Look-alike Products

"Good products" can become"bad products"
when you don't follow label directions and instructions.

Sparkling Laxative & Ginger Ale (bottle) Sparkling Laxative (cherry flavor) & Red Soda Pop — These laxatives look and smell very much like soda to a young child. They can cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalances if ingested in large amounts.
Cleanser & Grated Cheese — These products and their containers are both very easy to confuse. You can prevent this confusion by never storing food products and cleaning products in the same cupboard.
Mouse bait pellets in a box and Candy in the same type of box — These products are not so much look-alikes as sound-alikes. To a young child the brightly colored boxes are both attractive and when shaken they sound identical.
Chocolate Laxative & Chocolate Candy— Many medicines look and taste like candy, but they are not candy. Never call medicine candy to encourage a child to take it. All medicines (and vitamins) should be stored out of reach of children.
Beer & Soda Pop — There are many beers and alcoholic beverages on the market that resemble sodas and fruit juices. Be aware of these similarities so that you don’t store look-alike beer and soda side by side in the refrigerator. Even small amounts of alcohol can cause problems in small children.
Lamp Oil & Cranberry Juice — This is a good example of two liquids that are almost identical in color and consistency. Lamp oil contains a petroleum distillate which can cause severe respiratory distress when ingested.
Mothballs & Mini–Marshmallows — Placing a few mothballs on a table next to a few mini marshmallows, you will see how similar they look. Once again, you cannot rely on the strong scent of the mothballs to be a deterrent.
Pine cleaner & Apple Juice — If you hold these two containers side by side you’ll see that the liquids are almost identical in color and consistency. Drinking a pine cleaner could be deadly.
Red decongestant or cold preparation & Red Hot Cake Decorations — If you place a few of each in a sandwich bag and ask a child if it’s candy, they will most likely say "yes". These two products are very similar. Many adults cannot tell the difference. It’s important to store products in their original containers. Don’t carry medicine in your purse or pocket in a plastic bag.
Dishwashing Liquid & Lemon Juice (both with lemons on the label) — Many adults, as well as children cannot read. They use pictures as a guide to what is in a container. Be aware of products like these.
Windshield Washer Fluid & Blue Punch/Kool Aid — These two products are not only similar in color but are also both sweet tasting. Windshield Washer Fluid is one of the most toxic substances to ingest. As a safeguard, all garage items should be stored on a high shelf (about 4-1/2 - 5 feet off the ground) and never in old food containers.