House Cleaning Safely
With Kids

As a parent of a preschooler, you're texting, talking on your cell, cooking, house cleaning - making the most of every moment of the day.

Life is hectic with kids under age 5, and daily schedules are full. As all parents know, these little ones are constantly growing and changing.

You might not give that open cleaning product bottle or container a second thought because yesterday, your little girl was learning to crawl.

Today she's taking steps -- and it only takes a single distracted second for an accident to happen now that she's mobile and naturally curious about everything.

Whether you have an infant, toddler, or preschooler at home, it's important to remember to keep all cleaning products up and away from curious fingers, regardless of your little one's age. It's a good safety habit to get in to.

#MessyMoments cleaning with kids.Click the image to enlarge and print.

These house cleaning tips from the American Cleaning Institute can help keep kids safe:

  • Always read and follow label directions for the proper use, storage, and disposal of your home cleaners.
  • Store household cleaners in an area that is away from food and inaccessible to kids and pets.
  • Store cleaning products in original containers. Product use and storage, disposal instructions, precautions, and first aid instructions vary, according to each product's ingredients.
  • Put household cleaning products away immediately after you finish using them. This will help limit accessibility to young children and help prevent accidental spills.
  • Don't let your attention be diverted when you're house cleaning.
  • If you or the kids come into contact with a potentially toxic cleaning product, call your local poison center at 1-800-222-1222 and have the cleaning label handy.

House Cleaning Priorities for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

Kids under age 5 grow and change quickly - and so do opportunities for #MessyMoments.

In addition to keeping kids safe while cleaning, it's also essential to understand how cleaning priorities and practices should change as kids go from crawling to toddling, to running.

Check out and share the priority surfaces and tips below from the the American Cleaning Institute with the parents and grandparents in your life:


Kids Messy Moments graphic.Click the image to enlarge and print or share.


You Might Like These:

  • How to clean cloudy glass? The answer begins with understanding what causes glasses to become cloudy. These tips can help clean cloudy glass and restore its former lustre.

    How to Clean Cloudy Glass

    How to clean cloudy glass? The answer begins with understanding what causes glasses to become cloudy. These tips can help clean cloudy glass and restore its former lustre.

  • Tips for cleaning purses. This s a task we often overlook. Yet we put our purses down in some rather unsavory places from time to time. It's time come clean.

    Tips For Cleaning Purses

    Tips for cleaning purses. This s a task we often overlook. Yet we put our purses down in some rather unsavory places from time to time. It's time come clean.

  • Deciphering upholstery cleaning codes. Fabrics that have absorbed a season's worth (or longer) of dirt, body oil, and germs need a bath to get them ready for another season of entertaining.

    Deciphering Upholstery Cleaning Codes

    Deciphering upholstery cleaning codes. Fabrics that have absorbed a season's worth (or longer) of dirt, body oil, and germs need a bath to get them ready for another season of entertaining.

  • The best approach to getting kids to clean is to train them while they're toddlers, so they never imagine until later years that it's even possible to go to bed with toys on the floor.

    Getting Kids to Clean

    The best approach to getting kids to clean is to train them while they're toddlers, so they never imagine until later years that it's even possible to go to bed with toys on the floor.

  • Summer home cleaning tricks. It's summertime, and the living is easy. Cleaning should be easy as well, but often isn't. These home cleaning tricks can help pick up the pace.

    Summer Home Cleaning Tricks

    Summer home cleaning tricks. It's summertime, and the living is easy. Cleaning should be easy as well, but often isn't. These home cleaning tricks can help pick up the pace.

  • If you've got kids, you'll get spills. But just because carpet stains are inevitable doesn't mean they have to be permanent. Here's how to remove carpet stains yourself.

    How to Remove Carpet Stains

    If you've got kids, you'll get spills. But just because carpet stains are inevitable doesn't mean they have to be permanent. Here's how to remove carpet stains yourself.

  • Too busy for spring cleaning? Bring in the spring house cleaning professionals, who will purge homes of a winter's buildup of dust, grime, mildew and dirt, at surprisingly affordable prices.

    Spring House Cleaning Professionals

    Too busy for spring cleaning? Bring in the spring house cleaning professionals, who will purge homes of a winter's buildup of dust, grime, mildew and dirt, at surprisingly affordable prices.

  • The easy fall cleaning checklist differs slightly from the spring variety; the focus is on dust and cobweb control, and getting your home primed for the holidays.

    Easy Fall Cleaning Checklist to Get Your Home Holiday Ready

    The easy fall cleaning checklist differs slightly from the spring variety; the focus is on dust and cobweb control, and getting your home primed for the holidays.