MODEL RELEASED. Child playing with bleach. Young boy trying to pour bleach into a glass from an unopened bottle he has found under a kitchen sink. Bleach is a highly toxic chemical used to clean household surfaces. Ingesting even small quantities can cause severe burns, and drinking large quantities can be fatal. Accidental poisoning is one of the leading causes of death in young children. Precautions include keeping household chemicals out of the reach of children, and having safety caps on bottles to make it harder for children to open them. This is Tesco thick bleach. Another household chemical bottle is at lower left (orange). Photographed in the UK.