Lawn & Garden Chemicals
Spot it
Weed killer, fertilizer-and-pesticide mixes, slug bait or pest sprays in a shed, garage or porch where a toddler can reach them; products poured into an old drink bottle or unlabeled container; a recently treated lawn kids are running on.
Fix it
EPA says to lock all pesticides and other harmful products in a cabinet out of children's reach, keep them in their original containers (never in anything that could be mistaken for food or a drink), and reseal them tightly after every use; if you are interrupted mid-application, close the container before you answer the door or phone. Pet flea and tick products can transfer to children, so follow their label precautions too. Follow the label for how long to keep children and pets off a treated area; the label is the authority on timing. Keep Poison Help (1-800-222-1222) in your phone and posted by the phone, and have the container or label ready when you call.
Safer swaps
What actually fixes this — the category to look for, not a brand we were paid to name.
Move lawn and garden products to a locked cabinet or high, locked shed shelfHabit
Free; EPA's storage advice
Read the label for how long kids and pets stay off the lawn, and keep them off until thenHabit
Free; the label sets the re-entry timing
Cabinet lock or hasp for the shed or garage storage cabinet
EPA advises a locked cabinet; a lock is the product that makes it so
Ask a lawn service to confirm which products they apply and how long to stay off, before bookingService
Education framing: the label and the applicator are the sources for re-entry timing; no company is named here
No shopping list for this hazard — the fix is a habit, not a purchase.