Make The Bathroom A Safe(r) Place For Your Family

Believe it or not, a few rooms in your home are as dangerous as your bathroom. If you’re having a hard time believing that, perhaps the thousands of Australians who get treatment for non-fatal injuries suffered in the bathroom every year would help drive the idea home.

It does make sense to look at the bathroom as one of the most dangerous places within your own home. After all, a bathroom has tile floors on which one can easily slip on. And when one slips on bathroom tile floors, that person is likely to hit his or his head on plumbing fixtures made out of porcelain, steel or granite.

Water heaters that have been carelessly turned up also make the bathroom a dangerous room. The ideal temperature for hot water for showering is 48 degrees Celsius, but sometimes we turn the water heater up to 65 degrees Celsius especially on cold nights, which is understandable. However, leaving the water heater temperature at that level could easily scald a child or an elderly member of your family when they step into the shower without knowing about the higher water heater setting.

You should, by all means, make the bathroom a safe place for your family. Here are ways that you can do just that.

Put Bath Mats on the Tile Floors

As previously mentioned, bathroom tile floors can be really slippery. Fortunately, bath mats can help prevent falls, so waste no time in investing in quality mats and place them where it’s appropriate.

Keep Bathroom Cleaning Supplies out of Reach

If you have children, it is best to keep bathroom cleaning supplies out of reach, or better yet, stowed away in a locked cabinet or something. They contain toxic chemicals that can prove to be harmful if your children accidentally ingest them.

Keep Electric Appliances out of the Bathroom

This is supposed to be basic, but a lot of people seem to not understand how dangerous it is to place electrical items in a bathroom where it’s always in danger of getting wet. Never plug in an electrical appliance in or near an area where there is water. Bathtubs, toilets, and even sinks should be declared no-electric-item zones.

Install a Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter for Electrical outlets

If there are electrical outlets in your bathroom, you can prevent them from getting wet by installing a ground-fault circuit interrupter. You can get an electrician to install it for you.

Put up Grab Bars

Grab bars in and around the bathtub and shower area are a great idea, especially if there are senior citizens in your household. Getting out of the bath is easier with them, and you have something to hold on to in case you slip or lose your footing.

Keep the Water Heater Temperature Constant

As previously mentioned, taking the water heater temperature settings up a notch is understandable, but it can prove to be dangerous, especially when you forget to dial the heat down. To make sure that the children or the elderly who live with you are safe when they step into the shower, always set your water heater to no hotter than 48 degrees Celsius, at all times.
Have adequate lighting in the bathroom

Your bathroom should have constant adequate lighting, whether natural or artificial, during the day. At night when everyone is sleeping, a nightlight or any kind of lowlight will be enough to illuminate the bathroom long enough for anyone who uses it during those hours to switch on the main light.

Always keep the Toilet Seat Down

Whether or not to leave the toilet seat up or down has always been a relationship issue, but incidences of small children accidentally falling into the toilet have made it a safety concern as well. It’s always best to keep the toilet seat and lid down.

Always Mop the Floor Dry

Unless you buy enough bath mats to cover the entire floor area of your bathroom, there will always be some spot that will remain exposed. So it pays to be vigilant about mopping up any accumulated water from the floor after showering, hand washing, teeth brushing.

As long as you implement these measures and perform safety checks periodically, you can make the bathroom a safe place for your family.