5 Common Household Hazards That You May Have Overlooked

5 Common Household Hazards

  1. If you have pets at home, be careful that pet kibble can become a choking hazard. If left unattended in the pet bowl, it could well end up in your little crawler’s mouth. Similarly, trash cans are akin to treasure boxes with lots of colourful items to pull out. If possible, use trash cans with lids and secure with adhesive mounted safety latch if they do not come with locks.
  2. Tablecloths can become a hazard when the baby or toddler pull it over, bringing down breakables (such as glasses, vase, and dishes) or even fork and knives. Using place mats could be a better option.
  3. You might not realise how easy it is to topple a chest of drawers until your little one starts pulling out the upper drawers and emptying out the lower ones. Keep the drawers securely fastened with safety locks.
  4. We’ve heard a lot about keeping unsafe chemicals, cleaning products, medicine at higher level cabinets that are out-of-reach to the little ones whenever possible. If not, invest in a safety lock to secure the cabinets/drawers. However, the dishwasher is a hazard that is commonly overlooked. It provides the baby an instant access to detergent, sharp knives, forks and breakables. Do remember to keep the dishwasher closed and latched, place sharp utensils facing down and only add the detergent just before running the load.
  5. Our bags! Be careful of where you place your cosmetic bags, handbags or suitcase as the inquisitive little ones may rummage through them when you are not paying attention. There may be small items (such as pen caps) that are choking hazards or sharp objects (e.g. safety pins) in the bags that we take for granted.