21 Surprisingly Simple Ways to Childproof Your Home
Childproofing a home can feel like a big project until you look at it one room—and one potential hazard—at a time. Young children experience a home differently than adults do, so the goal isn’t to anticipate absolutely everything. It’s to notice the risks you can reasonably reduce as a child begins crawling, walking, climbing, and exploring. Here are 21 surprisingly simple places to start.
- COVER UNUSED ELECTRICAL OUTLETS
Start by looking at what’s within easy reach of a crawling child. Unused outlets are an obvious example. Child-resistant outlet covers or sliding safety plates can help keep curious fingers away, while tucked-away electrical cords remove another temptation. - GO CORDLESS AT THE WINDOWS
Next, look up. Window-covering cords can create a strangulation hazard. Cordless blinds and shades are the safest choice where young children spend time. If older corded coverings remain, make sure the cords are secured and completely inaccessible.
- LOCK CABINETS AND DRAWERS
Think about what a child could find after opening each reachable cabinet or drawer. Medicines, cleaning and laundry products, knives, scissors, matches, tools, and similar items belong behind safety latches or locks. Child-resistant packaging can help, but keeping hazardous products locked away and out of reach provides another important layer of protection. - MAKE THE STOVE HARDER TO EXPLORE
If stove controls are within reach, appropriate knob covers or control locks may be worth adding. Make sure the range’s anti-tip bracket is installed as intended, and consider the habits that help too—using back burners when possible and turning pot handles away from the edge.
- USE THE RIGHT SAFETY GATES
Different locations call for different solutions. Safety gates can block stairs or rooms that aren’t ready for exploration, but at the top of stairs, choose a gate designed and securely mounted for that purpose rather than a pressure-mounted gate. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and make sure the gate suits both the opening and the child’s age. - ANCHOR FURNITURE AND TVs
A dresser or bookcase may look perfectly stable until a child decides it’s a ladder. Secure heavy or top-heavy furniture and TVs with appropriate anti-tip devices. It also helps to avoid placing toys, remotes, or other tempting objects where they encourage climbing. - SOFTEN SHARP CORNERS
Now look around at toddler height. Coffee tables, countertops, fireplace hearths, and other hard edges may be right where a child’s head can meet them. Corner guards or edge bumpers are a simple way to soften some of those collision points.
- DON’T RELY ON WINDOW SCREENS
A screen keeps insects out; it isn’t designed to keep a child in. Properly installed window guards or stops can provide protection where appropriate, with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommending stops that limit openings to four inches or less. Move climbable furniture away from windows and make sure any safety device doesn’t interfere with an emergency escape route. - KEEP THE BATHROOM SECURE
A toilet lock can discourage exploration, but water safety deserves a broader look. Young children can drown in very small amounts of water, so never leave a young child unattended in a bathtub and empty buckets, tubs, or other containers after use. - CREATE A BUFFER AROUND FIREPLACES
Fireplaces present more than one concern: hard hearth edges and surfaces that can become dangerously hot. Appropriate barriers or padding can help, along with keeping children a safe distance from fireplaces, woodstoves, and other heat sources.
- CONTROL ACCESS TO OFF-LIMIT ROOMS
Some rooms simply aren’t ready for little explorers. Doorknob covers, lever locks, or other child-resistant devices can help limit access to hazardous rooms or closets. Choose options adults can operate quickly and that won’t interfere with emergency escape. - GET DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL
This may be one of the most useful exercises of all: get down on the floor and look around from a child’s perspective. Coins, balloons, toy pieces, pen caps, hard or round foods, and other small objects can suddenly become much easier to spot. Prepare foods such as grapes and hot dogs in age-appropriate shapes and sizes, and consider learning recognized first aid for choking and CPR.
- STOP RUGS FROM SLIDING
Loose rugs are an easy hazard to overlook. Non-slip pads or appropriate rug grips can help keep them in place for children and adults alike. Check them periodically, since even a secured rug can shift over time. - SECURE LARGE APPLIANCES
Take appliances one at a time. Depending on the design, child-resistant locks may help prevent access to refrigerators, dishwashers, ovens, and other appliances. Ranges should have proper anti-tip protection. Manufacturer instructions are the best guide because the right safety solution can vary by appliance.
- CHECK SMOKE AND CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS
Some safety measures protect everyone in the home. Follow current local requirements and manufacturer instructions for alarm placement, testing, maintenance, and replacement. The CPSC recommends smoke alarms on every level, outside sleeping areas, and inside bedrooms; CO alarms should be installed on each level and outside sleeping areas. Regular testing helps make sure they’re ready when needed. - TURN DOWN THE SCALDING RISK
Hot tap water can burn a child very quickly. The CPSC recommends setting the water heater to 120°F or lower. Anti-scald devices can add another layer of protection, and an adult should always check bathwater before a child gets in.
- LOCK UP MEDICINES AND HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS
A useful rule is to put potentially harmful products both out of reach and out of sight. Medicines, vitamins, cleaners, laundry products, pesticides, and alcohol should remain in their original containers and be securely stored. Remember that child-resistant packaging isn’t the same as childproof packaging. - BLOCK ACCESS TO HOT SURFACES
Radiators, space heaters, baseboard heaters, and fireplace glass can become hot enough to burn. Consider where a child can reach and use appropriate barriers while maintaining the clearances recommended by the manufacturer.
- MAKE THE TRASH HARD TO REACH
Think about what ends up in a trash can: sharp objects, discarded batteries, medication, cleaning products, and spoiled food. A child-resistant lid or secured cabinet can help. Apply the same thinking to purses, backpacks, and overnight bags, which may contain medicines or other unexpected hazards. - WATCH FOR BUTTON BATTERIES AND SMALL MAGNETS
Some of the smallest objects deserve special attention. Button or lithium coin batteries can cause severe internal injury if swallowed, and high-powered magnets can also be extremely dangerous. Check toys, remotes, key fobs, greeting cards, and other household items for secure battery compartments, and keep loose batteries and small magnets completely out of reach.
- SECURE FIREARMS, KNIVES, AND OTHER WEAPONS
Any firearm in a home with children should be securely stored so children cannot access it, following applicable laws and established firearm-safety guidance. Knives and other weapons should also be locked or otherwise inaccessible.
Childproofing isn’t something you have to solve all at once—and it isn’t something you do only once. As children learn to crawl, walk, reach, and climb, yesterday’s safe space can present a new challenge tomorrow.
A good approach is simply to keep looking at the home with fresh eyes. Notice what’s newly within reach, make the changes that make sense, and revisit each room as the child grows. No safety product replaces attentive adult supervision, but thoughtful preparation can remove many hazards before a curious child discovers them.
IMPORTANT SAFETY RESOURCES
Poison Control
1-800-222-1222
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission — Childproofing Your Home