The bathroom is known as one of the more dangerous rooms in the house. Families need to take special care to prevent accidents from happening to both children and the elderly. Here are 10 things you can do the make your bathrooms safer for your family and friends.
1. Prevent accidental scalding: Prevent scalding burns when washing hands by turning the hot water heater temperature down to 120 degrees.
2. Check bathtub temperature: Nearly fifty percent of water burns comes from parents putting children in water that is too hot. These burns can be serious and lead to permanent disfigurement or death. You can prevent this from happening by purchasing a bathtub thermometer. These thermometers come in cute animal shapes and are installed in the tub to check the temperature.
3. Prevent drowning in the toilet and tub: It only takes two inches of water for a child to drown. There is never a good reason to leave a child unattended in the tub. Before bathing a child, gather everything you might need like soaps, lotions, shampoo and a portable telephone. This way you will not be tempted to leave your child for any reason. Also, install a lock on your toilet seat and keep it in the closed position. Toddlers are top heavy and can easily fall in and drown. Never leave water in a bucket, as well.
4. Prevent electrocution: With proper ground fault protection outlets, the chances of electrocution are slim. All the same, do not use your hairdryer while standing in a puddle of water and keep plugged in appliances away from the bathtub. It is better to be safe than sorry.
5. Keep the floor dry to prevent falls: Bathroom floors can be especially slippery. If family members tend to slosh water all over the floor, it would be wise to strategically place bath mats to keep the floor as dry as possible.
6. Use drain covers and waterspout guards: Hitting their heads on the waterspout can cause head injuries and permanent scars on your children. You can purchase cute soft covers for the overflow drain as well as the faucet to protect your little one’s head.
7. Use non-slip mats in the tub for older family members: Just as they can slip and fall on the bathroom floor, they can have a nasty fall in the tub or shower as well. Purchase bath mats or decals to provide more traction on these surfaces.
8. Make sure rugs have rubber backing: Soft fabric rugs are cute, but do not belong in the bathroom. Be sure your bath mats have a rubber backing or they will be more likely to cause a fall than if you had no rug at all.
9. Add handrails: Handrails in the bath allow family members extra security in getting into and out of the shower, tub, and toilet. This is especially important for the elderly as falls can have grave consequences.
10. Put away medicines and cleaning products: Many people like to keep cleaning products in the bathroom where they are most likely to be needed. Medicines are kept in the bathroom as well. These need to be out of reach to prevent accidental poisoning.
