Babyproofing Tips For Your House: A Checklist for Every Room

Make your home safer for your baby with this practical room-by-room babyproofing checklist, featuring simple tips for reducing everyday safety risks as babies begin to crawl, explore, and become more independent.

Watching your baby become more mobile is an exciting milestone. One day they're happily playing in one spot, and before you know it, they're crawling across the room, pulling themselves up on furniture, and reaching for anything that catches their attention.

As babies grow, their natural curiosity encourages them to explore everything around them. While this is an important part of learning and development, it also means everyday household items can quickly become potential safety risks.

September is Baby Safety Month, making it a great time for families to take a closer look around their homes and make simple changes that can help create a safer environment for little ones to explore. Start with the spaces your child spends the most time in, then work your way through each room.

Here's a practical room-by-room babyproofing checklist to help you get started.

Before You Start: Look at Your Home From Baby's Level

One of the simplest ways to spot potential safety risks is to get down on the floor and look around from your baby's point of view.

You may notice things that are easy to overlook when standing, such as:

• Electrical outlets
• Loose cords
• Small objects
• Sharp furniture corners
• Unsecured furniture
• Low drawers and cabinets
• Houseplants
• Items hanging from tables or counters

Remember that babyproofing changes as your child grows. Something that wasn't accessible a few weeks ago may suddenly be within reach once your baby begins crawling, standing, climbing, or opening doors. Regularly checking your home can help you stay one step ahead of their newest skills.

Living Room

The living room is often one of the busiest spaces in the home and a favourite place for babies to play and explore.

Babyproofing Checklist:

• Anchor televisions, bookshelves, dressers, and other heavy furniture securely to the wall.
• Cover or protect sharp furniture corners and edges where necessary.
• Keep electrical cords and charging cables secured and out of reach.
• Use appropriate covers or safety devices for accessible electrical outlets.
• Keep small objects that could be choking hazards off floors and low surfaces.
• Move breakable or heavy decorative objects out of reach.
• Keep remote controls, batteries, coins, and other small household items safely stored.
• Secure blind and curtain cords so they are inaccessible to children.
• Check houseplants to make sure they are non-toxic and keep soil and plant containers out of reach.
• Use safety gates to prevent access to stairs or other unsafe areas when appropriate.

As your baby becomes more mobile, check the room regularly for new hazards. A coffee table they once crawled past may eventually become something they use to pull themselves up.

Kitchen

The kitchen contains plenty of interesting things for curious little hands, but it also has hot surfaces, sharp objects, cleaning products, and appliances that require extra attention.

Babyproofing Checklist:

• Install child-resistant latches on cabinets and drawers containing unsafe items.
• Store cleaning products, detergents, medications, alcohol, and other potentially harmful substances securely and out of reach.
• Keep knives, scissors, graters, and other sharp utensils inaccessible.
• Keep matches and lighters securely stored.
• Turn the pot and pan handles toward the back of the stove while cooking.
• Keep hot drinks and foods away from the edges of counters and tables.
• Keep appliance cords away from the edges of countertops.
• Store plastic bags and food storage bags out of reach.
• Keep small magnets and other choking hazards inaccessible.
• Use safety features for appliances when appropriate.

Avoid relying on height alone for storing dangerous items. As children learn to climb, places that once seemed safely out of reach can become accessible. Locked or secured storage provides an additional layer of protection.

Bathroom

Bathrooms can be fascinating places for young children, with water, cupboards, bottles, and plenty of objects to investigate.

Babyproofing Checklist:

• Store medications, vitamins, cosmetics, razors, and cleaning products securely out of reach.
• Install child-resistant cabinet latches where needed.
• Keep hair dryers, straighteners, curling irons, and other electrical appliances unplugged and stored safely.
• Keep small items such as hair accessories and caps out of reach.
• Use non-slip mats where appropriate.
• Keep the toilet lid closed and consider a toilet lock if necessary.
• Keep buckets and other containers empty when not in use.

Most importantly, never leave a baby or young child unattended in or around water, even for a moment. Gather towels, soap, clothing, and anything else you need before bath time begins so everything is within easy reach.

Nursery

Your baby's nursery should provide a comfortable place to sleep, change, and play. As your child becomes more mobile, it's important to regularly adjust the room to match their development.

Babyproofing Checklist:

• Follow current safe-sleep recommendations for your baby's crib and sleep space.
• Keep pillows, loose blankets, stuffed toys, and other soft items out of an infant's sleep space.
• Keep the crib away from windows, blind cords, curtains, and electrical cords.
• Adjust the crib mattress height as your baby becomes able to sit or stand.
• Anchor dressers, bookshelves, and other furniture securely to the wall.
• Keep diaper creams, wipes, medications, and other supplies out of reach.
• Keep small objects and choking hazards off the floor.
• Choose age-appropriate toys and regularly check them for loose or broken pieces.

As babies grow quickly, it's a good idea to reassess the nursery every few months and whenever your child reaches a new developmental milestone.

Parents' Bedroom

Even if your baby sleeps in their own room, chances are they'll spend plenty of time in yours. Bedrooms often contain everyday objects that adults don't immediately think of as hazards.

Babyproofing Checklist:

• Secure dressers, televisions, and other heavy furniture.
• Keep medications and personal care products securely stored.
• Keep jewellery, coins, batteries, and other small items out of reach.
• Secure charging cables and electrical cords.
• Keep plastic bags and packaging inaccessible.
• Keep blind and curtain cords safely out of reach.
• Check underneath the bed and furniture for small objects.
• Keep handbags and backpacks out of reach, as they may contain medications, coins, keys, cosmetics, or other unsafe items.

A quick floor-level check can be especially helpful in bedrooms, where small everyday belongings may easily fall onto the floor or be left on a bedside table.

Stairs and Hallways

Once your baby starts crawling, stairs can quickly become one of the most important areas to secure.

Babyproofing Checklist:

• Install safety gates where needed at the top and bottom of stairs.
• Choose gates that are appropriate for the location and follow the manufacturer's installation instructions.
• Keep stairs clear of toys, clothing, and other objects.
• Make sure railings and banisters are secure.
• Keep doors to unsafe areas closed or secured.
• Keep hallways well lit.
• Secure loose rugs or remove them if they create a tripping hazard.

Remember to close safety gates every time you pass through them. A gate can only provide protection when it's properly installed and consistently used.

Laundry Room

Laundry rooms often contain products and appliances that should remain inaccessible to young children.

Babyproofing Checklist:

• Store laundry detergent, stain removers, bleach, and other cleaning products securely out of reach.
• Keep laundry detergent packets and pods in their original containers and safely stored.
• Keep washer and dryer doors closed when they're not being used.
• Use child-lock features on appliances when available.
• Keep irons and garment steamers unplugged and stored safely.
• Store laundry baskets where they won't create climbing opportunities.
• Keep coins, buttons, and other small items found in pockets away from children.

If possible, keep the laundry room door closed or restrict access when you're not using the space.

Doors and Windows

Doors and windows can become especially interesting once babies begin pulling themselves up, walking, and climbing. Take a few minutes to check:

• Window locks and safety devices
• Balcony and patio doors
• Exterior doors
• Doorstops with small removable caps
• Blind and curtain cords
• Furniture positioned near windows

Avoid placing climbable furniture, such as chairs, stools, or toy boxes, directly beside windows. Window screens are designed to keep insects out and should not be relied upon to prevent falls.

Keep Choking Hazards Out of Reach

Babies naturally explore objects with their mouths, which makes small household items especially important to watch for. Regularly check floors, low tables, couch cushions, bags, and other accessible spaces for small objects such as:

• Coins
• Buttons
• Batteries
• Small magnets
• Jewellery
• Toy pieces
• Bottle caps
• Hair accessories
• Office supplies

It's also important to choose toys that are appropriate for your child's age and regularly inspect them for damaged, loose, or missing pieces.

Babyproofing Is an Ongoing Process

Babyproofing isn't something you do once and forget about. Your baby's abilities can change surprisingly quickly. A child who couldn't reach the coffee table last month may be pulling themselves up on it today. Soon, they may learn how to open drawers, climb onto furniture, or reach door handles. Make a habit of reviewing your home whenever your child reaches a new milestone, especially when they begin:

• Rolling
• Crawling
• Pulling themselves up
• Walking
• Climbing
• Opening doors and drawers

You may also want to do another quick safety check after moving furniture, bringing home new items, travelling, or having guests visit.

Final Thoughts

Babyproofing your home is about creating a safer space where your little one can explore, play, and learn as they grow. Most importantly, remember that babyproofing products are an extra layer of protection, not a replacement for active adult supervision. Combining thoughtful preparation with close supervision can help give your baby a safer environment for all the exciting discoveries ahead.

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