how to make spring cleaning safer

As the weather gets warmer, many families will start the process of spring cleaning. This year, Dayton Children’s wants you to consider swapping some of your traditional cleaning products with less hazardous options.

In 2021, 18 percent of unintentional ingestions seen at Dayton Children’s emergency department were cleaning products. “We want to keep the whole family safe and healthy. One way to do that is to put cleaning products and other poisons up, away, and out of sight. Another way is to swap hazardous cleaning products for non-toxic options,” says Abbey Pettiford, injury prevention coordinator.

Choosing natural cleaning products can also help reduce asthma triggers. “Hidden allergens can be found everywhere in the home,” says Mekayla Pullins, Community Health Worker. “Green cleaning products and practices help reduce the triggers that may worsen asthma and allergy symptoms.”

Not sure where to start? Here are some tips to choose safer options:

• Use your nose. Choose cleaners and detergents without strong or harsh scents. If a cleaning product does have a strong scent, keep it tightly closed and follow the directions on the package.
• Read labels. Avoid products marked "Danger" or "Poison", especially in high-touch areas.
• Avoid pretty poisons. Some cleaning products look like foods and can confuse young children, window cleaning solutions, laundry pods, and others can be swapped for something that looks less appealing.
• Make your own. You can make your own cleaning products from simple and inexpensive ingredients such as vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, salt, soap, and water. Take a look at our Green Cleaning Tips sheet for more recipes and resources.