JACKSONVILLE, FLa. — For Shannon Hube, cleaning is part of the daily routine. She and her husband have six children in Clay County. Four still live at home. The coronavirus pandemic has kept them in their home more, creating a higher need for disinfectants.
“We do clean a lot because some of mine are still at the point to where they’ll take stuff off and eat it off the counters. You have to remind them to wash their hands more,” Hube said.
Hube faces the same problem as every other parent: how to keep a busy house clean while not exposing children to harmful cleaning chemicals.
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It’s proving to be a problem for some in Jacksonville.
Action News Jax found the UF Health Poison Control Center has experienced a significant increase in calls during the pandemic.
Calls about household cleaning products increased by 39%, bleach exposures went up 47% and disinfectant exposures calls jumped 129% since March 1.
The department also reported a 90% increase in calls about hand sanitizer exposure, ending in a total of 264 calls in the last two months.
Families likely have more cleaning products around the house during the pandemic. But UF Health's Poison Control Center says it's causing more accidents with kids.
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Lastly, the call center also received more calls about vitamins and supplements, a 67% increase altogether.
“Part of the reason that we get these calls is because a lot of them are in pediatric,” Director Dawn Sollee said. “So what’s happening is parents are having these products around in their home, and then the child will get into them.”
Since more children are home with online classes, Sollee said there is a higher risk of exposure to harmful cleaning products. She also said the call center has received more calls about accidents, when two products are mixed together and can create a toxic fume.
“If I mix bleach, like I’ve cleaned an area with bleach and I happen to come behind and clean with ammonia, I can create a gas, a chloramine gas,” Sollee said.
She said this can cause anyone with respiratory issues to need emergency services.
The call center is staffed with health care specialists 24/7. It can be reached at 1-800-222-1222.
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