How to Childproof Shower Doors
Children can be bundles of energy with more forward motion than they have braking ability. This makes childproofing the areas of your home where high-speed crashes can cause serious injury a high priority. A shower door made primarily of glass is one of those high-impact, high-injury areas. The best approach is a three-pronged one. Childproof the shower door itself by making the glass safer if impact occurs. Remove or alter those surfaces near the shower most likely to cause the child to fall and increase the visibility of the glass to raise the child's awareness. The combination will make the shower area a much safer place while allowing you to enjoy the shower door of your choice. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Glass cleaner
- Cloth
- Tape measure
- Stick-on window security film
- Mild liquid soap
- Spray bottle
- Utility knife
- Squeegee
- Vinyl stickers
- Rubber shower mat
- Safety night light
Instructions
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Clean the shower door completely as any dirt or smudges will show through the treatments applied. Use a no-streak glass cleaner and a cloth to remove any marks or loose dirt. Allow the glass to dry completely before continuing.
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Measure your shower door dimensions with a tape measure and purchase a stick-on window security film large enough to cover the glass from a home improvement store. The security film protects by preventing glass shards of the shower door from separating upon impact, preventing cuts.
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Fill a spray bottle with mild liquid soap and water until it suds. Spray the glass with the mixture and spray the adhesive side of the security film. Place the film against the shower door glass, making sure to cover every inch. Cut the film about 1/16-inch from the frame of the door with a utility knife, leaving slight expansion room. Smooth the film in place by going over it with a squeegee, working from the inside of the film toward the edges. Allow it to dry per manufacturer instructions before use.
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Place bright stickers on the glass surface to make the door more visible. Make sure the stickers are waterproof; vinyl works well for moisture-rich areas. Peel the protective paper backing from the rear of the sticker and place it flat on the door. Press with your hand to remove any air pockets from beneath the sticker, moving from center to edge to press the pockets outward.
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Install a rubber shower mat onto the base of the shower using rubber holds under the mat to suction tightly to the shower floor. These mats provide extra gripping power to lower the chances of slipping on a slick shower floor surface.
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Remove any loose floor mats before the shower that can move beneath a child and cause him fall into the shower door glass.
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Plug an always-on safety light into an electrical outlet in the bathroom to ensure that the glass door is always visible to the child.
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References
Resources
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