Button Batteries & Grandkids — A Safety Check for Your House
Last verified: October 2026
A worthwhile half-hour: find where coin batteries hide, make them hard for little hands to reach, and know exactly what to do if one is swallowed. Want help? My number is (330) 200-8042.
A Button-Battery Safety Check, at a Glance
Button and coin batteries are tiny, shiny, and genuinely dangerous when swallowed — a swallowed coin cell can burn a child's throat in as little as two hours. This guide helps you find where they hide, secure the gadgets and spares, and know the exact emergency steps, including calling Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. There's a printable 29-page version up top.
Common Questions
1 What do I do if a child swallows a button battery?
Call Poison Control right away: 1-800-222-1222 (free, 24/7), or call 911. If the child is 12 months or older, can swallow, and it's been under 12 hours, give 2 teaspoons of honey every 10 minutes (up to 6 doses) on the way to the ER. Don't make them vomit, and go to the emergency room for an X-ray even if they seem fine.
2 How fast is this dangerous?
Very fast. A lodged coin battery can begin burning the throat in as little as two hours, and a child often shows no symptoms at first. That's why you call and go immediately rather than waiting to see.
3 Where are button batteries hiding in my house?
Key fobs, thin remotes, musical greeting cards, scales, thermometers, hearing aids, watches, trackers, flameless candles, and night lights — and most of all, loose spare batteries in a junk drawer or dish.
4 Aren't dead batteries safe?
No. A used coin battery often holds enough charge to cause a serious burn. Treat spent ones as carefully as new ones — tape over them and recycle them, kept out of reach.
5 How do I make my gadgets safe without tossing them?
A battery door that needs a screw or coin is already fairly safe. For doors that pop open easily, put a strip of strong tape over them, and keep all loose and spare batteries high and locked.
Would You Rather I Just Help?
This is one of the most meaningful visits I do. Together we'll walk your home room by room, find every coin battery, secure the risky gadgets, store the spares safely, and post the emergency steps on your fridge — so grandkid visits come with one less worry. $99 flat for a visit, 30-day come-back-free.
Would you rather I just do this for you?
No shame in it — plenty of folks would rather hand it off, and that's what I'm here for. I'll come to your home, set it up right, and make sure it's working before I leave. Flat $99 per visit — no jargon, no upsell, and every visit is 30-day come-back-free.
Not a hardware job? I can often fix it remotely for $49 — a secure screen-share, up to 2 hours, that you watch the whole time and can end whenever (included free for $39/mo Support Plan members, and it counts toward the $99 if it turns out I need to come out).