If someone swallows cleaner, pesticide or medicine, don't make them vomit; take the bottle and go for care at once. If it splashes into the eyes or on the skin, rinse with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes

In a real emergency, call 911 first, then read this.

Cost

Free. Keep cleaners, disinfectants, pesticides and medicines up high out of children's reach, or in a locked cabinet. Never pour them into drink bottles.

What you get

The handling guidance from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention's institute for occupational health and poison control (中国疾控中心职业卫生与中毒控制所) has four cases. Swallowed (taken in through the digestive tract): drink a moderate amount of milk or egg white at once, and "remember, do not induce vomiting." Get medical care as soon as possible, and bring the packaging or instructions "so the doctor can quickly judge the ingredients and plan treatment." Breathed in (through the airway): move at once to a well-ventilated area and loosen the collar so breathing is clear; if there is severe coughing, shortness of breath or trouble breathing, get medical care at once. Skin contact: rinse the area at once with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes, taking care that the rinse water does not splash into the eyes or onto other unbroken skin. Eye contact: rinse the eyes at once with plenty of water or saline for at least 15 minutes. While rinsing, hold the eyelids open so the water fully reaches the eyeball and the inside of the lids, and "never rub the eyes." After rinsing, go to an eye department at once. High-risk products are recognized by acidity or alkalinity (pH). Those with pH<3 are toilet cleaners, descalers, floor cleaners and stainless steel polish. Some strong drain openers also contain dilute sulfuric acid. Those with pH>11 are drain openers, strong kitchen degreasers, dishwasher powder, oxygen bleach and scouring powder. One more combination causes harm on the spot: disinfectant used together with a toilet cleaner containing hydrochloric acid produces chlorine gas, which irritates the airway, causes severe coughing and shortness of breath, and can even endanger life

Notes

Graded B because the official public-education material says only what to do and how to recognize the products, with no figures on how much harm following it prevents. The reason not to induce vomiting is that a corrosive liquid coming back up burns the food pipe (the tube from the throat to the stomach) a second time. If you aren't sure what was swallowed, take the bottle and the instructions along with the vomit to the hospital. Prevention is much cheaper than first aid: store products by type, don't keep them with food or drink, screw the lid on tight and throw the empty bottle away after use, and never pour them into a mineral water bottle. When using them, wear rubber gloves and goggles, open a window for ventilation, and don't mix different types. For carbon monoxide see §13.19, and for burns and scalds see §13.14. For chemicals such as acids and alkalis splashed on the body, how to take off clothing and how long to rinse, see §13.21 (chemicals splashed on the body).

Evidence grade

B : Supported by research but without a precise number, or based on small or single studies.

Sources

1. 中国疾病预防控制中心职业卫生与中毒控制所 (2025). 暑假安全提示：警惕强酸强碱清洁剂. https://niohp.chinacdc.cn/kpdw/202507/t20250722_308659.htm

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 13, tip 20. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer