Top 5 DIY Ways to Babyproof Your Home

My wife and I had our baby about 10 months ago, and he's becoming much more mobile. So, in the process of making my own house safe for him, I thought I would share some of the ways I've found that are most important to keep in mind.

And, of course, if you find this helpful or interesting, I have more DIY projects and Top 5 lists that you can find on my website at mrfixitdiy.com.

Electrical outlets and cabinet doors are well within a crawling infant's reach. Baby's seem to be naturally attracted to all the things that they shouldn't be, so it's best to ensure that there's no chance they can hurt themselves, which is where outlet covers and cabinet latches can be very handy.

Plastic outlet plugs are cheap and simply need to be plugged in to protect the outlet. Removing them is just as simple whenever you need to use the plug as well. I bought a pack of 36 online for just $2.99, so it's easy to make sure your whole house is safe.

For cabinets, there are many options to choose from to make sure your baby isn't getting into the cabinets. Some examples are magnetic release, push-to-open latches, or cabinet door straps like the ones I use. These are applied using peel and stick tape, and have been pretty effective.

If you are looking to save a little money to secure cabinets you rarely use, you can always use a simple ziptie. It's not the best solution if you are always opening and closing it, but otherwise, it's a pretty good solution.

Go around your house and look for corners where your baby could potentially hit their head. This can include anything from a fireplace hearth to a coffee table. To try and make these a bit safer, I installed some peel and stick corner guards I picked up online for $12.

One cheap alternative for corners of walls or hearths could be a cut up pool noodle or similar foam material.

Baby gates and containment areas are one of the most important things you should invest in. It helps ensure that your child doesn't go to places they shouldn't, and helps you easily keep and eye on them. Create a space that you know is safe, adding play mats or carpeting to protect them for hard floor surfaces.

Obviously, you still need to keep a close eye on them to be safe, but this will save you the trouble of chasing them around or losing track of them entirely.

If you keep firearms or other weapons in the house, it is imperative that you keep them safely locked away. Accidents can happen in a split second that could have devastating, long-lasting consequences for a family.

Secure safes are essential, and keeping weapons out of someone else's hands is your responsibility as the owner.

One of the simplest things you can do that doesn't cost you a cent is to store anything that could be broken or pose a threat to the baby in a safe place. This can include anything from cleaning products to tools or wired electronics that might be tugged off a table.

Ensure that they are kept out of reach of your toddler who really just wants to touch everything and put it in their mouth.

Baby-proofing is relatively inexpensive and pretty quick too. But that doesn't mean that it isn't incredibly important, and as a new parent, you should make it a top priority. Most of the items I've talked about can be found online or at many hardware stores. You can often find baby-proofing sets that bundle together many items much like them, so be sure to look out for some of those as well.

Thanks for checking out my Top 5 suggestions on making your home safe for your new baby. If you liked it, I have a other Top 5 lists I've done as well as a number of cool projects. Here are a couple examples:

Top 5 DIY Electrical Tools Every Homeowner Should Own

Top 5 DIY Plumbing Tools Every Homeowner Should Own

Thank you again for stopping by, and I'll see you in the next tutorial!