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Kids Bathrooms

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Designing Your Bathroom for the Kid’s Safety

Don’t overlook safety when planning your next bathroom project. Our tips can help you limit risks in this sometimes accident-prone room.

Bathrooms can be beautiful, but they also can be dangerous. Every year, home bathrooms are the scene of thousands of accidents, from falls to burns to electrocutions. A great many bathroom-related injuries and deaths can be avoided if homeowners fully understand the risks, know how to prevent them, and install the right safety equipment. For a basic guide to bathroom safety, we went to an expert.
Rick Allen Godinez is a Captain with the Los Angeles City Fire Department. Here he offers advice for making your bathroom as safe as it can be:

Be careful with electric devices.
Be extra careful when using electrical appliances in the bathroom, and be aware of the risk of electrical shock for every device, from hair dryers to shavers. Warn you children never to use anything electric where it could fall into water. Be sure to switch off and unplug all electrical devices that aren’t designed to be left on continually.

Install GFCI outlets.
Most homes have electrical outlets equipped with a ground fault circuit interrupter, which will turn off electricity before severe injuries or electrocution can occur. If your bathroom or home does not have GFCI outlets, consult with a qualified electrician about adding this essential protection.

Childproof all poisons and drugs.
Keep all cleaning agents and other potentially dangerous items out of children’s reach. Make sure that all poisonous products and all medicines have childproof caps.
Keep toilet lid closed.
Remember to keep the toilet lid closed, as children can drown in just a few inches of water.

Test bath water.
And last but not least, make sure to test the temperature of bath water with your elbow before bathing a child. It takes only seconds for hot water to scald a child. Never leave a full tub unattended when kids are in the house, and never leave kids unattended in the tub.
For more information on safety in the bathroom and other parts of the home, check out the following organizations or websites:

US Consumer Product Safety Commission: Electrical Safety Publications www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs

US Consumer Product Safety Commission: Household Product Safety Publications www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub

Home Safety Council www.homesafetycouncil.org

Childproofing Your Bathroom: babycenter.com

Here are some fun ideas for your kid’s bathroom

Animal Shape Faucet Cover Manufacturer: KEL-GAR, Inc. This soft, protective faucet cover fits most standard models and helps protect your young bather from bumps on the noggin and accidentally turning on the hot water. But safety doesn’t have to be boring—Tubbly the Elephant also dispenses bubbly bath water through his mouth as does his counterpart, Sudsy the Hippo. Warm water softens the cover and makes it easier to slip on and off. But nothing replaces adult supervision—never leave a child unattended in the bathtub.
Scrub-a-Dub Children’s Sink Price: $299 Manufacturer: Elkay Let the little ones’ imaginations run wild with this collection of sinks in six kid-friendly designs including fish, butterflies and hearts. They come in a variety of vivid colors depending on design, including blue, red, pink, brown, purple, yellow and white. The sinks are fabricated from a durable, solid-surface composite material that cleans easily, won’t crack or dent and is exceptionally resistant to chips, scratches and stains.