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As you baby proof each room of your home for your child, bathroom safety is an important aspect to keep in mind. I remember before I had children, I loved to go into my bathroom, light candles around my tub, put on some music, and have a relaxing bubble bath and a little me-time. Somehow that me-time disappeared after my children were born! And, certainly the look of my bathroom changed as well. Bathtub safety became high on my list as well as locks and latches for the toilet, cabinets, etc.
For some reason, the bathroom is a fascinating place to crawling babies and toddlers. So, you need to take precautions to make this room safe for exploring babies who sometimes get into places you don't want them to! Sometimes, you don’t notice that what is in your bathroom, or any other room of the house, can be a potential danger, until something happens. But, these dangers are easily taken care of with a few quick and easy bathroom safety tips.
Locks and Latches
- Put a latch on your toilet to keep the lid down.
Once your child is a toddler, she can walk and is just the right height to lift the toilet seat and play in the toilet water. And, the lid can also fall back down on her fingers or her head.
- Remove all cleaning supplies from under your bathroom sink.
- Install locks on all cabinets and drawers.
This is added protection to keep your child safe from your medications, cosmetics, curling iron/hairdryer cords, etc. - Remove all sharp objects like razors and scissors from the bathroom. Or, keep them in a locked drawer. NEVER throw your razor blades in the trash.
- For added bathroom safety, keep your bathroom doors closed and, if possible, locked when you’re not using them.
Remove the temptation for your child to explore that room of the house.
Medicines and Cosmetics
Electrical cords
- Don’t have any electric appliances plugged in by the bath or near the bath
- Unplug all of your electrical appliances when you’re not using them.
- An important part of bathroom safety is to make sure all the cords to your curling iron, hair dryer, electric shaver, etc are not hanging down over the counter or on the edge of the counter.
As your baby begins to crawl and walk, she can easily reach up onto that counter and pull the cord to the hot curling iron down onto her head or any other part of her body.
I have seen this very thing happen to even the most attentive parents. You have to be even more diligent than you would think.
- Most likely this isn’t possible, but if so, remove all of the electric appliances from your bathroom.
Bath Tub Safety
- Another aspect of bathroom safety is to set your water heater at 120 F or 54 C or lower.
This reduces the risk of scalding. It takes only 3 seconds to burn a child with scalding water in the bath tub. - Check the temperature of the bath water before putting your baby in the tub.
And, remember that your baby’s skin is more sensitive than yours so the water doesn’t need to be as hot as you would use. 
- Never leave your baby alone in the bath even for a quick minute, even if he is secured in a baby's seat.
A baby can drown in as little as 1" of water. If the doorbell rings, wrap him in a towel and take him with you. And, if you have a portable phone, bring it with you into the bathroom so you don’t have to leave to grab the phone.
NEVER leave your baby alone for any reason!!!! - Bathe your baby in the back of the tub. This helps keep the baby away from the faucet that gets hot when the water is running.
- Use a faucet guard. This keeps your child safe from bumping his head or being burned on a hot faucet.
They have fun, colorful, character, blow-up faucet guards that you can use or plain ones that blend in.
- Install childproof tub and sink knobs. These keep your child from turning the water on.
- Teach your child to sit and remain seated in the bathtub at all times!
This is especially important as your child begins to learn to stand. She doesn’t understand that the bathtub can be very slippery. Gently guiding her back to a sitting position keeps the bath time safe, calm and fun. No doubt you will have to do this many times as toddlers forget very easily. Plus, she is just learning to find her balance which is completely thrown off in water. And, as they stand, they can easily hit their heads on the soap dish or knobs in the shower. The threat of drowning is tremendous if your child slips and falls in the tub. - Use a safety rail or safety grip for your toddler to use when getting in and out of the tub.
- Put a non-slip mat under any bath rugs that might be slippery on the bathroom floor.
This not only helps you not to slip while you are walking and holding your baby, but as your child gets older, he’s going to be moving pretty fast and will not know to pay attention to possible slippery areas. - Line your bath tub with bath safety mats.
- Teach your children never to run in the bathroom.
After knowing some bathroom safety precautions, you can really enjoy the precious time you have with your child in the bath. And, then, of course, knowing all is safe and taken care of, you may be able to even enjoy a little relaxation me-time again.
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Basic Home SafetyCabinet Latches Chemical Poisoning Chemical Safety Kitchen Safety Poisonous House Plants Safety Door Locks Safety Gates Window Safety
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