Childproofing and pet-proofing your home: 12 tips from homeowners
Ensuring the safety of loved ones goes beyond good intentions; it requires informed actions. This article distills wisdom from seasoned homeowners to present practical tips on both childproofing and pet-proofing living spaces. Discover expert-recommended strategies to create a secure environment for the entire family without sacrificing comfort or style.
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- Lock Up Dangerous Items
- Cover Sharp Corners and Edges
- Install Biometric Locks
- Anchor Heavy Furniture
- Install Baby Gates
- Choose Cordless Blinds
- Install Tamper-Resistant Outlets
- Pick Durable Flooring
- Cover Sharp Corners with Silicone
- Secure All Cables and Wires
- Switch to Cordless Blinds
- Ensure Balustrades Meet Safety Standards
Lock Up Dangerous Items
You know, working with pets all day has taught me a thing or two about making a home safe for both kids and animals!
Let me tell you, it’s a balancing act, especially when you’ve got a curious toddler and a playful pup running around!
First things first, I locked up anything that could be dangerous. Cleaning supplies, pet food, sharp objects—they all went into cabinets with childproof locks. It took just a little effort, but it’s made a huge difference in preventing accidents. I’ve got a curious dog who likes to investigate, and a toddler who’s always exploring, so it’s definitely worth it!
I also covered all the electrical outlets and put anything breakable on higher shelves. My toddler and pet both have a knack for getting into trouble, so it’s all about making sure those tempting things are out of reach.
It’s definitely a work in progress, but it’s worth it to create a safe and fun environment for everyone!
Eunice Arauz, Founder, Pets Avenue
Cover Sharp Corners and Edges
I believe small details can make a big difference in keeping a home safe. When I childproofed and pet-proofed my own home, one of the first things I did was cover sharp edges and corners. Tables, countertops, and furniture with sharp edges can be dangerous, especially for toddlers who are just learning to walk or pets that run around excitedly. I used soft corner guards and edge protectors, which were easy to install and blended well with my furniture.
For other homeowners with young children or pets, I always recommend walking through your home at their eye level to spot potential hazards you might overlook from an adult’s perspective. Look for anything they could bump into while crawling, walking, or playing. If you don’t want to use foam protectors, consider rounded furniture or placing soft rugs around sharp areas to minimize impact. It’s a simple fix that can prevent painful injuries. In my experience, taking small precautions like this makes a home feel safer and gives you peace of mind, knowing your little ones, whether kids or pets, can move around freely without risk.
Jason Dean, Cleaning & Home Improvement Expert, Synergy Four Services
Install Biometric Locks
I have 2 kids (Sarah and James) and two pets—a naughty Turkish Angora cat (Kiki) and a Golden Labrador (Banjo).
When I moved into my new home, my wife started complaining about kids and pets’ foraging behavior. Upset with this, I tried a few traditional methods to make the new home foolproof, but in vain.
While browsing the internet for the “issue,” I read about Biometric locks on kitchen cabinets, trash bins, and doors. This solution hit me because it eliminates the risk of kids understanding how to bypass them and prevents smart pets—like ours—from nudging open doors or knocking over trash bins.
Biometric locks are effective for three reasons:
- Children quickly learn to unlock traditional safety latches by observing adults. While pets like dogs and cats can paw open cabinets or even jump over gates. With biometric locks, they have to await you.
- Biometric locks, like fingerprint scanners, are safer and easier to use than traditional key or code locks.
- They provide seamless security without inconvenience, ensuring that hazardous areas like medicine cabinets, cleaning supply storage, or pet food bins stay inaccessible.
I would advise other homeowners to think beyond traditional child and pet-proofing methods. Their goal should be eliminating access rather than blocking it. For this, they should opt for smart security options like biometric locks, motion-detecting alerts for pet gates, and even voice-controlled lighting to prevent nighttime accidents.
Jehanzaib Ahmed, Founder & CEO, Petbizs
Anchor Heavy Furniture
As a mom of two, childproofing our new home was one of the first things I did to keep my little ones safe. I started with a list, walking through each room and noting potential hazards. I counted all the outlets, so I knew how many covers to get and made sure to install refrigerator and cabinet locks to keep tiny hands out. Hazardous materials like cleaning supplies and medicine were placed high up or locked away. I also anchored heavy furniture to prevent tip-overs, added safety gates at stairways, and secured windows and doors with childproof locks.
To get a better sense of what might be dangerous, I even got down to my kids’ level and looked at the house from their perspective. I found a helpful checklist online (CDC and Safe Kids Worldwide), which made sure I didn’t miss anything.
My advice to other homeowners with young children or pets:
- Don’t wait until the last minute. Start childproofing as soon as possible.
- Think like a child. If they can reach it, climb it, or open it, it’s a potential hazard.
- Use a checklist. It makes the process much easier and ensures nothing is overlooked.
Preparation goes a long way in making your home a safe and happy place for everyone!
Doreen Nunez, Founder & Creative Director, Mommy Rheum
Install Baby Gates
When I moved into my new home, I quickly installed baby gates to keep my dog out of certain rooms and locked up cleaning supplies to keep him safe. For kids, I covered sharp furniture edges and secured heavy furniture to the walls. These simple steps create a safer space for both pets and children. I recommend taking these precautions early on. They help prevent accidents and ensure everyone, pets and kids alike, are safe. It’s the little changes like gates and furniture safety that make a big difference in creating a secure home.
George Kunatz, Owner, George’s Floofing Friends
Choose Cordless Blinds
One step I took to pet-proof my home was swapping out my old blinds for cordless ones. I’ve got a curious dog who loves to poke his nose in everything, and those dangling cords were a disaster waiting to happen. Pets can get tangled up in them, and that’s not a risk I was willing to take. It’s a simple fix, but it gave me peace of mind knowing my dog wouldn’t get hurt just from looking out the window. Plus, cordless blinds look cleaner and are easier to use, so it was a win all around.
A piece of advice I’d give other homeowners with pets is to choose your flooring wisely. Carpets hold onto pet hair, odors, and accidents, making them a headache to clean. I went with waterproof vinyl flooring because it’s easy to wipe down and doesn’t trap smells. If you have a pet that sheds, scratches, or has the occasional accident, you’ll thank yourself for picking something durable. It makes life so much easier when you’re not constantly scrubbing stains or pulling fur out of the carpet.
Todd Stephenson, Co-Founder, Roof Quotes
Install Tamper-Resistant Outlets
As an electrician, I have a few tricks up my sleeve to keep homes safe for the little ones and our furry friends. One of the best moves I’ve made is installing tamper-resistant (TR) outlets around my house. These outlets come with built-in safety mechanisms that block objects like toys or paperclips from being poked into them.
TR outlets aren’t a personal preference, and are actually a safety requirement in new homes, according to the latest building codes. This makes them a top upgrade choice for any homeowner wanting to step up their safety game.
If you’re a homeowner with children or pets, plastic covers for outlets might be something to consider, but they’re not foolproof. Kids can pull them off, and they break easily. I recommend going beyond that. Add TR outlets, tie up loose cords, move power strips out of paw and hand reach, and keep your wires tidy to avoid any tripping hazards. And for those pets that just love to chew on everything, think about some protective tubing to cover your wires.
Bobby Lynn, Owner, LiveWire Electrical
Pick Durable Flooring
When you’re designing a home or looking to childproof a home, choosing the right flooring will be your key to success. I’m really keen on porcelain tiles because they’re durable and easy to clean—which, let’s be honest, is a lifesaver when you’ve got toddlers dropping food or a dog sprinting through the house.
If you’re designing a family-friendly home, think long-term durability first. So, while light-colored carpets and floors might look great in a showroom, they might not stay this way for long if they’re covered in juice stains, pet hair, and tiny scratch marks from claws. Instead, look for low maintenance surfaces like:
- Porcelain tiles – These are my go-to for kitchens, bathrooms, and even living spaces. They’re water-resistant, stain-proof, and tough as nails.
- Textured or matte finishes – These hide scuffs and dirt much better than high-gloss surfaces.
- Larger format tiles – Fewer grout lines mean less cleaning (trust me, you’ll thank yourself later).
- Rugs in high-traffic areas – If you love the softness of carpet but don’t want the hassle, layer in rugs that are machine washable for easy cleanup.
Courtney Cole, Interior Designer, TileCloud
Cover Sharp Corners with Silicone
The first step I took was to cover up every sharp corner in my home with silicone covers, so think table corners, cabinet corners. This is especially important if your child loves to run around. Having silicone covers ensures that when they eventually run into a corner, they won’t run into a sharp table corner.
When looking for other ways to childproof and pet-proof your home, get to the same height level as your child or pet. You might be able to spot potential hazards you might overlook from your adult height perspective.
Desiree Teng, Executive Assistant, Singapore Mummy
Secure All Cables and Wires
The first thing I did to pet-proof my home was secure all cables and wires. My lovely cat has a habit of chewing on anything string-like, and exposed wires are both a choking hazard and a fire risk. I used cable management boxes and adhesive cord covers to keep everything out of reach. Easily found online!
For new homeowners with pets or young children, my advice is to get on their level—literally. Crawl around or sit on the floor and see what looks tempting or dangerous from their perspective. You’ll quickly spot loose cords, unstable furniture, or small objects that could be swallowed. Fixing these little things early saves a lot of stress later on!
Beau V., Marketing Manager, BijlesHuis
Switch to Cordless Blinds
One of the first changes I made to childproof my home was to ditch those old corded blinds for cordless ones. Those cords are just accidents waiting to happen with little ones and pets around. Kids and pets are naturally curious. I’ve seen how quickly things can go wrong with cords hanging around as it’s easy for them to get tangled up. So, I switched to cordless blinds, and it’s made my home much safer.
Cordless blinds aren’t just about safety, though. They’re really tough and great at controlling how much light comes into a room. It just makes them a smart choice all around, especially if you have young kids or pets. I’ve learned that many new home builders are even adding them into homes right from the start, just to meet safety standards.
It’s a clear win for safety and might even increase your home’s value. Whether you’re sprucing up your space or setting up a new place, adding cordless blinds is an easy but important step to take.
J.D. Songstad, Realtor, MrWestside Real Estate
Ensure Balustrades Meet Safety Standards
In addition to installing safety measures such as stair gates and cabinet locks, be sure to take a critical look at the installations already in your home. We often encounter balustrades that don’t meet current safety regulations; that is, a 100mm sphere should not be able to fit through any opening in the balustrade or stair guarding. There have been tragic cases of young children fitting through gaps between railings and falling, where properly designed balustrades could have prevented this.
The height of the balustrade should also be considered—in the US, the height of your balustrade on an internal structure must be at least 36 inches (914mm), if it’s protecting a drop of 24 inches (610mm) or more (such as internal staircases or mezzanine balconies).
If glass has been used for elements like internal barriers or balustrades, make sure it is appropriately tempered and laminated so that if one sheet of the glass breaks, it sticks to the structure and there is still another sheet of glass available to act as a barrier.
Kim Allcott, Partner, Allcott Associates LLP
