Childproofing your home is an important task for any parent and should be taken seriously. However, one area many parents often overlook is electricity.
You know all too well that children are curious by nature and love to touch everything they can get their hands on. Unfortunately, this can lead to electrocution, choking, and other injuries. Here are quick ways to babyproof your home’s electrical outlets.
5 Steps to Secure Your Electricals From Your Baby
It’s hard enough keeping an eye on your baby without having to worry about them getting into things they shouldn’t. But with some preparation, you can feel more at ease knowing your electricals are out of reach. Follow our five easy steps to secure your electricals from your baby.
#1. Secure Big and Small Appliances
The first step in babyproofing your electricals is to keep your appliances away from your babies. Most homes have a variety of appliances, from microwaves to blenders, and each one poses a potential danger to curious little hands.
You can have different ways to keep appliances out of reach. One option is to use appliance locks. These devices can be attached to appliances, making them hard for babies to open. Another option is to put appliances on high shelves or in cabinets where children can’t reach them.
But keeping your baby secure doesn’t end with small appliances or electrical cords. Your child can also topple over your televisions, shelves, and other furniture that might seem too heavy for them. Thus, it’s important to keep large, heavy items securely anchored to the wall.
You can use anti-tip straps to help keep your furniture in place. These kits usually consist of buckles and screws that attach the furniture to the wall, making it much less likely to tip over even if curious kids try to climb on it. In addition to being an important safety measure, anti-tip kits can also help to protect your furniture from damage due to earthquakes.
#2. Shorten Electrical Cords
Long cables running along the ground can be quite attractive to teething mouths, just as moths are drawn to flames. For infants and toddlers learning to walk, loose extension cords are the perfect toy to tug on. That’s why you must shorten your electrical cords.
If you can’t avoid having long cords on the ground, there is an easy and inexpensive way to protect your family from these hazards: PVC molding. This wire molding is a type of plastic tubing widely available at hardware stores and is an essential home childproofing tool. Simply cut the tubing to size and slip it over the cord. The tubing will hold the cord in place and prevent it from fraying, damaging, and being tugged on.
Finally, if you have power strips that connect to many of your electronics, slip the cover over your power strip. The cover will hide the electrical outlets from your baby while still giving you access to them when you need them.
#3. Use Modern LED Bulbs
It’s important to be mindful of your home’s lighting when you have a baby, as seemingly innocuous objects like a desk or standing lamps can pose serious risks. Traditional incandescent bulbs get very hot to the touch, and if a baby were to grab one, they could suffer serious burns. LED bulbs are a much safer option as they don’t get scorching hot like older light bulbs.
Other electrical hazards in lightning are switches. Flicking light switches are one of the most beloved pastimes of curious babies. While it may be amusing to watch your little one flip the switch on and off, this can lead to serious problems such as electrical contacts wearing out, leading to short circuits.
Switch covers are designed to prevent babies from accessing the switch, but they still allow adults to flip the switch on and off easily. Plus, you can still teach your baby about cause and effect by showing them how flipping the switch turns the light on and off.
#4. Block Off Certain Areas
Every day, it seems like there’s another potential hazard to worry about. Electricals, cleaning agents, and sharp objects pose serious threats to a curious toddler.
Blocking off certain areas is proven to be the most effective way of protecting your little one, not just from electricals but also from other dangers at home. You can do this with sliding door locks or baby gates installed on doors. By narrowing your baby’s parameters, you can secure your child’s safety.
#5. Cover Your Electrical Outlets
Outlets are curious things for little ones, and they will often stick their fingers or small objects into them, which can lead to electric shocks. You can choose a quality electrical outlet cover for your little one but not every outlet blocker can completely protect your child.
For instance, the Safety 1st outlet cover with cord shortener is very popular and might look like it fits standard outlets, but this cover has a crossbar with a screw hole. It only fits the older styles with 1 gang wall plates. The right electrical outlet cover shouldn’t give you any hassle when fitting over your existing outlets.
If you’re looking for an easy way to childproof electrical outlets, consider using an outlet cover for a duplex outlet. These covers are effective in preventing your little one from electrical accidents.
You can simply replace the wall plate to cover the entire outlet, providing a barrier between your child and the electrical contacts. You can also try self-closing outlet covers as they use spring-loaded plastic so unused outlet holes are completely covered.
This way, you don’t have to worry about remembering to put the cover back on after each use. Plus, they are just as easy for adults to use as traditional covers, so there’s no need to worry about them being a hassle.
Plug and Play With Ashtonbee’s Babyproof Items
Securing your electricals away from your baby is a critical step in protecting your child. Using electrical outlet covers and following the other tips we’ve outlined can help prevent any potential accidents or injuries.
Ashtonbee offers a wide variety of babyproofing items that will help keep your home safe for your little one. Check out our electrical outlet covers and other childproofing items today!
