BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuSteam iron cleaner poisoningChelating agent poisoning; Mineral deposit remover poisoningSteam iron cleaner is a substance used to clean steam irons. Poisoning occurs when someone swallows steam iron cleaner.This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call the local emergency number (such as 911), or the local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. Poisonous Ingredient The harmful chemicals in steam iron cleaner are:Chelating agents Hydroxyacetic acid Phosphoric acid Sodium hydroxide (dilute) Sulfuric acid Where Found These are the names of some steam iron cleaners:CLR Clacium, Lime & Rust Remover Faultless Hot Iron Cleaner Lime-A-Way Whink Steam Iron CleanerThis list does not include all steam iron cleaner products. Symptoms Below are symptoms of steam iron cleaner poisoning in different parts of the body.EYES, EARS, NOSE, AND THROATBurns and severe pain in the mouth and throat Burns, pain and ulcers of the eyes Drooling from burns Loss of visionSTOMACH AND INTESTINESBlood in the stool Burns in the esophagus Diarrhea Nausea and vomiting, sometimes containing blood Severe abdominal painAbdominal painAbdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.Read Article Now Book Mark Article HEART AND BLOODCollapse (shock) CollapseFainting is a brief loss of consciousness due to a drop in blood flow to the brain. The episode most often lasts less than a couple of minutes and y...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Rapid drop in blood pressure LUNGS AND AIRWAYSBreathing difficulty due to throat swelling Burns of the breathing tubes (trachea, bronchi and lung tissue) Irritation NERVOUS SYSTEMComa Headache SeizuresSKINBurns Ulcers in the skin or tissues under the skin Irritation STOMACH AND INTESTINESDiarrhea Nausea and vomiting Severe abdominal pain Home Care Seek medical help right away. Do not make the person throw up unless poison control or a health care provider tells you to. If the chemical is on the skin or in the eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes.If the person swallowed the cleaner, give them water or milk right away, unless a provider tells you not to. Do not give anything to drink if the person has symptoms that make it hard to swallow. These include vomiting, convulsions, or a decreased level of alertness. Before Calling Emergency Have this information ready:Person's age, weight, and condition Name of the product (ingredients, if known) Time it was swallowed Amount swallowed Poison Control Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.Poison control centerFor a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What to Expect at the Emergency Room Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated.The person may receive:Blood and urine tests Breathing support, including a tube through the mouth into the lungs, and a breathing machine (ventilator) Bronchoscopy -- camera placed down the throat to see burns in the airways and lungs Chest x-ray ECG (electrocardiogram or heart tracing) Endoscopy -- camera placed down the throat to see burns in the food pipe (esophagus) and the stomach Fluids through a vein (by IV) Medicines to treat symptoms Surgery to remove burned skin (debridement) Washing of the skin (irrigation), perhaps every few hours for several days Outlook (Prognosis) How well someone does depends on how much steam iron cleaner they swallowed and how quickly they receive treatment. The faster medical help is given, the better the chance for recovery. Steam iron cleaner can cause extensive damage to the:Esophagus Eyes Lungs Mouth Nose Stomach ThroatDelayed injury may occur, including a hole forming in the throat, esophagus, or stomach. This can lead to severe bleeding and infection. Surgical procedures may be needed to correct these complications.If the cleaner gets in the eye, ulcers may develop in the cornea, the clear part of the eye. This can cause blindness.Open ReferencesReferencesHaydock S. Poisoning, overdose, antidotes. In: Brown MJ, Sharma P, Mir FA, Bennett PN, eds. Clinical pharmacology. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 10.Hoyte C. Caustics. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 143.AllVideoImagesTogRelated Information Review Date: 11/2/2023 Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Steam iron cleaner poisoningChelating agent poisoning; Mineral deposit remover poisoningSteam iron cleaner is a substance used to clean steam irons. Poisoning occurs when someone swallows steam iron cleaner.This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call the local emergency number (such as 911), or the local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. Poisonous Ingredient The harmful chemicals in steam iron cleaner are:Chelating agents Hydroxyacetic acid Phosphoric acid Sodium hydroxide (dilute) Sulfuric acid Where Found These are the names of some steam iron cleaners:CLR Clacium, Lime & Rust Remover Faultless Hot Iron Cleaner Lime-A-Way Whink Steam Iron CleanerThis list does not include all steam iron cleaner products. Symptoms Below are symptoms of steam iron cleaner poisoning in different parts of the body.EYES, EARS, NOSE, AND THROATBurns and severe pain in the mouth and throat Burns, pain and ulcers of the eyes Drooling from burns Loss of visionSTOMACH AND INTESTINESBlood in the stool Burns in the esophagus Diarrhea Nausea and vomiting, sometimes containing blood Severe abdominal painAbdominal painAbdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.Read Article Now Book Mark Article HEART AND BLOODCollapse (shock) CollapseFainting is a brief loss of consciousness due to a drop in blood flow to the brain. The episode most often lasts less than a couple of minutes and y...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Rapid drop in blood pressure LUNGS AND AIRWAYSBreathing difficulty due to throat swelling Burns of the breathing tubes (trachea, bronchi and lung tissue) Irritation NERVOUS SYSTEMComa Headache SeizuresSKINBurns Ulcers in the skin or tissues under the skin Irritation STOMACH AND INTESTINESDiarrhea Nausea and vomiting Severe abdominal pain Home Care Seek medical help right away. Do not make the person throw up unless poison control or a health care provider tells you to. If the chemical is on the skin or in the eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes.If the person swallowed the cleaner, give them water or milk right away, unless a provider tells you not to. Do not give anything to drink if the person has symptoms that make it hard to swallow. These include vomiting, convulsions, or a decreased level of alertness. Before Calling Emergency Have this information ready:Person's age, weight, and condition Name of the product (ingredients, if known) Time it was swallowed Amount swallowed Poison Control Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.Poison control centerFor a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What to Expect at the Emergency Room Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated.The person may receive:Blood and urine tests Breathing support, including a tube through the mouth into the lungs, and a breathing machine (ventilator) Bronchoscopy -- camera placed down the throat to see burns in the airways and lungs Chest x-ray ECG (electrocardiogram or heart tracing) Endoscopy -- camera placed down the throat to see burns in the food pipe (esophagus) and the stomach Fluids through a vein (by IV) Medicines to treat symptoms Surgery to remove burned skin (debridement) Washing of the skin (irrigation), perhaps every few hours for several days Outlook (Prognosis) How well someone does depends on how much steam iron cleaner they swallowed and how quickly they receive treatment. The faster medical help is given, the better the chance for recovery. Steam iron cleaner can cause extensive damage to the:Esophagus Eyes Lungs Mouth Nose Stomach ThroatDelayed injury may occur, including a hole forming in the throat, esophagus, or stomach. This can lead to severe bleeding and infection. Surgical procedures may be needed to correct these complications.If the cleaner gets in the eye, ulcers may develop in the cornea, the clear part of the eye. This can cause blindness.Open ReferencesReferencesHaydock S. Poisoning, overdose, antidotes. In: Brown MJ, Sharma P, Mir FA, Bennett PN, eds. Clinical pharmacology. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 10.Hoyte C. Caustics. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 143.