With National Poison Prevention Week (March 16 to 22) and the first day of Spring coinciding, it's important to note that household cleaning substances are among the most common poison exposures for children. So, here are 10 tips to prevent poison exposures during Spring cleaning:

1. Never mix household and chemical products together; this may create a poisonous gas.

2. Read the labels of household and chemical products before you use them.

3. Follow safety recommendations when using household cleaning products or other chemicals, such as wearing gloves, long sleeves and masks.

4. Properly ventilate the area when using household cleaning products or other chemical products. Turn on the fan and open the windows.

5. Don't leave chemical products unattended. If you must leave the room in the middle of a task, either put the product away or take it with you.

6. Properly mark and store under lock and key all household and pool chemicals, paints and poisons. Keep these on a high shelf, out of children's reach.

7. Store household products in original containers and never put cleaning solutions in food containers.

8. Dispose of household and chemical products that are leaking, expired or that look bad.

9. Know how to properly dispose of chemical products. Never put them in the trash or pour them down the drain. If you don't know how to dispose of the products, contact your local waste management authority.

10. Post the poison control center number near every phone. (In the US, it's 1.800.222.1222. In Canada, provincial poison control centers are listed on the Emergency page of the phone book, or you can visit the SafeKids website, which provides a list of provincial poison center phone numbers.)

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