Be careful, household products can poison

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Extract from the article: Bleach, descaling toilet gels, deodorants - there are many household products that can poison us. We handle them regularly, yet household products are not without risk to our health. Poisoning by ingestion, inhalation or skin contact is common.

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Bleach, descaling toilet gels, deodorants - there are many household products that can poison us. We handle them regularly, yet household products are not without risk to our health. Poisoning by ingestion, inhalation or skin contact is common.

Almost as many adults as children are affected by poisoning from household products. However, the circumstances differ. For example, a child may put a product lying around in his mouth, such as washing powder or washing-up liquid. Ingestion can also be accidental, when the product ends up in a container that is not the child's own. This can happen to adults.

But it's not just the mishandling of cleaning products that causes problems. Sometimes it's purely and simply their composition: some contain allergenic and irritant substances which, over the long term, can lead to respiratory problems.

 Air fresheners

Air fresheners, sprays and other aerosol products are appreciated for their practicality.However, they are not without risk.The smallest particles emitted by aerosol sprays can be easily inhaled, penetrating deep into the lungs. Certain chemical substances that penetrate the lungs can irritate lung tissue or trigger asthma attacks in people who already have asthma.

Beware of mixing with bleach

Used as a disinfectant, cleaner and bleach, bleach has become an essential cleaning product.But beware of misuse: bleach or a bleach-based product, such as a drain unblocker, is often mixed with an acid descaler found in supermarkets, such as white vinegar or hydrochloric acid.They cause the production of chlorine, which is a suffocating gas. It makes you cough a lot.If the victim is asthmatic or has lung problems, an asthma attack or pulmonary oedema can quickly occur.Bleach is extremely irritating to the respiratory tract and should not be used too often: Apart from use for cleaning toilets, it really should be used sparingly and carefully for household maintenance.

Toilet descaling gels

Be careful with toilet descaler gels and other multi-purpose cleaners that are said to be « super-powerful » and « active without scrubbing », as they are highly corrosive and irritating.Inhaling vapours or exposure to splashes has a rapid and potentially very serious toxic effect on the skin, eyes and respiratory tract.These effects are particularly noticeable when the products contain hydrochloric acid, formic acid, ethanolamine or caustic soda, the main molecules to be avoided.

What to do and how to limit the risks

To prevent the risks of poisoning from household products, it's important to follow a few simple rules: Systematically read the labels of household products, to be informed of the precautions for use (wearing gloves, goggles, etc.) and to check for the possible presence of problematic substances when they are mentioned.Do not decondition household products, i.e. do not pour a product into another bottle that is not your own and that is not labelled.Never mix household products, to avoid any risk of potentially toxic chemical reactions. Close household products tightly, especially those with a safety cap. Store household products out of the reach of children.If swallowed, do not induce vomiting, whatever the product swallowed, to avoid any risk of burns to the oesophagus and throat.If swallowed, do not drink anything as this may cause the product to foam in the stomach and seek medical attention as soon as possible.If inhaled, leave the room, air it well and breathe in fresh air: the irritative cough caused is normally temporary

If it persists for more than an hour, seek medical advice. In the event of skin contact, remove contaminated clothing and rinse for ten minutes under warm running water.If splashed in the eyes, rinse for ten minutes under a stream of lukewarm water with the eyelids open.In all cases, do not hesitate to seek the advice of a health professional.

William O.

Article validated by Dr Jean-Claude Bakpatina, General Practitioner at the Floréal clinic in Lomé.