A mix-up mess-up

A couple of years ago, I remember a child safety advocate demonstrating the simularities between child-friendly products and potentially deadly products. It was an eye-opener back then, but I have some real-life experiences to share. The other day, Faith was "cleaning" my mother's room. The problem is, she picked up some sort of air-freshener or cleaning product and sprayed it on the furniture. It did not deliver a wax-free shine, but permanently marred the finish of the cabinet. We're still trying to figure out what she used. I only got the shrug of the shoulders. I'll have to do some more detective work. Refinishing the furniture seems the only solution. Then comes the horror I discovered in the bathroom. A container of bleach wipes was left open on the tank of the toilet. If you don't close those pop tops, the sheets will dry out. As I was questioning Faith about whether she was using them, she readily admitted it. I told her to make sure she closed the top. "What were you using them for?" I casually asked. "I was using them to wipe," was her response. "OH NO. Not WIPE," I thought. Yes, she had WIPED. Thank goodness she didn't seem to burn herself. We had a long talk and hopefully she will NEVER do that again.
- Liz Fabian