How to Baby Proof Your Home

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Make sure the house is safe and secure for your child when they start exploring their turf.

Step 1: Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
Make sure every room in the house is equipped with a working smoke and carbon monoxide detector.

Tip
Program emergency numbers into your home and cell phones' speed dial. Include poison control, your doctor, and your spouse's number.

Step 2: Cover sockets
Cover all unused electrical sockets with child-resistant coverplates.

Step 3: Store toiletries and makeup in a hard to reach pla
Lock alcohol, household cleaning products, laundry supplies, medications, toiletries, and cosmetics in a high cabinet.

Step 4: Turn down the water heater
Turn down the water heater's temperature. If your baby crawls near the water heater unit, they can get burned. Keeping it at a lower temperature also cuts the risk of burns from hot running water.

Step 5: Deal with furniture
Deal with furniture. Cover tables, fireplaces, and anything else with sharp edges with thick tablecloths, soft blankets, or pillows. Secure bookshelves, entertainment centers, and bureaus to walls so they don't topple over. Apply a stain guard to upholstered furniture and carpets to protect them from spills.

Step 6: Stow away your refrigerator magnets
No matter how cute your refrigerator magnets are, they can be a hazard. Little ones like to chew on small items, so pull all magnets off the fridge and store them in a safe place.

Step 7: Shorten blind cords
Shorten drapery and blind cords out of your baby's reach. They can be a choking hazard.

Step 8: Create a baby toy box
Keep siblings' toys away from your baby's room and common areas so that your little one isn't tempted by small parts. Create a designated baby chest or toy box with only their toys.

Did You Know?
In the U.S., a fatal injury from poisoning, a fall, suffocation, or burns occurs every 16 minutes.