Child Proof Your Bathroom

One of the most overlooked dangers in a house is the bathroom. Every bathroom should be child-proofed especially if you have children. What could possibly hurt a child in such a small room? Everything. Think of the bathroom as a child's playroom. Water is fun to children and it draws their attention. The same "fun" to a child can be deadly.

Ways to keep your home bathroom safe:

Non-skid rugs - Bathrooms are usually tile, linoleum, or wood floors. These types of flooring have one thing in common. They are all slick, especially when they get wet. Bathroom floors should have non-skid rugs so children or even guests do not fall in your bathroom.

Keep the floors dry - If hard surfaced floors are wet, they are slippery. Keep your bathroom floors dry and safe for walking on.

Tub mats or Non-skid pads for the tub - The bathroom tub can be an extreme danger to children. Children can drown in a tub. If a child or someone is taking a bath or shower they can slip in the tub and hurt themselves. Use tub mats or non-skid pads for the tub to lessen the risk of falling. Never let a young child get in the tub unsupervised.

Hot water - Most houses have hot water heaters that are pre-set to 120 degrees. If water is going to be turned on in the bathroom by a young child, an adult should accompany the child to make sure the child does not get burned.

Cleaners - One of the hazards of a bathroom adults rarely think of is cleaners. When there are children in the house, nothing is sacred. A child leaves no area unturned, no door is kept shut. If you have children, all the cleaning products that were once stored under the sink, need to be moved to higher ground.

Toiletries - Toiletries such as shampoo, soaps, deodorants, lotions, and bath oils probably will not kill a child. Toiletries will however, make a child extremely sick if he or she ingests them. Why take the chance? Move all toiletries up high. A medicine cabinet will be fine unless there is a stool in the bathroom.

Electrical objects - All electrical objects should be removed from the bathroom after use. Electrical plugs actually draw attention to electrical outlets. Little fingers may try to plug in electrical objects even if they cannot do it correctly.

Curling Iron/Hairdryer/Hair Iron etc. - Children will play with these objects and imitate adults. After you are done using these items unplug them, let them cool and put them out of sight and away from curious hands. Children can easily burn themselves with these hair tools. Adults have burnt themselves so, children could too.

Medicine - Keep all medicine out of the reach of children. Medicine needs to be put on top shelves and out of the way of curious hands and wandering eyes. If there is a stool in the bathroom and medicines, make sure the child cannot crawl up to reach medicine. Medicine cabinets are a bad idea because a child can crawl onto the sink to reach the cabinet and what is inside.

Stools - Stools are a hazard in themselves. If you have a stool in the bathroom for a child, you need to be in the bathroom with the child. Stools can tip over and a child can really get hurt. Stools can also be climbed on while you are not aware of where the child is. Bathroom stools are bad ideas unless you can lock your bathroom so the child cannot open the door without you.

Regardless of how safe you think your bathroom is, never let a child play in the bathroom by himself or herself. The bathroom is not a playroom. Make sure you have locks on your bathroom door that you can unlock from the outside if a child locks himself or herself in the bathroom accidentally. Have locks on the outside of the door up high, so the child cannot get into the bathroom without you. It is always better to be safe than sorry.