4 Step Guide to Baby-Proofing Your Home

Having a new baby in your life can be an overwhelming experience. Even if you’re just the grandparent, godparent, or friend, you want to feel prepared if the little one comes to visit your home! Even with the most careful and observant adults, accidents can happen in a home which isn’t properly baby-proofed. Continue reading this guide for all of our tips and tricks to baby-proofing your home. 

Living Room

The living room is often the largest and most daunting space to babyproof. With so many pieces of furniture, curtains, decor, and light fixtures, it might be hard to know where to start! Remember that something is better than nothing and you can baby-proof in small amounts each day. If your home has stairs, be sure to place a safety gate at both the top and bottom of the stairs. Install edge and corner bumpers on your furniture to provide padding in case a child were to fall against the edge. Keep curtains tied off high above ground to keep children from pulling on them and having the rod fall down. Keep decor that could injure the child out of reach. Lastly, put mesh covers over floor air vents to keep curious fingers from getting stuck inside.

Throughout Your Home

There are many items which you will find all throughout your home such as outlets, blinds, and tall pieces of furniture such as dressers or bookcases. For outlets, purchase outlet covers for any and all unused sockets throughout your home. At windows, cut blind cords short or tie them off high above ground, similar to your curtains. Children will often try to pull on blind cords, tangle them, or put the plastic end piece in their mouth. This can be a choking hazard! For tall pieces of furniture, secure them in place against the wall! If children try to climb on these pieces of furniture they could potentially fall down. 

Kitchen

When it comes to the kitchen, you can’t really keep everything out of reach, and you can’t throw away items that could be a potential danger. This is why locks are the most important baby-proofing feature for the kitchen! Be sure to lock low cabinets, drawers, fridge doors, and even the oven. Many kitchen drawers hold dangerous items such as knives, cleaners, or scissors. You don’t want any kids getting their hands into those items. Having child locks throughout your kitchen will provide you with great peace of mind. 

Home Maintenance

Many of us overlook this area when a baby is on the way because you already have so much on your mind. However, general maintenance is one of the most important ways to keep your baby safe and comfortable inside your home. For general maintenance, have any sections of ripped or damaged carpet repaired, replace batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, repair broken locks, fix caulking on windows and doors, and make any other necessary adjustments to the physical aspects of your home. It’s a great idea to give your home a thorough cleaning as well. In order to have the cleanest home possible, consider installing an air purification system. Such systems can remove up to 99.9% of contaminants and allergies from your home’s air. 

HVAC Maintenance 

Another important aspect of home maintenance is taking care of your HVAC system. This means changing filters, replacing thermostat batteries, and keeping the outdoor system free of debris. For a full maintenance inspection, cleaning, and adjustment, sign up for preventative maintenance with Gulfshore Air. We can ensure your system is running at maximum efficiency, lower your risk of costly emergency repairs, and prolong the life of your system with just two maintenance visits a year. AND, you can have peace of mind knowing your baby will be more comfortable inside your home. 

Learn More

If you’re considering having an air purification system installed before your newest addition arrives, contact Gulfshore Air. We’re your local American Standard Customer Care Dealer, here to make your home as comfortable as possible for you and your baby.

Feel free to email us at [email protected] with any questions or inquiries about your HVAC system. Be sure to visit us on Facebook and Instagram for more helpful home tips! baby-proofing your home baby-proofing your home baby-proofing your home