Bathroom Safety Tips

A Bathroom can be an unsafe environment for many reasons, there are potentially dangerous medicines or various chemicals stored in a bathroom, there is water and a non-porous floor. Potentially the young, the old and the unlucky can have a variety of accidents. Children can slip on the floor; adults can have difficulty getting in and out of the bath. Every year there are lots of fatal accidents including drowning, electric shocks, burns, scalds, poisonings and falls in the bathroom environment.

With the application of a little common sense many of these potential accidents can be avoided. The potential for falls in the shower and bath can be reduced by adding a textured surface; This does not involve a major DIY adjustment. Plastic fish, ducks or other shapes can be bought cheaply and stuck on with adhesive.

There are many different styles and shapes of "grab handles" these days they can be put on the wall next to the toilet or next to the bath. Elderly people can have accidents by stretching and yet there are lots of things that they can buy to make baby more comfortable. They can purchase a towel with two handles at the end to use as a sponge to help them clean their back. Replacing bathroom mats often is important because when they lose their plastic backing they do not adhere to the floor properly.

It is possible to buy a purpose built chair for the shower these are nonslip and water resistant which makes them a much better idea than just sticking a chair in the shower. As we age our hands and fingers are not as supple as they used to be and it is possible to buy taps that thermostatically control the water which means an elderly person, can not turn the hot tap on too far. Often older people do not think of these things until an accident actually occurs, prevention is always better than treatment.

The bathroom can also be a seriously hazardous place for young children the combination of children playing getting excited and a wet environment is not necessarily a good one. To prevent your children straying into the bathroom you may want to close the door with a hook and eye at certain times.

Keep all medicines, mouthwashes and cleaning agents out of the reach of children. However these are not the only hazards in the bathroom keep razors, scissors and electrical equipment locked away to. If you have a battery operated hair straightener or hair curler or anything that gets hot keep these out of reach or preferably in a locked cupboard.

Small children should never be left alone in the bathroom even for a second there are many hard objects and corners which are potentially dangerous. If the doorbell rings and you have to answer it scoop up your children and take them with you. It only takes a second for a child to be hurt. It is always a good idea to teach a child not to stand up in the bath but to remain seated at all times.

Follow these simple tips and you will be able to enjoy your bathroom safely.