A home is a family’s personal retreat. It’s a comfortable space where you can relax after a hard day’s work. And aside from that, it should be a haven where you feel utterly safe and harm-free. After all, this is where your life’s limelight resides – your children.

Suffice to say, children are too naïve to even tell the difference between safe play and unsafe play. So without further ado, keep your loved ones safe by ensuring these 6 health and safety home tips to keep everybody safe.

Child-Proof the Entire House

Children sometimes don’t know the limits to play. And your role as a parent is to constantly monitor your little rascals at home. There have been thousands of children-choking instances due to parent negligence or kids injuring themselves due to falling. Go through these child-proofing ways you can do to your home:

Install corner bumpers to prevent your children from hitting their heads in stiff and sharp areas.
Install safety gates in the pathways, doorways, and stairs to keep them from hazardous areas. If you have a pool, make sure to block doorway entry as well.
Avoid cords that can possibly strangle your children.
Use covers, protectors or safety caps on electrical outlets.
Don’t plug too many cords on electrical outlets.
Unplug your electrical roller and hair dryers from outlets especially in the bathroom to avoid electrocution.
Store medicines in their appropriate bottles and label them correspondingly if necessary. This is extremely helpful for seniors.
Put safety latches on cabinet drawers to prevent curious children from getting their hands on hazardous products like mothballs.
When showering your child, ensure that you set the thermostat to 120 degrees only. Anything higher than that will burn your kids in a matter of seconds.
Do not leave small objects scattered on the floor or where they’re accessible to children.

Install Fire Safety Measures

Unfortunately, children under five years old are the usual casualties in a residential fire. Although your kids’ school involves them in fire drills from time to time, keeping your children educated in case of fires at home will potentially save their lives in the future. Here are ways on how to fire-proof your home for your kids and everybody in it:

Install smoke detectors in every part of your home including the basement if necessary.
If you’re living with elderly people with hearing impairments in your home, invest in special smoke alarm systems to keep them safe at all times.
Check your alarm system twice a year. Replace the batteries if need be.
Replace old alarm systems.
Stick the local emergency numbers like the nearest fire station or police station in a conspicuous place.
Plan a fire escape route with your children and teach them the “stop, drop, and roll” method in case their clothes get caught with fire.
Practice fire drills with your children when they’re ready. Do it when they’re still half asleep.

Prevent Allergens and Irritants

Children are more susceptible to indoor allergens and irritants than adults. Some examples of allergens are dust and dust mites, pet dander, mold, dirty rugs, carpets or pollen. Some examples of irritants are pesticides, cleaning product chemicals, paint fumes, outdoor air pollution, kerosene or indoor burning fuel, asbestos, radon, and carbon monoxide. Make sure your home is well ventilated by installing exhaust systems, air filtration systems, and humidifiers.

Clean Regularly

And speaking of allergens and irritants, make sure that you avoid these by cleaning regularly. Processed wood products use formaldehyde which can cause watery and burning eyes, burning throats or even asthma attacks. In addition, carpets also hold harmful chemicals like VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Here’s how to keep the house free from environmental pollutants:

Avoid clutter to avoid dust particles.
Wash bed sheets, rugs, and carpets in hot water frequently.
Keep your furry pets well-groomed.
Regularly mop floors.
Replace your air filters regularly.
Use natural cleaning products as much as possible.

Keep Hazardous Things Away

There are everyday things you use at home that can potentially harm you or your children. As you know, children can put anything they can grab into their mouths and it can cause serious choking and illnesses. Here are some of the daily hazardous things you must keep away from your little ones:

Pesticides
Mothballs
Lead paint
Air fresheners
Cleaning solutions
Cosmetic phthalates
Batteries

Don’t Smoke Indoors

Second-hand smoke causes cancer. Hence, don’t ever smoke inside the house or near your children and other people. You’re not only damaging your lungs from chronic smoking but you’re also putting other people’s lives at risk. Set up a designated smoking area at home and make sure it’s outdoors and as far away from house doors and windows as possible.

A Safe Home for Your Family

A safe and clean home means a trusting and loving environment for your kids. Remember that their health and personal development start at home; so ensure that you foster positive ways as early as now to have a healthier and happier family.

Author Bio: Kerry Brooks, driven by the passion for blogging, writes about health, beauty, fashion, food, travel and more. She loves to spend her time travelling. She also blogs at KemperMedical, one of the leading national and global distributor of premium medical products including radiation protection products and radiology/ medical imaging supplies.