Authorities have warned parents to be wary of their children using a potentially poisonous substance lingering in ordinary Aussie homes.

Australian parents have been urged to be wary of their children using hand sanitiser over fears they could be poisoned by the ordinary household item.

In a post on Sunday, New South Wales Health urged residents to watch their children apply hand sanitiser as the disinfectant can be poisonous if swallowed or over-applied.

“The amount you use matters,” they wrote.

“Imported hand sanitisers often won’t be clearly labelled and may contain methanol and other stronger alcohol products that are even more toxic.

The dangers of ingesting the heavily made available product – that uses Methanol as one of three types of alcohol – can cause blindness and death.

According to the Australian Department of Heath Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), parents should avoid buying the sanitiser in containers as children can confuse the substance for food.

Authorities urged parents to be wary buying the germ weapon online as some products are not regulated and approved by the TGA.

“If a hand sanitiser claims to kill specific organisms, it is required to be regulated by the TGA and assessed for safety, quality and effectiveness.” they wrote.

“If a hand sanitiser makes these claims and it does not have an AUST R number on the label, it is likely to be an illegal product that has not been assessed by the TGA.”

The warning comes amid fresh calls for Australians to keep up Covid safety measures as NSW records 9303 new infections and five deaths.

The government reminded residents to use hand sanitiser to “keep those germs at bay” and gave advice on how children can use the product safely.

“Apply a palmful of alcohol-based sanitiser to cover all surfaces of your hands and rub your hands together using the right technique until they’re dry [20-30 seconds].” they wrote.

Use hand sanitiser and keep those germs at bay! • The amount you use matters - apply a palmful of alcohol-based sanitiser to cover all surfaces of your hands and rub your hands together using the right technique until they’re dry (20-30 seconds) More: https://t.co/cErZ9X3NJZpic.twitter.com/lPahEUyXbk

Incidences of children being poisoned skyrocketed during the Covid pandemic as hand sanitiser became a key household item.

At the height of the pandemic in 2020, New South Wales Poisons Information Centre recorded 164 calls about hand sanitiser poisoning.

Those numbers were up from just 65 during the same month in 2019.

In a 2020 report, paediatrician Dr Karen Zwi outlined how a six-year-old child developed serious symptoms, including slurred speech and persistent vomiting after ingesting just 50ml of hand sanitiser.

“Her blood tests showed … a blood-alcohol level about four times the legal driving limit for an adult,” she said.

“[Blood alcohol levels of] 0.05 per cent can be lethal in children, so she is lucky to have survived,”

The symptoms of alcohol poisoning in children are similar to those in adults, including slurred speech, vomiting and drowsiness.

Parents are urged to call the 24-hour Poisons Information Centre for first aid and monitoring advice.

New research has revealed a surprising finding about the exercise habits of Australians when it comes to one thing.

Two Melbourne suburbs have recorded cases of a flesh-eating skin disease that at first can be mistaken for an insect bite.

A hunt to fill thousands of critical jobs will turn global under plans unveiled in one state’s budget.