Five Tips For Keeping Your Children Safe In The Kitchen

It is a good idea to keep children out of the kitchen when you’re not there, but this is not always possible. Kitchen appliances can be a particular source of trouble, especially with small children. This article offers some tips for keeping your children safe in the kitchen. The modern kitchen has a good number of appliances, each of which could be the cause of an accident, which is why you should invest in appliance safety locks.

Tip One: Fit Oven Guards and Locks

Young children in particular like to explore, and a kitchen is a great place for that, it is also a place where accidents can happen. Fridges, microwaves, and cookers are particular sources of danger for inquisitive toddlers; appliance locks can limit potential accidents in your kitchen. Youngsters like to open oven doors, even if the oven is switched off it may still be hot, using an oven lock will make it much less likely that this will happen.

Nowadays you can purchase an oven guard and a lock for just a few pounds. The lock means that the door stays closed to little fingers. Oven guards are heat resistant and put a safe barrier between your child and a hot oven door. Oven guards can also prevent scalding accidents and most of them place a barrier between the hob and prying fingers. You can also get locks that fit around the knobs so that little fingers cannot turn them.

Tip Two: Keep the Fridge Locked

Fridges are another source of danger for young children. Get a specially designed fridge lock that keeps the door firmly shut. Many locks for appliances such as your fridge are self-locking and easily released providing you know where to push. An adhesive fridge lock also works well and can be placed out of the reach of a young child. Make sure that you keep your freezer locked as well as the fridge if you don’t want things defrosting all over your kitchen floor.

Tip Three: Microwave Lock

Microwaves are often located on a kitchen counter and easily reached by an adventurous child. An L shaped lock for microwaves is designed to keep inquisitive fingers out of your microwave oven. Get a lock that is easy to fit, angle locks fit around the side of the appliance so that the door cannot be opened – can also be used on fridges, freezers, and free-standing cupboards.

Tip Four: Dish Washer Locks

If your child manages to open the door of your dishwasher, he or she can easily sustain nasty burns from the steam. Make sure that you get a dishwasher lock that clips around the side of the door so that your child cannot open it.

Tip Five: Keep Your Washer Dryer Locked

Most young children are fascinated by the turning of the washing machine, which is fine, so long as they cannot get their fingers inside. An increasing number of households now have a combined washer/dryer, which also causes safety concerns. If the door of your washer drying swings open and your child is there, this could hurt them. Fit your washer dryer with a locking strap as this fits around the side of the appliance and keeps the door firmly closed to prying fingers.