Baby-proofing your home is best done before your baby starts to crawl. Once a baby can move around, things change quickly: today your little one is lying on the play mat, next week they are at the bottom cupboard door. In this checklist we calmly go through the places where most of the risks are: the stairs, the sockets, the cupboards and the sharp corners.
Start at crawling height
The most useful first step costs nothing: go through your home on your hands and knees. At that height you see what your baby will soon see: a loose cable, a socket behind the sofa, a low cupboard with cleaning products, the corner of the coffee table. Go through every room like this and write down what you find. Then you know exactly what you need and you won't buy anything you don't.
Stair gate: at the bottom and the top of the stairs
A stair gate is the first thing many parents buy. A stair gate without drilling is held in place by pressure between two walls or in a doorway. That is handy in a rented home, and you can remove it later without leaving holes in the wall.
Do think about where you put it. A pressure-fit gate without drilling is generally advised against at the top of the stairs: a child can push hard against it, and the bottom bar becomes a trip hazard on the top step. So always check the manufacturer's instructions to see whether a gate is suitable for the top of the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, in a doorway or at the kitchen, a pressure-fit gate is often a practical choice.
In the Safe at Home collection you will find a white stair gate from 75 to 96 cm wide, which you fit without drilling and which closes automatically. That last point is useful: walk through with your hands full and it swings shut by itself.
Socket covers
Sockets sit at exactly the height of little fingers. Socket covers close off the openings so nothing can be pushed in. Choose a system that you can remove easily and a child cannot. Our socket protection comes with a key, six pieces in a set. Also think about sockets behind furniture and extension leads on the floor: an extension lead is better tucked away high up or behind furniture.
Cupboard locks for your baby
Low cupboards are a voyage of discovery for a crawling baby. So store cleaning products, medicines, dishwasher tablets, batteries and plastic bags up high, and fit a cupboard lock to the cupboards your baby can reach. There are two types in the collection:
- cabinet locks for baby safety: universal furniture locks, four pieces, self-adhesive with 3M tape, so no drilling either;
- SAFE HOME cupboard lock in white: a child lock for cupboards and the fridge, two pieces.
Test a lock a few times after sticking it on, so you know for sure it is firmly attached before your baby starts pulling at it.
Corner protectors for babies
A coffee table, TV unit or windowsill often has a sharp corner at exactly head height. Corner protectors soften those corners. We have silicone corner protectors, four pieces, transparent and self-adhesive, and SAFE HOME corner protectors, also four pieces and transparent. Because they are clear, they are barely noticeable on your furniture.
What else not to forget
- Cords of roller blinds and venetian blinds: tie them up high or shorten them so they stay out of reach.
- Heavy furniture such as bookcases and chests of drawers: fix them to the wall so they cannot tip over when your child hangs on them.
- Small objects on the floor: anything that fits in a little mouth belongs out of reach.
- Candles, hot drinks and houseplants: put them higher than you think is necessary.
For the bathroom and the changing table you will find practical aids under care and safety.
A safe place to play
Baby-proofing your home does not mean saying no to everything. Instead, create one place where your baby is free to explore, for example a large play mat with toys that suit their age. Have a look at our play mats and play tents and our baby toys. And stay close by: no safety product replaces a parent keeping an eye on things.
You will find the stair gate, cupboard locks, socket covers and corner protectors together in the Safe at Home collection.