7 Easy Steps to Childproof Your Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home but it’s full of items that are hazardous to small and inquisitive children, which is why this month, UK Kitchens will be covering how to childproof your kitchen with simple and easy-to-use gadgets and gizmos. With the help of our suggestions below, you can reduce the stress of cooking in the kitchen, with peace of mind knowing that you’ve made home improvements to ensure greater child safety – keeping you all safe and in your happy place.

Things to look out for when childproofing your kitchen:

 

 

• Integrate your bins into your kitchen design – for a seamless finish, hide unsightly bins away from children, pets and keep neatly out of sight.  
• Sharp edges and corners – it’s easy enough for us adults to catch a counter corner or an edge of a cupboard, so to protect your children’s heads and other body parts from these areas in the kitchen, try installing corner cushioning for added protection.  
• Doorknobs and drawer handles – no matter how many times you tell them, when children get excitable, they can forget and end up running or jumping into door knobs or handles in the kitchen. Clothes are so easily caught on handles, whether it’s a sleeve, jacket pocket or jean belt tab, it can stop children in their tracks and cause a scary trip or fall. To reduce the risk of this happening, you can use elastic bands to band together horizontal drawer handles, opt for handleless kitchens or push-to-open cabinets. As for your doors, you may want to wedge them open during the daytime.  
• Skid-proof kitchen flooring – although carpets are cosy, soft and will cushion a fall, it’s unlikely that any of us have carpets in the kitchen because they’d get grubby very quickly. So for a safer kitchen environment, you could use non-skid rugs or keep an eye on spills and ensure that they’re wiped up immediately. 
• Install safety locks – a child’s inexperience with the kitchen means they do not know what to expect when they put their full body weight on something or reach inside a cabinet that has contents that could injure them. Safety locks will ensure that harmful contents are kept securely away from busy little hands.  
• Remove spices from view – spices can be toxic to children, especially nutmeg, so when you’re not using them lock them away in a cupboard where they will be out of reach.
  

 

• Incorporate a childproof oven into your kitchen planning – have your oven at a height that your 5-year old can’t reach. You can install wall ovens, which means you don’t have to crouch when using the oven and your child won’t be able to access it.
  

If you’re looking for a kitchen redesign and an impeccable installation, count on UK Kitchens to provide you with enhanced and beautiful home improvements to make your day-to-day a breath of fresh air. Contact our friendly team today to book your design consultation and free home visit – we’d love to help!