Keep Your Home Environmentally Safe

Keeping your home free of environmental dangers isn't just beneficial to the earth -- it's beneficial to your children as well. Cleaning products, antifreeze, pesticides, mold, and asbestos can lead to serious health problems in a child. Check out these helpful hints in protecting your children from these dangerous elements.

• Store your cleaning products in closed -- preferably locked -- cabinets.
• When using household cleaning products, make sure to have adequate ventilation, and don't let your child enter the area until fumes have cleared.
• Dispose of empty containers through your local hazardous waste disposal center. Don't let them sit in the garbage pail where kids can reach them.
• Keep cleaning products away from areas where food is prepared.
• Keep antifreeze locked up, out of a child's reach, and in its original container. Don't leave puddles of antifreeze in your garage or on your driveway.

• Avoid using pesticides whenever possible.
• Buy the least toxic pesticide recommended for your specific pest.
• Purchase only the amount needed to control the specific pest at that time.
• Do not store pesticides in cabinets near food, medical supplies, or cleaning products.
• Never pour leftover pesticides down the drain.
• Keep bait traps out of a child's reach.

• Keep the surfaces of your kitchen dry to discourage mold growth.
• Throw away wet items that can't be completely dried, such as a rug.
• Keep air conditioners, humidifiers, and central heating/cooling systems clean and change their filters regularly.
• Use exhaust fans to dehumidify your kitchen and bathrooms.
• Don't use foam rubber pillows or mattresses.
• Clean your refrigerator regularly.

If your home was built between the 1940s and the 1970s:

• Have a professional inspector inspect your home for asbestos.
• If asbestos is found in poor condition, use a certified contractor to help solve the problem.
• Don't try to remove asbestos yourself.

Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics; Environmental Improvement and Energy Resources Authority

All content here, including advice from doctors and other health professionals, should be considered as opinion only. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.