Category Archives: Safety

Single-Load Liquid Laundry Packet Safety Tips and Take the New KEY Pledge Today!

July 11, 2013Cleaning & Cleaners, Health, Safetylaundry, Safety, Single load laundry packsAlicia

My 13 year old does his own laundry and I am absolutely thrilled about that. I have decided however, not to push my daughter who is 7, into helping me with laundry until she’s a few years older, despite her desire to help. I am a believer that parents should not put their kids at risk just to learn something that they can just as easily learn when they are older and more capable of remembering the proper techniques. You wouldn’t teach a 1-year-old to ride a bike or an 11-year-old to drive would you? My personal belief is that you should consider waiting until your child is about 10 years old before you teach him how to do laundry and hand over laundry responsibilities to him or her.

It is important to make everyone aware of the need for safety when using, storing, and handling the new, concentrated packs of single-load liquid laundry packets. Single-load liquid laundry packets, when handled, used, and stored properly are a convenient, easy-to-use product to help get your laundry done more efficiently and effectively.

The convenience of these products is a boon to adults but it’s important to remember these packets contain highly concentrated detergent and need to be treated like any other household cleaning product, stored safely up and away – out of sight and reach According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), in 2012, poison centers received reports of 6,229 unintended exposures to highly-concentrated packets of laundry detergent by children 5 and younger..Thanks to ACI (American Cleaning Institute) there is now a safety education program aimed to equip consumers with the proper education and awareness on how to properly use, handle and store singleload liquid laundry packets. The name of this consumer program is the KEY Pledge Laundry Safety Campaign.

Parents should take the American Cleaning Institute’s KEY Pledge keypledge.com, because we all play a KEY role in laundry safety. Parents, caregivers and adults can all BE THE KEY to a safe laundry room and routine; we should all be aware of the simple, safety steps when it comes to properly using, storing and handling the new single-load liquid laundry packets to ensure our family’s safety.

And by taking the KEY Pledge, you will have access to the following:

Track KEY pledges and follow pledge progress across the nation and in your home on a heat map. Check out how your area is doing!
Enter a sweepstakes** for a chance to win a $2,500 grand prize to help makeover your laundry room

Single-load Liquid Laundry Packets Safety Tips

Do not let children handle laundry packets
Do not puncture or pull packets apart
Store out of child’s sight and reach
Keep the packet’s package closed and in a dry place
Packets quickly dissolve upon contact with water, wet hands, or saliva so it is necessary to keep them dry

Here are a few additional safety tips to keep in mind when you have single-load liquid laundry packets in your household with children:

1. If there is a reason to believe a child may have been exposed to the contents of a single-load liquid laundry packet call the Poison Help Line immediately. The # is 1-800-222-1222.

2. Store these packets in the same safe manner as you would store any other household cleaning product such as drain cleaners, toilet bowl products and bleach.

3. You know that a child should wear a safety belt when riding in a car. Parents are also aware that they should teach children safety measures when they are crossing a street. Treat the handling and use of single-load liquid laundry packets with this same degree of concern and caution.

4. Take the time to carefully read the warning statement on laundry products. Even if you have been using one of these cleaning products for months (or years).

Be safe. Be careful. Be responsible. Education is the KEY to your family’s laundry safety.

All children are different; even your own children. You might think that because your first child didn’t try to get into the laundry detergent or other cleaning supplies, that your youngest will be the same and so you store cleaning supplies in a less safe place than you might if your first child did have issues with getting into things.

Don’t think that way. Just because your first child always looks twice before crossing a busy street, doesn’t mean that your second child will think the same way, right? You get what I’m saying.

Keep your home safe for you and your children. Visit keypledge.com and pledge to be the KEY to a safe laundry room and routine.

Protect Your and Your Kid’s Identities With LifeLock® Identity Theft Protection

June 13, 2013Safetyidentity theft, LifeLockAlicia

FTC Disclosure Requirement: The Mommy Insider aims to provide unbiased editorials. However, I wish to disclose that from time to time I may receive free products or other compensation from companies for blogger reviews.

When my son started crawling about 13 years ago, my immediate thoughts besides how exciting it was, were about his safety. How can I keep him from crawling up the stairs, or under the dining room table where he could bump his head, or from sticking a finger in an outlet? I baby proofed our home to the max. There were baby gates around every turn, ever outlet was protected, cabinet doors had safety locks on them.. you get the picture. I did the same with my daughter. Baby gates everywhere, covered outlets, etc..

Then, as he grew up, we had to consider and education him about other safety issues such as riding a bike safely, ‘stranger danger’, and teaching him to never run behind a car pulling out of a driveway. Those are all real dangers and something else that I have learned about since having my son, is the danger of identity theft. Your child’s clean and unmonitored credit file is a gold mine for identity thieves. Can you imagine if your child’s credit was ruined before he was even old enough to use and appreciate the meaning of credit?

Now there is a service called LifeLock that will give parents peace of mind by protecting their own and their child’s identity protected in various ways.

What Does LifeLock® Do?

LifeLock gives members the opportunity to use a suite of services (including credit monitoring) that work together to protect their identity from various risks including, but not limited, to credit fraud. LifeLock actively monitors applications including credit, mortgage, retail credit, and wireless credit applications to name a few, within an extensive network for attempts to use your child’s personal data, and alerts members if suspicious activity is detected.

As I parent, I appreciate the LifeLock Junior service which monitors your child’s personal information with proactive protection features designed specifically for children.

For more information on LifeLock® services visit their website: http://www.lifelock.com/services

FTC Disclosure Requirement: The Mommy Insider aims to provide unbiased editorials. However, I wish to disclose that from time to time I may receive free products or other compensation from companies for blogger reviews.

Highway Guardian Might Save Your Teen’s Life – @HwyGuardian

August 22, 2012New posts, SafetyHighway Guardian, Safety, teen drivingAlicia

My son is twelve years old and it’s hard to imagine that he’ll be driving in as little as four years. I can’t imagine I’ll be ready to set him free on the roads then.

For those of you with kids (or a husband) who puts the pedal to the metal, there is a product available that you will appreciate. It’s called the Highway Guardian and it limits drivers to 73 miles per hour.

You might be thinking that your child wouldn’t possibly get up to 73 miles per hour.

But think about it..

Does your teen drive on the highway?

Does your teen drive at night when the roads are empty and they are more tempted to drive fast?

Does your teen drive with other teens in the car?

If so and if your child is human, then he/she could quite possibly attempt to drive at speeds over 70 miles an hour which in my book is unacceptable for any child under the age of 30. 🙂

Highway Guardian product information — Highway Guardian device

Highway Guardian is a GPS-based speed-limiting device that is easily installed on your teen’s car by any novice mechanic. The device limits the car’s top speed to 73 MPH by controlling the fuel injection system through preset parameters. The $299 price tag will surely pale in comparison to the bill you get when your child gets in a car accident as a result of driving too fast and most definitely to any physical or emotional injuries that are caused as a result as well.

Did you know that..

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens?

40% percent of those crashes are speed-related.

Have the confidence and assurance knowing that your teen’s car will not reach dangerously high speeds on the highway. Invented by Police Officers who are also parents, Highway Guardian sets a new standard in automotive safety.

Learn more about Highway Guardian here.

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4 Baby Proofing Products Every Home Should Be Equipped With

June 18, 2012Age 0-1 year, Age 1-3, Safetybaby gate, baby proofing, crawling, outlet plug, Safety, table corner protectorAlicia

Before a baby even starts to crawl, parents should begin baby proofing the home. Speaking from experience, there are many things an infant can get into. Many parents, like myself 12 years ago, wonder where to start when it comes to the safety of their child. I quickly learned that power cords, a sharp table corner, cabinets, electrical outlets and the pool if the family has one, are some of the dangers parents may want to start baby proofing first.

Parents can baby proof electrical outlets by using plastic outlet plugs. Outlet covers are cheap and available in any store that sells baby items. Electrical outlets are extremely dangerous. I should know.. I put a bobby pin in one when I was a child. It is very important to baby proof all outlets in your house by using outlet plugs. Outlet plugs are difficult for a baby or toddler to remove but parents are able to remove them easily.	Example: Safety 1st Deluxe Press Fit Outlet Plugs
There are table corner protectors to soften sharp edges of coffee tables, end tables and counters. My daughter, now 6, has had her fair share of head-to-table encounters if you know what I mean. She has always been on the more clumsy side than my son was so we went all out on the baby and child proofing supplies during her clumsy years.	Example: Safety 1st Expandable Table Edge Bumper
Cabinet safety locks and latches keep small children out of cabinets that contain dangerous products. Cabinet locks can be found in the baby section of most retail stores and are easy to install. Cabinet safety locks are relatively easy to install and make it so that parents and older children are able to get into a cabinet easily while babies and toddlers aren’t.	Example: Dreambaby Cabinet Safety Latches
Baby gates keep toddlers from going into areas they don’t need to crawl around in, like the backyard where the family pool is. The great thing about baby gates is that they can be stretched to fit different sized doorways. They can also be moved around to any doorway, insuring infant safety. At one time we had four safety gates installed around our house, including one on our front porch. You never know where your baby or toddler will venture off to so it’s better to be safe than sorry and install a baby safety gate wherever you think your baby should not wander off to.	Example: Dreambaby Extra Tall Swing Close Gate

There are also products to baby proof and conceal power cords that can be found in hardware stores and retail stores.

If parents still aren’t certain they have covered all the basics then they might want to consider contacting a local baby proofing company. The company would provide parents with all the products and materials they needed to make their home a safer environment for their child.Children get into trouble all the time. They are always sticking things in their mouths, taking a tumble down the stairs, poking hair pins into outlets and knocking their heads on sharp corners. This is why it is so important to make sure that the home environment is a safe haven before the baby becomes mobile.

* Some links featured in this article are affiliate links. If an item is purchased using affiliate links, we may receive a small commission.

Graco® True Focus™ Digital Video Monitor Review

June 11, 2012Bedtime, Gadgets, SafetyGraco, New Baby, nursery, Video MonitorAlicia

Bringing a new baby home from the hospital is an exciting experience. You want to do everything you can to make sure that your baby is safe and secure in your house. The Graco True Focus Digital Video Monitor, available at Walmart, will help assure you that your baby is safely sleeping in her room without you having to go in his room and risk disturbing her sleep.

My daughter is six-years-old and we still have a video monitor in her bedroom. She has what we think are night terrors and will cry out or whimper in the night. Before we had a video monitor either my husband or I would get out of bed to check on her. When she was about 2 1/2 years old her pediatrician told us that parents shouldn’t wake a child who is having a night terror. We have had a video monitor in her room since. Having a video monitor in her bedroom is a must for us and allows us to check on her without actually going into her room and risking waking her.

A typical baby monitor only allows you to hear the baby. The advanced technology in this video monitor allows you to see your baby in real time. The digital zoom provides a clear, close-up view of the baby on a high-resolution, 2.4″ color video screen.

Monitor Screen and Vision Modes

There are different vision modes built in, including a night mode, so you will always have a clear picture. For convenience, there is a built-in clock so you can check the time while you are checking on the baby.

Features active parents will love

For active parents, there is a belt clip on the video monitor so that you can keep it with you as you take care of things around the house. You can bring it with you to any room and you will never feel like you are too far from your baby. With this monitor, there will be nothing to worry about if you decide to close yourself in the bathroom for a bubble bath or head down to the basement to use the treadmill. Your baby will be in your sight at all times. The child unit even comes with a battery back-up so will not lose sight of your baby during a power outage. This Graco monitor operates on a 2.4 GHz frequency, so there will be no interference from other household electronics.

This digital video baby monitor provides new parents with a worry-free experience while their child is sleeping. New parents want to be able to watch their baby at all times. With this video baby monitor, parents can do that. While the baby is sleeping, parents have the benefit of being able to go about their normal routines and baby is never out of sight.

Connect with Graco:

Disclosure: I received a Graco True Focus Digital Video Monitor for review. Graco asked for my honest opinion about the product and did not influence my statements in any way.