If you do have chemical cleaners around, be aware that they contain potentially deadly chemicals, which can cause poisoning if your child ingests them. “Drain openers and other cleaners contain strong acids which can cause serious side effects, such as eye injuries and skin burns if your child gets them on his skin,” explains Allison Muller, clinical managing director of the Poison Control Centre at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia . Here's what you can do to help keep your kids safe.

• Lock 'em up “You need to make sure you have a reliable child lock on the cabinet where cleaners are stored,” says Dr. Muller. That's not 100 percent reliable when kids get to an age where they can open these locks, so it's also wise to keep chemical cleaners out of your children's reach. Some products are just too risky to keep around when you have children. “I recommend that people don't buy any product that is labelled ‘Fatal if swallowed,’” says Berthold-Bond.
• Don't mix and match Be careful about combining bleach with other products or you'll create potentially dangerous fumes. “If you mix bleach with toilet cleaners, you produce chlorine gas and mixing bleach with ammonia makes chloramines gas, which is really dangerous, especially for kids with asthma or respiratory disorders,” explains Dr. Muller.
• Practice safe cleaning If you're going to use any chemical cleaners or sprays – especially when the children are around – make sure the room you're cleaning is well ventilated, says Dr. Muller. “Open the window, turn on the ventilation fan and keep the door open. If you have a child with asthma, think twice about using strong cleaners in the house since it could trigger an asthma attack.”
• Watch natural products too Just because a product's ingredients sound natural doesn't mean they're necessarily safe. For example, citrus cleaners contain d-limonene, which is a volatile organic chemical (VOC). “Citrus oils are nice powerful cleaners and when you think citrus, you think of something natural and gentle,” says Dr. Muller, “However, d-limonene is irritating to the skin.” Because it's a VOC, it can also cause problems for asthmatics.