Americans Are Misusing Household Cleaners To Combat COVID-19, CDC Survey Shows

In an effort to combat COVID-19, one in three adults are using household chemicals and disinfectants unsafely at an alarming rate, a survey shows.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have seen an increase in people misusing household cleaners in an attempt to keep themselves safe, and as a result, there has been a sharp increase in poison control calls.

The spike came after Donald Trump talked about injecting disinfectant during a press conference back in April as a means to kill the virus.

According to the CDC website, a survey of 502 people was conducted in May and found that 39 percent of those that responded were using household cleaners in a way that is not suggested.

The survey found that 19 percent of responders said they were using bleach to wash their food, 18 percent used household cleaners to wash their hands or body, 6 percent admitted to inhaling vapors from household cleaners, and 4 percent admitted to drinking or gargling diluted bleach or other household solutions.

The CDC suggests to always read instructions on how to safely handle household cleaners, always wear protective gear when handling household cleaners, and to never mix chemicals.