How to baby proof sliding cabinet doors (5 Steps)

In this article, we talk about how to baby proof sliding cabinet doors; the importance of babyproofing your house. We also give you important tips on how to prevent a fall, minor injuries, burn, suffocation, and the safety measure for windows, balconies and mirrors.

How to baby proof sliding cabinet doors?

To baby proof sliding cabinet doors you have to use locking devices for drawers and cabinets. We advise you to use safety cabinet latches that have an adjustable length and are made of high quality, non-toxic plastic. The flexible strap must be easily adjusted to different lengths and can be used both on flat surfaces and on corners without breaking.

The advantage of child safety cabinet latches is that children lack the power of their fingers to slide their release button. Thus this easy and affordable device becomes mandatory for your child’s safety.

What type of safety cabinet latches to use?

Among our top recommendations for baby proofing sliding cabinet doors are the following models:

• The Wappa Baby Safety Cabinet Locks – are affordable, easy to find and install. The only disadvantage would be that the adhesive used could leave a residue.

• Munchkin Xtraguard – works on the same principle as The Wappa Baby Safety Cabinet Locks, but they are a little more expensive and can be used for the refrigerator or toilet also.

• Jambini Magnetic Cabinet Locks – Another discreet product, very easy to install and very safe. The only downside is that it can only be opened with a key. Of course, this type of cabinet lock would be ideal for the medicine drawer or another cabinet that you do not open very often. Just be careful where you put the key!

• Kiscords Baby Safety Cabinet Locks – They only work on cabinets with handles and will leave absolutely no mark on your furniture, as they look practically like a string that blocks access to the cabinet. This is a great option for temporary babyproofing.

Besides using cabinet locks, we also recommend that you:

• Use angle brackets or anchors to secure furniture to the floor or wall.
• Apply corner protectors and edge cushioning to prevent injuries and head injuries, bumps and bruises.
• Place televisions on secure shelves and as far apart as possible.
• Use VCR/DVD machine locks to prevent children from putting their fingers inside the equipment in the areas of cassettes or discs and getting stuck or injured.

Child safety in the house

There are hundreds of gadgets on the market to help you prevent domestic accidents, but the most important safety devices will always be present and your close supervision. So, if the phone rings or someone knocks on the door, take your child with you if you have doubts about his safety.

When it comes to the safety of the child in the house, you must evaluate each room with all the objects in it, not only those on the floor but also those on the furniture that the little one can reach once he begins to climb and to walk around the house.

Preventing  a fall

Falls are the most common cause of accidents at home and can be prevented by taking several additional precautions:

•  Use locks on doors that you do not want your child to open
• If you have stairs in the house, it is good to put a safety gate at the top of the stairs and after the first three steps down, allowing the child to climb the stairs without getting hurt; also make sure that the railings are strong enough and do not allow the child to climb them
• Never leave objects in the hallway or on stairs that could cause various accidents
• Replace or repair any damaged or worn carpet in the house
•  Put non-slip strips under carpets and rugs
•  Attach protective silicone corners to coffee tables, tables and desks – they can’t prevent a fall, but they can help reduce a bump accident.

Safety measures for windows and mirrors

• Make sure there are no beds, chairs, tables or other furniture near the windows that will allow the child to climb on the window; you can also move certain guards to prevent the child from going out the window.

• You can use safety devices to allow the limited opening of windows – it should not be larger than 10-12 cm.

• Do not allow the child to reach the curtain cords as these increase the risk of strangulation

• Put colourful stickers on large glass surfaces, such as sliding doors or mirrors, to draw your child’s attention to being there.

Preventing fingers injuries

• Carefully check objects in which the child might catch his fingers, such as door hinges, cabinet drawers, etc. You can easily avoid injuring your little one by mounting stops so that the doors do not close completely and lock for drawers
• Keep pens, scissors, staplers and other sharp tools in locked drawers
• Use special socket protection devices if you do not have modern models that have built-in safety systems to protect your child’s fingers.

Preventing burns

Young children are more prone to burns than older children or adults. In their case, most burns are caused by spilling hot drinks. Remember that a hot drink can cause a burn even 15 minutes after it has been prepared. Here’s what you can do to prevent these accidents:

• Keep mugs of hot drinks away from the edge of surfaces
• When cooking, make sure that the handles of the pans and pans are not directed towards the edge of the stove. A handle can arouse the child’s curiosity
• When preparing the baby’s bath, first turn on the cold water and then the hot water. Check the water temperature with your elbow. The water must be warm, not hot!
• Do not allow the child to play with the hot water tap. You can put a lid on it to restrict access
• Never give a hot drink to a nursing mother, as even a drop of that drink could lead to a burn.

Preventing suffocation

A safe place where the baby can sleep helps prevent suffocation, and the bed is the safest place to sleep. 

• If you have a cat, it is recommended to put a cat net over the child’s bed. Cats love warm places to sleep and will try to sneak into bed with the little one.

• Do not let the child sleep on the couch. Many sofas may have less firm portions and plenty of pillows, which could be dangerous for the baby.

• Make sure that the plastic bags are kept in places where the child cannot reach them. You can also make a knot in the top of the plastic bags so that the child cannot open them.

Secure the house gradually as the baby grows

The parents must remove from the house any factor, object or style of arrangement that proves to be dangerous for the baby before the little one arrives home. After the arrival of the newborn, parents must continue to take care of their home and to ensure at all times that the home is an environment conducive to the development of their child. 

This ongoing task must not terrorize you; sanitation, organization and security of the home, regardless of whether or not very young children live inside, are beneficial manoeuvres for any person, not only for a couple of young parents.

The best advice is to approach things gradually and secure the house in stages, as the baby grows and according to the specific manifestations of each age. For the home to be a safe environment for your baby, you will need to take a few precautions before your little one gets home, such as:

• replacing sockets with others protected by a cover,
• vacuuming carpets, rugs,
• complete cleaning of the floor of any blunt or non-blunt object that the baby may swallow (coins, buttons, needles, nails, etc.),
• fastening the cables to the walls, so that the little one does not get in the way
• removing sharp objects from circulating areas.

For the baby not to be injured at home, the parents must adopt the following measures:

• installation of safety gates at the ends of each staircase;
• removing plants from the ground – some specimens are poisonous, such as iris flowers or the Christmas Star (Poinsettia);
• avoiding placing pieces of furniture near windows;
• installation of intact door stops, without removable parts, which can cause the death of the child by suffocation;
• embedding in the wall pieces of furniture, accessories, bulky books and other such objects so that the baby does not get hurt trying to move them from their place;
• dryers, irons and other similar devices must be unplugged and removed from the child’s visual area.

Child protection measures are especially necessary in his bedroom, the place where the baby stays the longest. Remove toys, excessively soft and thick blankets, pillows from the crib; do not lie the newborn in an old crib that does not meet the safety standards in force. 

Do not place the baby’s crib by the window or allow it to play with older siblings’ toys (choose only toys recommended for newborns because they are much safer and usually designed to encourage natural reflex testing and harmonious development). 

Install blinds made of natural materials without wires or with camouflaged wires. If the toy box is in the baby’s room, choose a model without a cover instead of a covered one, to protect your child from other unwanted accidents.

Conclusions

In this article, we talked about how to baby proof sliding cabinet doors; the importance of babyproofing your house. We also gave you important tips on how to prevent a fall, minor injuries, burn, suffocation, and the safety measure for windows, balconies and mirrors.

To baby proof sliding cabinet doors you have to use locking devices for drawers and cabinets. The best child proof cabinet locks are the ones that will be easy to install, discreet and secure.

Remember that when it comes to the safety of the child in the house, you must evaluate each room with all the objects in it, not only those on the floor but also those on the furniture that the little one can reach once he begins to climb and to walk around the house.

If you have any questions or comments on the content, please let us know!

FAQ on How to baby proof sliding cabinet doors

References

Whattoexpect.com

Momlovesbest.com

Safewise.com