4 Surprisingly Common Household Dangers

You might be surprised about some of the seemingly innocuous household items that commonly lead to preventable injury. The following are products you may just want to think twice about.

Microwaveable Soups
Grab-and-go soups packaged in plastic or Styrofoam cups for the microwave can get so unpredictably hot that people frequently burn themselves by the steam, or experience splash burns when steam hits their hand and they drop the soup. The result is often a second or third degree burn that requires immediate care.

Dead Button Batteries
When devices stop working due to a drained battery, there is usually about 3% life left in the battery. Many parents don’t realize that tossing them in a trashcan is a bad idea because kids can still find and swallow them. If the battery gets stuck inside the throat or stomach, remaining corrosive chemicals can leech out and burn irreparable holes in the esophagus or stomach.

Unsecured Furniture
These days, most tall bookcases and furniture come with fasteners or tethers to secure it to the wall. Many people disregard these as unnecessary pieces that create holes in the wall, but the reality is that children who accidentally pull tall furniture onto themselves typically face debilitating crush injuries—or even death.

Peanuts
If you have small children in your home, you may have heard that allergy specialists now recommend feeding peanut products to toddlers and babies beginning solid foods. But parents should select peanut butter and keep actual nuts out of children’s reach. Peanuts are choking hazards and can cause serious lung infections that require hospitalization.