How to Childproof Your Bathroom

We’ve tackled childproofing in the yard and kitchen; now let’s move to the bathroom, where the presence of water makes everything a lot more dangerous.

I obtained the following safety tips through conversations with Anne Marie Radel of Safer-Baby and Linette Palmer of Family First. Both are babyproofing professionals in Los Angeles with decades of experience.

Lower the hot-water temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature setting on your water heater is warm enough for a comfortable bath or shower but cool enough not to scald a child. If you live in an apartment or condo, you can install an antiscalding device that shuts off the water when it hits a certain temperature.


Block access to electrical outlets and electrical appliances. As with other rooms, cover up all exposed electrical outlets. Keep appliances like hair dryers as far away from the bathtub as possible; general safety tips become more relevant around curious, accident-prone babies. This drawer cleverly limits access to both the outlet and the hair dryer.

Lock the toilet. Most babies love to play with water, and unfortunately toilet water is no exception. According to Radel, children younger than 2 are top-heavy and can easily topple into the toilet bowl. Meanwhile, older babies love to flush toys down the toilet.


Place bath mats inside and outside the tub. Bath mats help reduce the likelihood of slipping in and around the tub. Find ones that dry quickly, resist mold and are long enough to cover the length of the tub.

Also, prepare all bathing equipment prior to bathing and never leave a child alone in bathtub — even for one minute. Tubs filled with as little as 1 inch of water can present a drowning hazard for babies.


Cover the bath spout. Radel notes that the third most common cause of stitches in babies is sharp bathtub spouts (after coffee tables and raised fireplace hearths). Use a soft cover to protect little ones from the heat and sharp edges of the plumbing hardware. (The blue whale seen here on the counter is a soft cover for a bath spout.) Many playful options exist; Radel prefers ones made from Insulite foam.


Keep hazardous objects, toxins and the trash can out of reach. Lock away razors, bar soaps, cleansers and medicine in a cabinet or put them up high. If you need a trash can in the bathroom, place it on the counter or in a latched cabinet.


Use a shower curtain instead of a glass door. Radel recommends using a shower curtain made of a breathable material like nylon or Tyvek. The breathability helps resist mold and reduces the risk of suffocation. Use a sturdy anchor for the rod in case your baby or child yanks on the curtain.


Choose bathroom hardware with softer edges. Avoid sharp edges in your hardware and plumbing fixtures. Although there is a glass shower door in this beautiful bathroom, the plumbing hardware is a fantastic example of soft, baby-friendly curves that appear sophisticated.

Hardware with softer lines is useful for people of all ages, actually. Sometimes baby-safe design just means human-centered design.

More: How to childproof your yard and kitchen

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