According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, during one recent year, more than 120,000 children under the age of five were harmed by household cleaners. This frightening statistic should remind all of us that while it’s important to keep our homes clean, we’ve got to avoid using any products that can easily harm our children and pets.  After reading this article, we hope you’ll conduct a safety check on all of the household products you’re currently storing on shelves and under sinks. You may also want to check on everything you’re storing in your garage.

The following list names specific types of household products that should never be kept on hand, even though they may help keep things sanitized or kill unwanted bugs.

Avoid These Household Cleaning and Related Products

• Big name brand, conventional cleaners. These are the ones that can quickly cause a cloud of dust to rise up and almost choke the person who’s trying to clean a sink area or bathtub. Other cleaners contain ammonia, which can cause liver and kidney damage. As an alternative, consider buying popular, non-toxic cleaners made by such companies as Method and Seventh Generation. A number of regular grocery stores now stock those alternative brands;
• Regular oven cleaning products. Far too often, these products create toxic fumes that can harm people’s respiratory systems. Oven cleaners can also cause users to suffer chemical burns;
• Air fresheners. Try to avoid using these, even if they claim to only contain “natural” substances. Unfortunately, the majority of air fresheners still contain “phthalates.” These chemicals can cause birth defects in children, as well as reproductive and hormonal problems in adults. People do not need artificial air “fresheners” that can actually irritate their lungs and worsen their asthma;
• Antibacterial soaps. Since many of these contain the common antibacterial additive triclosan, it’s probably best to just use basic soap and water when washing your children’s hands or your own. Research has shown that triclosan gets stored in the human body and can negatively impact the development of a child’s immune system. Furthermore, if too many of us keep using antibacterial products, our society will continue creating new “super-bugs” that are highly resistant to antibiotics;
• Chemical herbicides and insecticides. Considering how many toxins are needed to kill a variety of unwanted bugs and other pests, you definitely want to avoid storing these substances in your home or garage. Many of the best known products for killing ants, roaches and weeds are known to be very harmful to our human respiratory functions and our central nervous systems. Ask a manager at your local plant or landscaping store to suggest a few healthy alternatives. You may also want to consider purchasing these products from Washington state’s Buhach Company, known for its natural, quality pest control products;
• Toxic paints. Although you may be eager to give your house a color facelift after fully cleaning it, avoid purchasing any house paint with questionable additives. Instead, check with your local home repair store for healthy alternatives, keeping in mind that many companies like Eartheasy sell non-toxic paint strippers and other paint products;
• Toxic gardening products. Many local gardening stores and online companies now offer plenty of alternatives to toxic gardening products. It’s no longer necessary to spray home garden vegetables or flowers with toxic substances to keep them growing and looking healthier every day.

Readers needing to locate safe, organic cleaning (and other) products for their homes may want to visit the Organic Consumers Association Web site.

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Demas & Rosenthal remains one of Sacramento’s most highly respected and accomplished personal injury law firms. We’ve been successfully representing clients for almost twenty years. Every Demas & Rosenthal attorney takes great pride in obtaining the full compensation and complete justice owed to every client.

Bunn is one of the leading manufacturers of coffee makers, and it produces machines of all shapes and sizes.  One popular item in its product line is the single cup brewing model, and unfortunately for thousands of consumers who use them, they may have been unwittingly at risk every time they turned the power on to brew a cup of coffee.  This was brought to light based on the announcement that Bunn is initiating a massive recall for these products.

According to Consumer Reports:

“Bunn has recalled 35,600 single-cup pod brewers because the drawer of the coffeemaker can open unexpectedly during a brew cycle, posing a burn hazard to consumers. The company has received 10 reports of the drawer opening inappropriately, including one report of minor burns.

The recall includes the  MCP (My Café Pourover) and MCA (My Café Automatic) models with the following serial numbers (located on the bottom):

• MCA: MCA0001000 through MCA0015807
• MCP: MCP0001000 through MCP0029895

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is advising consumers to stop using the recalled coffeemakers and contact Bunn to obtain two replacement pod drawers.”

Perhaps the most dangerous part of using a defective product is that no one suspects that it’s defective until it’s too late.  As a result, people are completely exposed to serious injuries given their inherent vulnerability.  If you or someone you love has been injured by a defective product, contact the Sacramento products liability attorneys at Demas & Rosenthal today to schedule a free initial consultation.  The firm has been representing clients successfully against negligent corporations for many years.

If you grew up in a typical American neighborhood, you probably spent at least one summer flying down the sidewalks of your neighborhood on a skateboard. When you’re too young to drive, sidewalk surfing can seem like the next best thing.

Unfortunately, skateboarding has become a dangerous past-time for far too many. kids and teens. According to a U. S. Product Safety Commission report, approximately twenty-six thousand (26,000) people are annually treated in emergency rooms for injuries sustained while skateboarding. Children under the age of fifteen incur more than half of those injuries. Beginners are most at risk: those who have been skateboarding for less than one week account for nearly one-third of all of the injuries. Read more about skateboarding safety.

Parents must take note of these alarming statistics and make sure their sons and daughters wait to begin riding skateboards until they have:

• developed a good sense of balance,
• become willing to accept close adult supervision while mastering many of the most basic skills and
• made a sincere commitment to always wear a helmet and other protective gear.

The following list of precautions should help parents prepare their children for skateboarding experiences:

• Riders must always wear a protective helmet, gloves and knee pads. They’ll also need sturdy, rubber-soled shoes that provide plenty of traction
  Skateboarders must make sure they properly maintain all parts of their skateboard. Only the best substances should be used to clean or wax a skateboard. If safety strips are wearing away, they should be immediately replaced to prevent an unnecessary fall or head injury.
• All children and teens should be regularly reminded to never try and imitate the stunts they see more advanced skateboarders perform on TV or at local skate parks.
  Children should never ride their skateboards in traffic or in a parking lot. When riding down a residential sidewalk, skateboarders must constantly be on the lookout for cars preparing to exit or enter a nearby driveway. Furthermore, no child should ever try to “hitch a ride” on a car by grabbing hold of it and then trying to sail effortlessly down the street holding onto it.
• When parents believe their children are ready to ride their skateboards without adult supervision, they should be instructed to carry along their cell phones so they can summon help via 9-1-1 if anyone in their group should sustain a serious injury.
• Always discourage neighborhood skateboarding after dark. It’s really only safe if it’s done at a well lit and fully supervised local skateboard park. Also, kids should never tried to ride their skateboards in inclement weather.
• Make sure the length, width and weight of your child’s skateboard is proper for his or her size. Serious accidents can occur when kids ride skateboards that are too large or heavy for them to maneuver.
• Insist that you or another responsible adult be present throughout the first months of your child’s skateboard learning curve. After that, make sure they always ride with at least one friend so they can help one another in case of an accident.

If you follow all of the suggestions listed above, you should be able to protect your children from many of the most serious skateboarding injuries.