You may be surprised to learn just how many hazardous chemicals are in your home. This is because many chemicals are used for cleaning, providing anti-freeze or brake fluid for your vehicles, and even nail polish remover or contact cement. There are four basic types of substances that are harmful to you, your family, and pets that may be in your home.

• Acidic: They destroy materials on contact
• Explosive: Under the right conditions, they can explode
• Flammable: Easy to set aflame
• Poisons: These are toxic if consumed

For the most part, harmful chemicals are marked as such for easy identification. You will need to treat such chemicals differently in terms of use and storage compared to harmless materials.

Storage

Proper storage of harmful chemicals will go a long way to prevent accidents from occurring. What follows are a few tips if you have such chemicals in the home.

Follow Instructions: Proper use of harmful chemicals will minimize exposure to you and everyone else in the household. With insecticides, be sure to clear the area and let the product fully dry before letting children and pets back in.

Keep All Harmful Chemicals Out of Reach of Children and Pets: In other words, store such chemicals high on a shelf and not in a cabinet. Remember that locked cabinets are still not 100% and you may forget to shut the door. But keeping them out of reach will prevent almost all accidents from occurring.

Store in a Cool, Dry Place: Keeping them stored at room temperature and normal humidity conditions will not keep potentially explosive chemicals from becoming unstable. It will also preserve their effectiveness for longer periods.

Toss Out Old, Unused Chemicals: Every so often, you will want to remove old chemicals that are no longer used. While some may not have an expiration date, in many cases they will break down over time.

What to Do in an Emergency

Even the best plans may not prevent the accidental consumption of a toxic chemical or medication. You should have the emergency number handy and a bottle of ipecac. Ipecac is a chemical which causes a person to throw up the contents of their stomach. However, you should only use ipecac when instructed by a poison control center.

If you believe that your home may have harmful chemicals that you want safely disposed, calling the professionals at Brickley Environmental can help.

Call Brickley Environmental Today

The knowledgeable, experienced professionals at Brickley Environmental can provide you with proper guidance when it comes to chemical exposure in the home. Our trained staff will listen to you, ask questions to fully understand the situation, and set an appointment to inspect the issue in your home. We also offer sound advice on how to properly store and dispose of household chemicals to minimize your concerns. Call today and let our professionals provide the guidance you need to identify and remove unwanted chemicals from your residence.