Keeping kids safe at home can feel like a full-time job, especially once they start walking, climbing, and exploring everything within reach. Plenty of ordinary household items can cause accidents, even when they seem harmless to adults.
You can’t remove every risk from your home, but knowing what to watch out for can help prevent many common injuries. Here are 13 household items to store securely or keep out of reach.
Detergent Pods
Laundry pods can look like candy or toys to young children, but their concentrated chemicals can cause serious poisoning or burns if swallowed or bitten. Store them in their original packaging inside a locked cabinet that children cannot reach.
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Medications
Some medicines can cause serious harm to a young child, even in small amounts. Keep prescription drugs, vitamins, and over-the-counter medicines in their original containers and store them in a locked cabinet or drawer.
Button Batteries
The small, flat batteries found in remotes, toys, watches, and other devices can cause severe internal burns if swallowed. Keep battery compartments securely closed and store spare batteries in a locked place.
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Cleaning Supplies
Bleach, glass cleaners, toilet cleaners, and other household products can cause poisoning or chemical burns if children swallow them or get them on their skin or eyes. Keep these products in their original containers and store them behind a locked cabinet door or somewhere children cannot reach.
Small Magnets
Small magnets found in desk toys, building sets, and other household items can be dangerous if swallowed. If a child swallows more than one, the magnets may attract each other inside the digestive tract and cause serious internal injuries.
Alcohol
Even a small amount of alcohol can cause poisoning in a child, so drinks left unattended on a table can pose a risk. According to HealthyWA, alcohol can also affect a child’s developing brain, making it important to keep bottles and drinks out of reach.
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Coins and Loose Change
Coins are a common choking hazard for babies and toddlers, according to What to Expect. Keep loose change in a closed container or drawer instead of leaving coins on counters, coffee tables, or the floor.
Plastic Bags
Thin plastic bags can cover a child’s nose and mouth, creating a serious suffocation risk. Put shopping bags, dry-cleaning bags, and other plastic packaging away as soon as you’re finished using them.
Sharp Kitchen Utensils
Kitchen knives, vegetable peelers, and sharp scissors can cause painful cuts if children get hold of them. Store these tools in a secured drawer or high cupboard, and never leave them near the edge of a counter.
Related: 12 Poisonous Garden Plants to Avoid for Kids and Pets
Heavy Furniture
Children may try to climb dressers, bookcases, and TV stands, causing the furniture to tip over. Anchor heavy furniture and televisions to the wall with suitable safety straps or brackets to help prevent these accidents.
Hot Appliances
Hair straighteners, curling irons, toasters, and other heated appliances can burn children, sometimes long after they’ve been switched off. Unplug hot styling tools after use, let them cool in a secure spot, and keep appliance cords away from counter edges.
Houseplants
Some common houseplants, including pothos, philodendrons, and certain lilies, can make children sick if they chew or swallow leaves or flowers. Check each plant’s name against a reliable poison-control resource, and move unsafe varieties out of reach.
Cords and Blind Strings
Dangling window-blind cords and long electrical cords can create strangulation hazards for young children. Choose cordless window coverings where possible, secure loose cords with approved devices, and keep electrical cords out of children’s reach.
