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What to do if…
you suspect you swallowed a caustic household product and your mouth or throat is burning

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Call 999 now and say you may have swallowed a caustic or corrosive household product and your mouth or throat is burning. Do not make yourself vomit, and do not eat or drink anything unless a 999 call handler or clinician tells you to.

Do not do these things

  • Do not make yourself vomit.
  • Do not try to “neutralise” it with vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, alcohol, or anything else.
  • Do not eat or drink anything unless a 999 call handler or clinician tells you to.
  • Do not take activated charcoal unless a clinician tells you to.
  • Do not brush your teeth, scrape your tongue, or gargle aggressively.
  • Do not lie flat if you can sit upright safely.
  • Do not drive yourself to A&E.

What to do now

  1. Call 999 now.

    • Say: “I may have swallowed a caustic or corrosive household product and my mouth or throat is burning.”
    • Tell them if you have trouble breathing, choking or gasping, drooling, repeated vomiting, severe pain, confusion, faintness, a seizure, or worsening symptoms.
    • Follow the call handler’s instructions, even if they differ from this guide.

  2. Get the product away from your mouth.

    • Spit out anything still in your mouth.
    • Do not swallow anything to “wash it down.”
    • If the product label or 999 call handler tells you to rinse your mouth, rinse gently with water and spit it out. Do not swallow the rinse water.
    • Stop if rinsing makes you cough, choke, or struggle to breathe.

  3. Sit upright and stay still.

    • Sit upright while you wait for help.
    • Keep your head turned slightly to the side if you feel sick.
    • Ask someone to stay with you if possible and to keep checking that you are awake and breathing.

  4. Keep the container or label.

    • Keep the product bottle, packet, label, safety leaflet, or a clear photo of it.
    • Note the product name, when it happened, and roughly how much may have gone into your mouth, such as a taste, sip, or mouthful.
    • Do not spend time searching online for the product if it delays calling 999.

  5. If it is on your skin or clothes, reduce contact safely.

    • Protect your hands if you can do so quickly.
    • Carefully remove contaminated clothing or jewellery, avoiding pulling wet chemical over your face.
    • If there is dry chemical on skin, brush it off carefully before rinsing.
    • Rinse affected skin with cool or lukewarm running water while you wait for advice or help.

  6. If the person becomes unconscious or stops breathing normally, treat it as an emergency.

    • If they are unconscious and breathing, put them in the recovery position and keep checking their breathing.
    • If they are unresponsive and not breathing normally, start CPR and call 999 if this has not already been done.

What can wait

  • You do not need to decide whether it was “enough to matter” before getting help.
  • You do not need to work out whether it was acid, alkali, bleach, descaler, oven cleaner, drain cleaner, or another chemical before calling 999.
  • You do not need a perfect timeline. The product, approximate amount, time, and symptoms are enough to start.
  • You do not need to try home treatments, coat your throat, or search for antidotes.

Important reassurance

Burning in the mouth or throat after a possible caustic product is frightening, and getting emergency advice is the safest first step. The main thing right now is to avoid vomiting, avoid food or drink unless told otherwise, keep the product information, and let emergency services guide the next step.

Scope note

These are first steps only for the immediate situation. Hospital staff or emergency clinicians may need to assess the exact product, symptoms, and any injury before advising what happens next.

Important note

This is general information, not medical diagnosis or personal medical advice. For suspected caustic or corrosive ingestion with mouth or throat burning in the UK, call 999 now.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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