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Spackle

Low Risk

Also known as:

3M DAP® drywall patch repair Red Devil® small hole repair spackling

Someone spreading spackle across a wall.

Possible Symptoms

  • Minor constipation
  • light-colored stool
  • choking hazard
  • eye irritation

What to Do

  1. Wipe or rinse out the mouth.
  2. Give a serving size of water to drink.
  3. Rinse any exposed skin with lukewarm water and soap.
  4. Call 1-800-222-1222 for additional instructions.
If Exposed to Eyes
  1. Start rinsing eye(s) with lukewarm water.
  2. Call the Missouri Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 for further recommendations.

Additional Information

Quick Facts About Spackle:

If a child puts a glob of hard, dry spackle into their mouth it could cause choking.  Call 911 if a child is choking.

Spackle is a white, soft moldable putty used to fill holes in walls or to fill in the gaps between sheets of drywall or wallboard before it is painted.  Sometimes it is called spackling compound, joint compound, or drywall mud.  Traditional spackle is mainly ground-up limestone (calcium carbonate).  New, lighter-weight spackles may have other ingredients such as vinyl or acrylic plastic, ground-up gypsum (plaster), or silicate.  Children may be drawn to spackle since it looks and feels like modeling clay.

If you find your child has eaten spackle, do not panic.  Take it away from them, wipe out the mouth with a soft, wet cloth, and give them some water to drink.  If you have questions about the kind of spackle or want some help watching this, call the Missouri Poison Center right away at 1-800-222-1222.  The poison center is open all day, every day for problems and questions just like this.

If you would like to find out more about how to protect yourself and your loved ones from possible poison exposures, visit our First Aid for Poisoning page. Learn more about the four different routes of posing that can occur and how to react to each. We have first-aid videos in the event of swelling, skin contact, eye exposure, or inhalation.

**Note: Don’t forget, every case is different. To make sure you are getting the best information for your individual situation, click below to call or chat. It is fast, free, and confidential.

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