Believe it or not, many household items can be hazardous. Some household products, like oven cleaner, contain hazardous chemicals that could really harm you–or even kill you–if used incorrectly.
Oven cleaners often have a high pH, making them alkaline corrosives.
Oven cleaner can cause burns or irritation of any exposed tissue, whether that is the mouth, skin, eyes, or airway. And if swallowed, as the National Capital Poison Center points out, "oven cleaners can cause vomiting and burns to the lips, mouth, throat, and further down in the digestive tract, like the food pipe and stomach."
That will make you think twice, huh?
But oven cleaners are far from the only potentially hazardous objects in your home.
People told us more when Redditor Cool_Kid_Lit_Fam asked the online community:
"What household object do most people not realize, that if used incorrectly, could easily kill them?"
"The two most common types of accidental death in the home are falls in bathtubs and from ladders."
Leftrightthere
Are you telling me that I should stop showering on top of a ladder?
"Dryers when..."
"Dryers when you don’t clean the lint trap."
Anti-charizard
Dryer lint is great for starting campfires! Throw some wads in your kindling and you've got an easy fire... which should be a big clue!
"If it falls..."
"Car jack. If it fails and you didn't use jack stands, and you can't bench press a couple thousand pounds..... you gonna die."
racerx21
To say the least!
Safety is cool, friends. Don't take it for granted.
"I feel like..."
"I feel like it’s surprising that most people don’t know that you can’t put out a grease fire with water."
[deleted]
Many fires start this way – and get worse because people don't know what they should do.
"When my dad was a kid..."
"When my dad was a kid, one of his good friends died by inhaling Pam cooking spray. The boy was a good, smart kid and just thought inhaling Pam would get you a little high, like sniffing a Sharpie or whatever."
"But Pam coats your lungs and very quickly suffocates you if you breathe it in. He had no idea how dangerous it was and he was dead in minutes. It was absolutely devastating for everyone who knew him."
greenoctopusink
Very important. A tragedy for everyone involved. Sorry for your dad's loss.
"Bleach..."
"Bleach and other cleaners accidentally mixed together."
Luder09
This is a big one. Never mix – the consequences can be deadly.
"Had a friend of the family..."
"Oven cleaner. Had a friend of the family use it on a warm oven and breathed it in. Messed up her lungs and died in hospital."
queensofthemeeps
That's a genuinely useful piece of information. This sounds like something I'd have done without even considering it...
"Unsecured..."
"Unsecured free-standing shelves are pretty dangerous, especially for kids who might try to climb on them."
MedChemist464
Kids get hurt or die in accidents involving free-standing shelves all the time. You don't want your child to be one of them.
"My brother's..."
"My brother's father in law died falling off a ladder. He wasn’t even high up, just fell badly. His wife (a nurse) tried CPR, but he didn’t make it. He had no other health problems."
estherloveseevie
Condolences. This is so tragic. A warning to us all.
"Anything that can..."
"Wet floors, usually bathrooms. Anything that can make hitting your head easier can kill."
Flowy_Aerie_777
Falling in the bathroom is a big fear of mine. Thanks for the reminder.
You're probably going to be much more careful now than you were before, aren't you?
Good – now get out there and warn all your friends. You can't be too careful.
Have some suggestions of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!