American Cleaning Institute | The Mommy Insider

If single-load liquid laundry packets are not safely stored out of reach and sight of young children they can attract dangerous interest from curious little ones. While single load liquid laundry packets are proven to be very effective in cleaning our kid’s dirty, grimy clothes, keeping them safely away, out of reach and sight of small children is the best method to prevent accidents from happening including unintended ingestion and exposure to the eyes.

In July I announced that I am working with the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) on a sponsored campaign to help spread the message about laundry safety, especially when it comes to using, storing and handling single-load liquid laundry packets. Today I’d like to expand on that and share more safety information and tips from a safe laundry room and routine that child safety expert, Kimberlee Mitchell, recently shared with us.

Have children? Chances are that your laundry room is one of the most used rooms in your home. Did you know that your laundry room is also a potential danger zone? In addition to the possible hazards like a hot iron being knocked off the ironing board or closing a tiny hand in the washing machine door, the laundry room is often where many household cleaning products are stored.

Your young children should not be allowed into the laundry room area, it is not a playroom. The best way to prevent accidents from taking place is to keep it an off limits room If this is not possible, always store household cleaning products, including single-load liquid laundry packets, up high out of reach and sight, preferably behind a locked cabinet or drawer.

Making Safety a Top Priority in the Home

Speaking from experience as a mom of two, small children like to imitate the adults in a household. Now if only they would imitate them when we actually want them to! If you are doing laundry then naturally, your young kids will want to help. Many parents allow toddlers to help by letting them add the laundry detergent to the washer or assist with removing clothing from the dryer.

These are chores that are typically delegated to “mommy’s little helpers”.

Instead of this type of activity it would be better to think of tasks that take place outside of the laundry room environment. Then they will not be exposed to household cleaners such as detergents and bleaches which could pose a hazard.

Parents should make the laundry room an Off Limits area of the home. Instead of bringing kids into a hazardous area take the freshly cleaned laundry to another room and then have your children help you as you sort and fold the clothing.

If you prefer to dry your laundry on an outdoor line the kids could be encouraged to help with this task as well. This would be a good way for both you and your child to enjoy some bonding time on a bright, sunny day.

KEY PLEDGE for Parents

Every parent should become aware of how important it is to take the KEY pledge to a safe laundry room and routine. Signing up is easy to do, and you will be making a pledge to put safety first to ensure you and your family are clean and safe.

As a bonus, each individual who agrees to take the KEY pledge will have their name automatically entered in a sweepstakes contest. The winner will receive a grand prize of $2500***.

You can commit to the safety and health of your child by taking the KEY pledge today!

When you take the KEY pledge your household will be added to those listed on the site’s heat/tracking map. This is a quick and fun way to determine how many consumers in your state have also agreed to follow a safe laundry routine.

Pledge your support for a safe laundry room and routine and you just might be the one who wins the $2500 prize***

Always Follow these Simple and Safe Laundry Rules

Kimberlee suggests that even adults should never handle single load liquid laundry packets with wet or damp hands.
After you purchase single-load liquid laundry packets, as soon as you bring them into your home, store them safely away up high, out of reach and sight.
Never let your child handle or play with any single-load liquid laundry packets.
Keep the single load laundry packets and other household cleaning products out of a child’s sight. “Out of Sight Is Out of Mind.”
Leave the original safety labels on the containers and make sure that you understand the directions before using single-load liquid laundry packets.
Store single load laundry packs in locked cabinets or on shelves that are too high for a child to reach.
Keep your laundry room as clutter free as possible so you can always have a clear view of any reachable surface to make sure nothing harmful was left within your child’s reach.
Teach each child in your family that colorful single-load detergent packets are not something to be played with, they are not toys and must be left alone.
*In the event of an emergency keep the Poison Control Center phone number (1-800-222-1222) – available at all times.

Child Safety Expert Kimberlee Mitchell Weighs In

Kimberlee Mitchell is the owner of a California baby-proofing company named “Boo Boo Busters”. She is also recognized as a devoted child safety expert.. Kimberlee has provided baby-proofing services to more than 5000 homes in California and is happy to be able to lend her voice and support to the KEY Pledge campaign.

Kimberlee has also been collaborating with the ACI on a laundry safety video series which will be rolled out over the next couple of months. Every parent or caregiver with young children needs to watch this eye-opening video to learn about the proper storage, usage and handling of single-load liquid laundry packets. Education and awareness is KEY to avoiding unintended ingestion and eye exposure. View video #1 here: http://www.cleaninginstitute.org/clean_living/safe_laundry_room.aspx

Sweepstakes information:

***NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

Ends on December 31, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Open to legal residents of 50 U.S. and DC, 21 and older. Void where prohibited. Official Rules:http://www.keypledge.com/Keypledge/TermsConditions.html.

My participation with American Cleaning Institute is compensated. All opinions are my own.

September is Baby Safety Month and whether you have a baby or are planning to have one, safety is always a top priority, especially when it comes to your little ones!

Because it is Baby Safety Month, we want to share a few of our favorite tips that you can follow in your home to help make sure the babies in your life are kept as safe as possible. Please feel free to share your baby safety tips in the comments below.

Research which baby gear you should or should not buy used

When I was pregnant with my first child, my husband and I thought we would beat the baby store system (and prices) by shopping for used baby gear. Being the avid researcher I am, I quickly learned that while used baby gear can help financially, buying used is not always the best for your baby. For example, car seats are a baby product that you should always buy new, not used. Certainly, it is good to save money wherever you can, but not when that money compromises the safety of your child. Be aware that when purchasing used cribs, strollers, car seats, high chairs, and play activity stations, there is potential for an item to be broken or for pieces to be missing. Baby equipment goes through a lot of wear and tear with each child, and secondhand products can sometimes be dangerous. Check for recalls on products and look for pieces that appear cracked or missing. The safest alternative is to buy new products, but if you have to buy used, do your homework and keep your child safe.

Have your baby’s car seat checked for proper installation

Child safety seats can greatly reduce the risk of infant and toddler fatality in motor vehicle accidents. Unfortunately, although many people buy safety seats for their child, often times they are installed improperly. Take precautions to make sure your seat is properly installed by securing all straps, making sure the harness fits snugly, and that the seat is facing the correct direction in your vehicle. To confirm that your seat is installed correctly, check the NHTSA website and find the baby seat inspection location nearest you!

Baby-proof your house

One of the easiest ways to keep your child safe is eliminating dangerous areas inside of your house by installing baby gates and padding furniture. I did plenty of that when my kids were babies…maybe too much. Make sure that all cleaning products, including laundry room items such as single-load liquid laundry packets, are out of reach and sight of children. In fact, it would be a good idea to close off your laundry room entirely to prevent accidents from occurring. The laundry room is not a playroom… Since single-load liquid laundry packets hit store shelves, more and more parents have been using them for their convenience and ease of use. However, people may not realize each packet contains highly concentrated detergent and should be treated like any other household cleaning product – store them out of reach and sight. If not safely stored, the laundry packets can pose potential hazards attracting dangerous interest from young children leading to injury from ingestion or exposure to the eyes.

This is so important that the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) launched the KEY Pledge campaign to spread awareness and education for single-load liquid laundry packet safety.

Take the KEY Pledge at KeyPledge.com and follow ACI’s simple steps to a safe laundry room and routine:

Keep single-load liquid laundry packets out of the reach of children

Educate your family and friends about the safe use and storage of these new laundry products

You serve a key role in laundry safety

Once you take the KEY Pledge you will see a heat map where you can track pledges and follow progress across the nation and in your home town on a heat map. Georgia is doing pretty well but it looks like California, Florida and may be beating us! Show your state pride and get (or keep) your state on the KEY Pledge leaderboard!

Since September is Baby Safety Month, use this time and these tips to properly educate yourself, family, and friends about ways to improve baby safety this month and always!

I am working with the American Cleaning Institute on their KEY Pledge campaign because it is important to me to help spread the word about how to safely use, store and handle single-load liquid laundry packets.