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. The no-vomiting rule is not only for cleaners. The UK National Health Service (NHS) poisoning page lists medicines, cleaning products, certain plants and mushrooms, and pesticides as common causes of poisoning, and states that if you suspect someone swallowed something harmful, do not make them vomit, since they "may choke or stop breathing," and do not give them food or drink. If the person has vomited, keep a little of the vomit for the doctor to see. The 2025 first aid guidelines of the International Red Cross state not to make a person who swallowed a poison vomit, as it "may injure the throat." Hand the bottle, packaging and label to the emergency crew

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. On whether to drink milk, the two sides differ. The Chinese CDC says that someone who swallowed a strong acid or alkali cleaner should first drink a moderate amount of milk or egg white. The International Red Cross says not to give milk, water or the like unless a poison control expert says to, and the NHS also says to give nothing to eat or drink. For things other than cleaners, such as medicines and pesticides, don't give anything yourself. 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). If a child has swallowed a button battery or magnetic beads, see §13.45 (a child swallowed a button battery).

Evidence grade

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

Sources

1. National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2025). Summer Break Safety Tips: Beware of Strong Acid and Strong Alkali Cleaners [in Chinese]. https://niohp.chinacdc.cn/kpdw/202507/t20250722_308659.htm
2. NHS. Poisoning: "do not try to make someone sick if you think they've swallowed something harmful – they could choke and stop breathing" "do not give the person anything to eat or drink" "if the person vomits, try putting some vomit in a container to give to healthcare professionals"
3. Common causes listed: "medicines" "household cleaning products" "certain plants and mushrooms" "pesticides". https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/poisoning/
4. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (2025). International First Aid, Resuscitation and Education Guidelines 2025, pages 346–347: "The person should NOT be encouraged to vomit as this may damage their throat" "First aid providers should not give any diluents such as milk, water or activated charcoal to a person who has swallowed a poisonous substance unless they are instructed to do so by the poison control centre or equivalent poison expert". https://www.ifrc.org/sites/default/files/2026-03/IFRC%20International%20First%20Aid,%20Resuscitation%20and%20Education%20Guidelines%202025.pdf

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