You may not realize it, but your home is full of toxic substances. The average household stores paint, drain cleaner, household cleansers, pesticides, gasoline, oil and other flammable liquids somewhere in the garage, tool shed or inside the house but doesn’t prepare for the possibility of a toxic spill cleanup. You may not think of them as dangerous, but many common household liquids are classified as toxic by the EPA. Even if you’ve made efforts to green your home with environmentally safe products, chances are you still have a few hazardous materials on hand. If one of those bottles or cans gets knocked over you may have to learn about spill containment the hard way.
If a spill occurred, what would you do you do? If you’re like most people you’d grab for a handful of paper towels or run for the mop, depending on the size of the mess. As you frantically search for all of the items needed to contain the spill, it spreads, potentially causing a serious hazard. Once you do manage to wipe up the mess you’re stuck with a pile of toxic paper towels or a chemical-soaked mop that you don’t know how to clean or dispose of. Having a spill kit at the ready is as important in your home as it is in a factory or retail environment. A universal containment kit should include a variety of spill containment products that are easy to use and safe for household applications. Protective items such as a mask, gloves, goggles and hazmat labels will keep you and your family members safe until the spill can be properly disposed of. Depending on the types of toxic fluids in your home, how you use them and where you store them, having more than one spill kit may be best. Keep one with your kitchen fire extinguisher, one in the garage and one in the craft room. Spill containment kits are like first-aid kits for your home. You hope you’ll never need one, but if an emergency arises having one _ and knowing how to use it can save you untold amounts of stress, mess and even money.
