially if a social media influencer has inspired you to update your laundry room with trendy, clear containers to store liquid detergent pods or other cleaning supplies.

According to a recent survey by the American Cleaning Institute, 36% of people believe they can spruce up their laundry space with decorative pots or containers, and 26% admit to keeping liquid laundry detergent packets in a place where children can see or reach them.

“Laundry pods, cleaning wipes, all these things that we normally keep out of reach are on display in large numbers,” said Dr. Andrew Carroll, a family physician in Chandler. “Kids love these things. They look like candy, they look like toys. And if they pick them up and they smell something squishy and an interesting color, they’re going to want to know what it tastes like, and I think it’s important for parents to really take the precautions that we always recommend. Keep these things out of reach.”

If your child comes into contact with detergent or another potentially dangerous substance, get it away from them as quickly as possible and then try to determine if any of the substance has been consumed.

“Look around their mouth to see if they have any discoloration or if they have detergent or soap around their mouth,” Dr. Carroll said. “If they have consumed it or you think they have consumed it, you need to call poison control immediately.”

The safest way to store liquid laundry detergent pods is to keep them in their original packaging, up high, out of the sight and reach of children.

The ACI advises that if you don’t want the original packaging to be visible on shelves, you can hide it in decorative bins and baskets.

If you want to incorporate clear containers into your laundry room’s style, you can do that too. The ACI suggests using them for items like clothespins or dryer balls.

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