As your baby learns how to crawl and walk, babyproofing your home is a must. This is to ensure the safety of your child as dangers lurk everywhere from the sharp corners of a table to the height of a flight of stairs. Many parents also childproof their cabinets especially if they keep bleaches and other dangerous items inside. While it is easy to tie up the cabinet doors that have handles, how do you childproof cabinets that don’t have handles then?
Fortunately, there are many childproofing items that you can get nowadays to keep your baby and toddler safe. Even for drawers and cabinets that don’t have handles, there are easy solutions to let you have some peace of mind that your child will not have access to the things inside. Dangers aside, keeping the cabinets locked up will also save you from cleaning up all the mess that your kid will inevitably make.
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Adjustable Strap Latches To Childproof Cabinets Without Handles
A strap latch is a really easy way to keep your cabinet doors locked up. It uses strong adhesives to keep the latch in place. So, there is nothing to drill, screw, and install. Simply peel off and stick it onto the doors. As with most adhesive hooks and latches nowadays, they are also easy to remove without damaging your wall or furniture.
The strap is adjustable in length which means it should be able to fit doors of different thickness. Once you have adjusted the length correctly, peel off the sticker and stick it to the identified spot and you are done. Buy those packages that come with extra adhesives as you may need to change them over time to ensure the latch remains fully secured.
These adjustable strap latches are typically made of strong but flexible plastic. So, they are bendable to latch the door to the side of the cabinet. The lock is easy for adults to open but difficult for young kids to unlatch.
Apart from cabinets, adjustable strap latches are also suitable to lock up ovens, fridges, drawers, windows, and even toilet seats to prevent them from slamming down on little fingers.
Cabinet Locks With Keys For Extra Security
While an adjustable strap latch mentioned above is adequate for some parents, others may not be too comfortable especially if their kids are a little older. Once they have seen how you unlatch the strap, they will attempt to do so on their own. This will pose a danger as you will never know when your child will succeed in unlocking the doors.
Thus, you can choose to go one step up by getting a no drill cabinet lock with key. The concept is the same with the use of adhesives to stick the plates onto the doors and/or side depending on whether you want to childproof a single cabinet or double. But instead of a plastic strap and push mechanism to lock the latch in place, this one uses a steel wire strap and a lock with key.
In other words, your child won’t be able to open the door without the key. On the positive side, it is indeed safer this way for your kid. But on the other hand, it is less convenient for yourself as you will need to reach for the key each time you want to access your cabinet. You will also need to make sure that they key is kept out of reach from your kid.
Hidden Child Safety Cabinet Latch Locks
If you are particular about how your home looks, having childproof straps on all your drawers and cabinets is not going to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye. So, some people prefer hidden child safety latches that are installed inside the drawer or cabinet.
Again, this kind of locks is easy to install with adhesives. Some packages will come with screws for those who prefer the extra security. How this babyproof cabinet latch lock works is by having the hook on the door latching onto a groove on the top part of the cabinet. To open the door, you just need to press down on the hook. This type of design uses a spring mechanism to make it easy to press down and unlock.
Another type of design uses a magnetic lock and key. It is also a hidden childproof lock that you affix inside your cabinet. A magnetic key will disengage the lock to enable you to open the cabinet. While this leaves no gap when a door is being pulled, it will be a hassle if you lose the key. The security will also depend on the strength of the magnet which may weaken over time.
Whichever type of lock that you choose, there will be pros and cons. The hidden ones will not mar your decor nor attract the attention of a toddler if you need to childproof cabinets that don’t have handles. Some type of designs will also be safer than others although most baby proof cabinet locks now will not cause damage to your furniture. Consider your needs and age of your child too. The older they are, the better it is to ensure the locks are stronger and harder to unlock.
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