What are the health hazards that detergents can cause?

Along with collecting the recipes and strategies for arranging the holiday table, the preparations for Passover of course also include a thorough cleaning trip. These days increased vigilance is also needed on ourselves and twice as much on the little kids who roam everywhere. Just a few days ago there was a tragic incident of a toddler drowning in a bucket of paint. Toddlers can drown even in very shallow water – only about 10 cm are enough. Unfortunately, you don’t need a bucket of paint to make difficult events happen, God forbid, the bucket of water with the sponge is also a potential danger. What is important to pay attention to especially these days?Basic substances such as degreasers and oven cleaners or grease stains from the stove – can cause severe poisoning and burn of the esophagus to the point of perforation in case of ingestion. To avoid skin burns due to exposure to these substances, it is advisable to wear gloves and use preparations exactly according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After cleaning, remove the gloves and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

Products used to open sinks in sinks can cause burns to the airways, eyes and skin. Every year near Passover there is an increase in the number of children harmed by these substances whether due to exposure of the skin, or because of a “splash” from the substance that enters the eyes or other sensitive places to God forbid drinking of a toxic substance.

It is worth noting that sometimes mixing two detergents can cause the formation of toxic fumes or those that cause a sharp reaction in the airways. It is important to use all detergents exclusively at each stage, and not to mix.

One of the causes of these accidents is the custom of keeping the detergent in the cupboard under the sink – a dangerous accessibility for small children. What to do? Buy products with a hard opening, one that children will not be able to crack, and store the materials in the tall cupboards in the house. It is also recommended to attach an additional locking mechanism to the cabinets with the detergents so that it will not be accessible to children. However, the storage of detergents in bottles that are also used for drinking should be avoided.

Some of the detergents are flammable. Mainly materials for polishing silver or wooden vessels – some of which are wood-derived. These materials are marked with a unique marking of fire. If you are doing a slight renovation of the house for Passover, you should install a fire detector in the rooms to be safe in the event of a fire, God forbid.

Window cleaners are considered safer, but for asthmatic or allergic people, dealing with them is not easy. The spray may cause irritation of the airways and flare-up of asthma. So is the very act of cleaning, dusting armchairs and curtains, sweeping. At the same time, the flowering season itself with the pollen carried in the air can aggravate asthma. In this case, it is advisable to exempt family asthmatics from cleaning windows, rails, carpets and sofas and find for them other occupations.

In case of exposure of skin or eyes to detergent, rinse the affected area with lukewarm running water immediately, for about ten minutes. In case of ingestion of a substance marked as toxic – please contact the emergency department, and in any case you can also consult the National Center for Consultation on Poisoning at 04-7771900.

Dr. Tilly Fischer is a family medicine specialist at Maccabi Health Services