Researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital have found more than an estimated 240,800 visits to U.S. emergency departments (EDs) associated with household cleaning product-related injuries from 2007 through 2022 for children aged five years and younger. That's one injury every 35 minutes. Among all household cleaning products, bleach and detergents were the most common product types associated with these injuries.
In a study published today in Pediatrics, researchers analyzed 16 years of data and called for stronger product packaging standards, with an emphasis on ensuring that spray bottles and other commonly accessible containers meet child-resistant packaging requirements.
Since their previous paper on household cleaning product-related injuries 19 years ago, new cleaning products have entered the consumer market, most notably single-use laundry and dish detergent packets, which were introduced in 2012. These packets were rapidly identified as a primary hazard to children.
Detergent packets were a main source of injury to children in this study, accounting for 33% of injuries. The rate of injuries associated with packets increased rapidly after their introduction in 2012, peaked in 2015, and then declined through 2022. "The post-2015 decline may be due to the implementation of safety measures, including child-resistant and opaque containers and delayed-dissolving, bitter-tasting packet films," said Rebecca McAdams, MPH , chief research associate in the Center for Injury Research and Policy, and lead author of the study. "Although the rate of injuries associated with packets decreased, they remained the leading cause of overall detergent injury rates in 2022."
Children aged 1-2 years were at the highest risk for household cleaning product-related injuries. "This heightened vulnerability is likely due to developmental factors," said McAdams. "Young children explore their world by putting things in their mouth, but they can't read labels or recognize the potential danger of these products."
The second change since their previous paper is that we now better understand children's ability to operate dispensing systems such as spray bottles. "Our previous analysis identified spray bottles as the primary source of household cleaning product-related injuries to young children from 1990-2006, likely due to their availability in homes and ease of use," said Lara McKenzie, PhD , principal investigator in the Center for Injury Research and Policy and senior author of the study. Over that time, the number of injuries associated with spray bottles remained consistent while the number of injuries associated with other storage sources such as kitchenware or bottles and containers decreased.
In this study, spray bottles remained an important source of injury for children, accounting for 28% of all injuries. Most injuries from products in spray bottles occurred to the eyes. Spray bottle-related injuries often resulted in chemical burns, poisoning, or dermatitis and conjunctivitis. Nearly one-quarter of these injuries occurred when another person sprayed the child with the product.
Among all product types, the most common way children were injured was by ingesting the product. Poisoning was the most common diagnosis, and nearly all poisonings resulted from ingestion of a product. The hospitalization rate was very high: 7%, increased from 5.5% in the previous study.
Overall, bleach and detergents were the most common product types involved in these injuries. The rate of bleach-related injuries remained stable, but high, over time. Bleach was most often packaged in spray bottles, while detergents were frequently dispensed as packets.
Parents and caregivers can help children stay safer by following these tips:
- Store safely. Store household cleaning products and detergents up, away, and out of sight of young children, preferably in a locked cabinet. Close containers and put all cleaning supplies and any chemicals away immediately after every use.
- Stay original. Keep all household cleaning products and detergents in their original containers. When buying products, look for child-resistant containers for an extra layer of protection.
- Save the national Poison Help Line number (1-800-222-1222) in your cellphone and post it near your home phones. Call immediately if you think your child has come into contact with a household cleaning product or other dangerous product. You do not need to wait for symptoms to develop to call.
Data for this study were obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database, which is maintained by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The NEISS database provides information on consumer product-related and sports- and recreation-related injuries treated in hospital emergency departments across the country.
The Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) of the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital works globally to reduce injury-related pediatric death and disabilities. With innovative research at its core, CIRP works to continually improve the scientific understanding of the epidemiology, biomechanics, prevention, acute treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries. CIRP serves as a pioneer by translating cutting edge injury research into education, policy, and advances in clinical care. For related injury prevention materials or to learn more about CIRP, visit www.injurycenter.org. Follow CIRP on Instagram @CIRPatNCH .
About The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital
Named to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report's 2025-26 list of "Best Children's Hospitals," Nationwide Children's Hospital is one of America's largest not-for-profit free-standing pediatric health care systems providing unique expertise in pediatric population health, behavioral health, genomics and health equity as the next frontiers in pediatric medicine, leading to best outcomes for the health of the whole child. Integrated clinical and research programs are part of what allows Nationwide Children's to advance its unique model of care. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children's faculty train the next generation of pediatricians, scientists and pediatric specialists. The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital is one of the Top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded free-standing pediatric research facilities in the U.S., supporting basic, clinical, translational, behavioral and population health research. The AWRI is comprised of multidisciplinary Centers of Emphasis paired with advanced infrastructure supporting capabilities such as technology commercialization for discoveries; gene- and cell-based therapies; and genome sequencing and analysis. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org/Research .
