Tips for Keeping Your Laundry Room Safe
A laundry room in your home is a great convenience, but it can also present dangers for small children. The combination of large machinery and chemicals means that you should take measures to protect your kids from accidents that may happen there. Use these tips for keeping your laundry room safe to eliminate potential hazards before they have a chance to do any harm.
Store Cleaning Agents Securely
Cleaning agents can be toxic when children ingest them, so you want to make sure that they are in a secure place out of reach within the room. Choose a high shelf or cabinet to store your detergent, bleach, and other chemicals rather than a spot on the floor. In addition, you should always make sure that each bottle or container is tightly sealed so that its contents cannot spill. You can also look for products that have child-safe packaging that makes them difficult for young ones to open.
Lock and Maintain the Machines
The washer and dryer are big enough that kids can climb inside or get seriously injured if the machines malfunction while they are standing nearby. Circumvent a situation where your child gets stuck in the appliance by keeping its doors locked whenever they’re unattended. Some machines come with locks already, but if yours don’t have them, you can buy and install locks separately. Should you ever notice that your washer or dryer is acting oddly, you should also call an expert to inspect and repair it so that it doesn’t leak or move.
Prevent Lint Buildup
Lint may not seem like a major problem, but it is a highly flammable substance. Therefore, a tip for keeping your laundry room safe is to clear out lint in and around your dryer before it has a chance to build up. On top of removing lint from the filter every time you use the machine, you should also have a professional clean your dryer vent. This is because the vent has even more internal space where lint may become stuck over time. Normally, you don’t see the insides of this component, so it’s easy to ignore. However, the vent is often the main area where a fire may start, so you should have it checked regularly.
