Precautions With Windshield Wiper Fluid And Children

While the color blue can represent a few things when it is in a container of windshield wiper fluid, it is a mystery as to why it is the typical color. It looks a whole lot like blueberry Kool-Aid, and it also looks like a freezing agent at the same time.

This color is just too similar to the color of blue Kool-Aid, which is an artificially flavored juice powder mix. It is unfortunate in some cases.

There was a heavily-publicized ordeal where a staff member working at a day care center accidentally poured what she thought was Kool-Aid into the little children's cups for drinking.

What was completely a mistake on behalf of the day care owner could have had near fatal consequences for all of those poor children. It is a valid concern to think about how the staff member/owner could not smell the strong methanol odor as she was pouring the liquid into the poor little children's sippy cups.

What are the effects of ingesting windshield wiper fluid? In fatal cases, the heart could go into respiratory distress, and may stop completely (a cardiac arrhythmia). In extreme cases, the heavily toxic methanol can cause coma and blindness. The acidic nature somehow kills the cells in the retina of the eye, and in the brain.

Why these extreme consequences are happening are due to the process of methanol's toxic byproducts from breaking down the existing ethanol in the liver.

The toxic byproduct from the ethanol breakdown is called acetaldehyde. This causes extreme kidney and liver damage after a certain amount passes through.

This formic acid eventually builds up and turns into carbon dioxide.

When there is not as much methanol ingested, the dangerous side effects are very similar to alcohol poisoning. This makes sense, since methanol is indeed an alcohol. Side effects include pain, sleepiness, staggering, headaches and throwing up.

So, what steps do you take if someone has accidentally ingested the windshield wiper fluid? First, you must contact poison control. The poison control center will guide you on the proper steps you must take to counteract the effect of the methanol over the phone as the EMT arrives. Should they arrive quickly (and they should), they would administer an amount of ethanol to help inhibit the breakdown of the methanol.

The main lesson out of all of this is to always store household and automotive maintenance products completely separate from food and beverage products. Pay attention to the packaging and labeling. Windshield Wiper Fluid is not the same thing as Kool-Aid. Kool-Aid would not have child-safety/child-proof caps on.