Baby safety checklist: Steps to eliminate hidden dangers in the laundry room
(BPT) - Babies are curious and even at very young ages, they tend to get into things they shouldn’t. That’s why there’s no better time than today to take steps toward securing your home, and the laundry room is a great place to start.
It’s important for parents to take the time to evaluate their homes and ensure they’re safe for children. These three safety steps can help keep the laundry room safe for the entire family, particularly your little ones.
Step 1: Safely store all household cleaning products
Household products such as bleach and other cleaning products contain substances that can cause serious harm to little ones. It is important to always safely store these products up high and away from children.
That same vigilance needs to be applied to liquid laundry packets. Liquid laundry packets contain highly concentrated detergent and can cause serious injury or illness if exposed to the eyes or swallowed. Ensure that these products are stored in a cabinet with a lock to keep away curious fingers. The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) is educating new and expecting parents on the safe storage, usage and handling of these packets. ACI has created the KEY Pledge safety education campaign to encourage laundry safety practices. Visit keypledge.com to take the pledge to maintain a safe laundry room and routine. While there, check out the trove of educational materials and resources (e.g., videos and posters) to learn the “dos” and “don’ts” of laundry safety and how to prevent accidents.
Step 2: Close doors and set washer controls
The washer and dryer are fascinating to children, so it’s best to always close the doors so children won’t be tempted to crawl and get locked inside. If you do need to air out the washer, be vigilent about keeping your children out of the laundry room while the lid is open. When the washer and dryer are in use, activate the child locks so kids can’t start the appliance or change the cycle patterns.
Step 3: Look at the laundry room through your baby’s eyes
The laundry room may seem safe to you, but what about your infant? Get down low and think about what a baby would be attracted to in the space. Fun shapes, bright colors, interesting noises – all of these things could attract an infant’s curiosity. Move all cleaning products to higher shelves, remove choking hazards, wrap all cords and plug all outlets.
These three simple steps are easy to do and can prevent injury and illness for your family. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and every parent wants to keep their kids safe and healthy.
