How to childproof your kitchen

Your kitchen is loaded with a ton of substances and equipment that can pose safety hazards for your children. And even though you always try your hardest to keep a watchful eye on your kids, there’s just no way for you to see what they’re up to all the time.

You don’t have to wait until your next kitchen renovation to ensure your kids’ safety. Here are a couple of tips on how to childproof your kitchen now.

Keep harmful stuff locked up and out of reach

Installing childproof locks on your kitchen cabinets is one of the most foolproof ways of ensuring that your kids can’t reach anything that might harm them. Keep your cleaning supplies, alcohol stash, and medicines safely locked up inside your cabinets. If locking up your knives and other harmful utensils is a bit inconvenient, make sure that you at least keep them in a high enough place that is certainly out of reach of children.

Clear up your benchtop

Leaving frequently used items on your benchtop can be very convenient for you, but it is certainly not safe for your kids. You might think that your benchtop is too high for your kids to reach, but crafty toddler climbers or a baby in your arms might be able to reach for any harmful items you keep on the counter. Hot pots, medicines, breakable items, poisonous spices (salt, vanilla extract, etc.), and choking hazards should definitely be cleared up as soon as possible. Don’t leave towels dangling from the benchtop since kids pulling them down can cause other things on the counter to come crashing down.

Put a lid on your bins

The rubbish bins in your kitchen are a breeding ground for harmful bacteria, and they also have toxic stuff like empty bottles of cleaning materials. To keep your kids safe from the dangers of the rubbish bin, put a lid on the bins or invest in better ones that already come with secure lids.

Tidy up cords and secure sockets

Preparing a meal for your family can be a bit crazy, especially if you have kids running about the kitchen. To make sure that your children aren’t in danger of electrocution, you should always unplug kitchen appliances immediately after using them. Installing socket plugs or outlet covers can also help minimise the chances of electrical incidents.

Reduce burn hazards

Stoves, ovens, and steam from dishwashers are very popular causes of burns and scalds, so be sure to take certain measures to make them inaccessible to your kids. Install some stove guards, stove knob covers, and oven and dishwasher locks to protect your kids from burns.

Child safety gate

If you want to completely keep your children out of harm’s reach, get a contractor to install a child safety gate for you. Child safety gates are not suitable for all kitchen layouts though, so check with your handyman for the optimum child safety gate for your kitchen. For around $55 per hour, you can already get an expert handyman to help you childproof your kitchen.*

*Pricing data updated on 04 December 2023.