How to Babyproof Your Kitchen

Kitchens pose dangers for babies and toddlers.

Through cooking, eating meals and entertaining, family members spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Childproofing the kitchen can be challenging because there are multiple cabinets to secure, and people tend to store cleaners and chemicals under the sink. So get on your knees and hunt down all the potential dangers. This will help prevent tragic accidents from occurring.

Things You'll Need

• Cabinet and drawer locks
• Screwdriver
• Refrigerator lock
• Oven lock
• Outlet covers

Instructions

1. Put baby locks on all cabinets and drawers below your waist level. Most baby locks are easily installed with nothing more than a screwdriver. Baby proofing your drawers is vital as a baby or toddler can pull out an entire drawer on top of himself -- not to mention what hazards may be inside them. Heavy pots, pans and cans of food can injure a baby if she drops them on her toes. You might want to leave one cabinet unlocked and fill it with plastic containers and wooden spoons for your baby to play with.

2. Remove all cleaning chemicals, dish soaps, plastic grocery bags and any other hazardous materials from lower cabinets. Even if your cabinets have locks installed, it is better to be safe than sorry. Sometimes babies can figure out the locks faster than adults. If a cabinet door gets left open, you know who will be the first one to notice.

3. Consider replacing harsh chemical cleaners with safer natural alternatives, such as vinegar, borax, baking soda and compressed-air drain openers.

4. Put outlet covers on every kitchen electrical outlet. This prevents a child from getting a shock by sticking a fork in dangerous places.

5. Put a babyproof lock on your refrigerator door. Refrigerators do not contain much oxygen and a curious baby may get trapped inside. At the very least, a baby could drop a heavy jar on her toes or even get ahold of alcoholic beverages.

6. Place a babyproof lock on your oven door. Oven doors are easy for a baby to pull open, and serious burns could occur. When you are cooking, always remember to use the rear burners whenever possible and turn panhandles in toward the back of the stove so they can't be pulled on top of the baby.

7. Push all items back on the counter. A baby or toddler will try to grab anything within his reach, so keep heavy objects and things that could burn far back on the countertop. Knives should be stored in secure high cabinets and drawers.

Tips & Warnings

• Safety measures are no substitution for supervision. Nothing is failsafe, so keep a good eye on your little one at all times.

References

• Baby Center: Childproofing Your Kitchen