Gretchen Schaefer
202.833.7311
Baby Boomers – Keep Your Home Safe for Youngsters
with Proper Use and Storage of Household Products
Washington, DC (March 13, 2008) –March 17-21 is National Poison Prevention Week and the
Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA) is urging all Americans—especially baby
boomers or those who may not have youngsters living at home but who often have visiting
grandchildren—to make sure their homes are safe.
As an active member of the National Poison Prevention Week Council, CSPA is helping to raise
awareness of the importance of proper handling and storing of consumer products, such as
household cleaning products, that are typically stored under kitchen sinks or in closets and can
be easily accessed by young children.
“People who do not have young children living with them on a regular basis may not be aware of
just how accessible their home cleaning products are,” said Christopher Cathcart, President of
CSPA. “Our industry has always placed a very high priority on ensuring consumer protection,
from thoroughly testing the safety of their products to placing strong emphasis on consumer
education.”
There are a number of ways consumers can ensure their homes are safe from inquisitive
youngsters:
Properly dispose of unused products
• Dispose of household products properly and read the instruction labels for proper
disposal methods.
Store products safely
• Store household products out of the reach of children.
• Install childproof safety latches on cabinets. Lock up those products that are not used
every day.
• If it is not practical to lock away a product after each use, make sure it is stored out of
the reach of children and that they are never left unattended in the area.
• Keep household products in their original containers as most labels include first aid and
medical treatment information.
• Store medicines and household products separately.
Use products safely
• Buy products that are clearly labeled for proper use and packaged in childproof
containers, when appropriate.
• Reclose childproof packaging correctly.
• If you are interrupted while using a household cleaning product, make sure you place it
out of the reach of children.
• Never transfer products from their original packaging, especially into containers that
children might associate with food or drink.
• Never make your own home cleaning solution as they cannot be referenced in a poison
center’s information center in the case of an emergency.
“While everyone wants to maintain a clean, safe home, it is sometimes easy to forget what it
actually means to be safe and clean,” continued Cathcart. “National Poison Prevention Week
helps remind us all of how important it is to store and dispose of all consumer products in a
responsible manner.”
About CSPA
The Consumer Specialty Products Association is a non-profit national trade association
representing approximately 260 companies engaged in the manufacture, formulation,
distribution and sale of hundreds of familiar consumer products. It is organized into seven
divisions: Aerosol Products, Air Care, Antimicrobial Products, Cleaning Products, Pest
Management Products, Industrial and Automotive Specialty Chemicals, and Polishes and Floor
Maintenance. For more information, please visit www.cspa.org.
