Toddlers are incredibly inquisitive characters. They’ll try and get their hands on just about anything that takes their fancy, and the kitchen can be a dangerous place for a curious crawler. With the kitchen being the heart of the home for so many families, and often where many people spend most of their time, it’s important to ensure you and your littles ones can enjoy a risk-free family space.
Parenting on Female First
Darren Watts, renovations expert from Wren Kitchens, the UK’s number one kitchen retailer, gives us the inside track on all the tips, tricks and techniques you need to baby-proof your kitchen.
Use high cupboards which are out of reach to children to store detergents, pesticides, cleaning products and any other toxic household chemicals
It’s inevitable that your kitchen is going to contain various household cleaning products, which are often incredibly toxic and seriously dangerous. Child-safety locks are great for ensuring your child keeps their hands away from cupboards containing such products, but it’s just as effective to utilise the high cupboards you have in your kitchen. To be extra safe – do both, eliminating both temptation and risk.
Another area that's often overlooked when it comes to storage is the space above your cupboards. By using this area, you can get anything heavy, sharp or toxic well out of baby’s reach – cutting the chances of injury dramatically. Use wicker baskets to add a rustic country appeal, or if you’re going for a more modern feel in your kitchen, block colour storage trunks are a great option.
Store knives and other sharp kitchen utensils away in locked drawers or high cupboards
Keeping knives out in knife racks or attached to magnetic strips can look great, but is an accident waiting to happen with small children around. To keep sharp objects away from small hands, keep them in a well organised cutlery drawer with a child-lock. More so than ever, kitchens are being designed in a way to provide solutions to storage and Wren has a unique integrated knife block which helps to keep those sharp edges in a secure place one less thing to have to worry about!
Electrical appliances including the toaster, kettle and blender should be kept out of a child’s reach. When not in use the appliances should be unplugged, and the cords hidden.
Appliances such as blenders and slow cookers are handy to have on the kitchen counter but can also pose a risk to children, especially if the cords are left within reach as well. To avoid your child having any accidents with the sharp blades of the blender, or the heavy weight of the slow cooker, it’s important to use your cupboard space wisely to store them when not in use.
Wren offers several tricks for maximising cupboard space, including utilising corner storage which is often wasted. Depending on the shape of your kitchen, implementing curved pull-out corner cabinets or carousel corner cabinets ensures you’re making the most out of the storage space available to you. You can also use stacking canisters or trays to free up space and get the most out of the storage you have.
To keep those little hands away from opening low-level hot ovens, why not think about an integrated one at eye level? Not only do they look neat and are easier to clean but they’re a safer option – Wren has a huge range of integrated appliances, along with sleek suitable towers for them to sit in.
Don’t leave plastic bags out – including bin bags
Babies and small children can suffocate on plastic bags. Keep them in a secure drawer or in a cupboard far out of their reach. It’s also important to keep children’s hands out of the bins, where there can be sharp objects and unsafe food remains. A child will just see unusual colours and shapes – and a challenge!
Get a bin with a solid lid, or even a latch, to make it baby-proof. At Wren, it’s all about making storage part of the aesthetic, hiding your bin away in a pull-out cupboard is a great way to not only make your kitchen appear clean and tidy, it also ensures your children cannot be drawn to exploring it!
Minimise those sticky finger marks
Take a break from constantly cleaning up after your little ones and opt for an easy clean kitchen for a less hectic lifestyle. Doors are one of the most touched areas of your kitchen and Wren has introduced a nifty solution – clever fingerprint repelling technology on its Ultra door range. The special coating repels the natural oils from our skin.
Easy-care worktops are also a stress-free option. Wren’s bespoke laminate counters are tough and will cope with whatever the family throws at it – or on it. Our stunning quartz worktop are not only on trend, but they have so many benefits including being stain resistant and are super-durable as they’re made with one of nature’s strongest minerals.
Materials such as stainless steel are hard to keep shimmery clean and let’s face it, who has time to polish a stainless steel sink every day?! Robust ceramic sinks are ideal or go bold with a black sink – easy clean kitchens don’t have to be boring.
Tagged in Babies